FACT SHEET: OTC
MCS has provided public relations support for more than a dozen over-the-counter products in such therapeutic areas as pain management, allergy relief, cough and cold relief, and smoking cessation. Through these campaigns, we have provided our clients with strategic counsel, as well as creative grassroots and direct-to-consumer programs that encouraged consumers to seek treatment and to rapidly adopt new products. Additionally, we strive to be a key resource to pharmacy trade and consumer journalists in a dynamic OTC marketplace.
Bridging the Gap From Prescription to OTC
A critical component of our public relations support has been to help our clients' transition their products seamlessly from prescription to over-the-counter status. Whether it is providing counsel during FDA advisory committee meetings or communicating to diverse audiences the safety and efficacy of a product, our goal is to help physicians and consumers feel confident about the use of new over-the-counter products. One such activity involved implementing scenario communication preparation and conducting media relations outreach for the FDA advisory committee meeting recommending the OTC availability of the smoking cessation patch Nicotrol®.
EXTENDING MARKET LIFE: Reinvigorating an Established Product
As the most widely used brand of acetaminophen approved for use in children under six months of age, Children's Tylenol® has a solid history of leadership in pediatric analgesia. However, when private-label products and ibuprofen began to step up their marketing campaigns - which included the introduction of Children's Advil® and the rise in popularity of store-brand generics. - Children's Tylenol saw a negative impact on market share.
MCS determined a key opportunity in maintaining leadership in its category was to address the pain and fever associated with childhood vaccinations. Since immunization after-care had not been the focus of national news stories during this time period, National Infant Immunization Week provided a ready-made news occasion. To maximize this opportunity, MCS:
- partnered with the American Academy of Family Physicians to conduct a national telephone survey of new mothers to ascertain their knowledge of the importance of immunization and after-care for infants and children;
- announced the results prior to National Infant Immunization Week through a national media campaign, which included a video news release, satellite media tour and national print and broadcast outreach; and
- worked with representatives from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to announce in grassroots markets an immunization awareness program targeted to medically underserved communities.
The campaign generated broadcast television coverage in the top 10 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., as well as coverage in a variety of print and trade publications, including The Medical Herald, U.S. Pharmacist, and Drug Topics, with a total audience reach of over 65 million people.
Bundling a Therapy with a Larger Health Issue
While many health conditions may not be considered life-threatening, they significantly impact the quality of life and well-being of those affected. Unfortunately, products that treat these diseases may be overlooked due to public perception that these conditions are not "serious." MCS has consistently recognized the need for multi-faceted consumer outreach programs that seek to change media, physician and consumer attitudes about quality-of-life conditions, as well as the products used to treat them.
To promote the use of Tylenol® PM, a product that combines a pain relief ingredient with a sleep aid to treat both pain and sleeplessness, MCS developed the Sleep Awareness Campaign. Through the campaign, McNeil Consumer Products provided an educational grant to the National Sleep Foundation funding a survey designed to heighten national awareness of the far-reaching public consequences of sleep loss, especially in the work force, and solutions to this pervasive problem. The survey showed that two-thirds of employees have experienced trouble sleeping, resulting in a lack of concentration, difficulty in handling stressful situations and, in general, having a negative impact on productivity and the economy. The survey results were announced at a press conference featuring former HHS Secretary Louis Sullivan during National Sleep Awareness Week in Washington, D.C. The event, coinciding with Daylight Savings Time, provided an interesting media hook and succeeded in positioning healthy sleeping habits as equally important to one's health as diet and exercise.
The campaign resulted in coverage in UPI, Bloomberg News, Medical Tribune News Service, The Los Angeles Times, The Denver Post, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Minneapolis Star Tribune. More than 150 reports aired on television news broadcasts, including all three major networks, FOX, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and dozens of local affiliates in both major and medium-sized markets.
