Published on August 13, 2014
by Merck KGaA, Group Communications,
Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
Telephone: +49 (0) 6151-72 0
Fax: +49 (0) 6151-72 5577
E-mail: comms@merckgroup.com
Website: www.merckgroup.com
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Cover photo:
Nasivin helps people to breathe easy – in India and on the moon as well
Successful campaign helps increase sales volumes of the classic nasal decongestant in the Indian market
The cover photo of our half-year financial report depicts a major billboard for the Merck nasal decongestant Nasivin®, or as it is known in the Indian market, Nasivion®. The billboard is located in the Indian metropolis of Bangalore and shows the cricketer Rohit Sharma, captain of the Mumbai Indians cricket team and one of the country’s most famous sports stars. It is part of the Metro Campaign aimed at the population of major Indian cities.
The campaign was developed within the scope of a consumer-oriented marketing strategy that the Consumer Health division of Merck has been pursuing since 2010. Billboards are not the only advertising medium used. In Delhi, for example, 50 Nasivion taxis are plying the route between Delhi Airport and downtown Delhi, and two Nasivion double-decker buses are driving around Mumbai. Clear key messages and revamped packaging are being used to address consumers and drive the key messages at various consumer touch points, for instance in the midst of rush hour in India, as the cover photo shows. This has proven successful: Over the past three years, Merck has achieved average annual growth of more than 20% with Nasivion in India.
With a population of more than 1.2 billion people and a growing middle class with rising purchasing power and health awareness, India is a tremendous market for over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, such as those offered by the Merck Consumer Health division. Yet Merck is focusing not only on India; in the second quarter Merck generated 37% of Group sales in the Emerging Markets region.
Incidentally, Nasivin has been thriving on the Indian market since its launch in 1969, the same year the successful Merck product accompanied Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as part of the medical kit for the Apollo 11 space mission.
