The Campaign

Kremil-S is a stomachache relief brand in Vietnam. Challenges included: • low brand awareness at 58% • low trial, and conversion from trial to regular usage • poor perceived efficacy for the tablet format versus main competitors in gel format Low budget availability made mass media impracticable. Against this PR was selected as the only support activity between mid-2010 and Q1 2011, with a goal of building an image of stomach care expertise which would inspire trust, building awareness, trial and usage. The campaign was built around prestigious doctors, with whom trade ambassadors (pharmacists) and the public could interact via: • advice columns • radio healthcare consultancies • interactive knowledge sharing games for pharmacists • seminar With further backing of the HCMC University of Medicine Center, the program garnered: • ~32.5 million+ media impressions at a cost under 0.0038 US dollar per contact – an efficiency more than three times paid for advertising (contact value: USD 311K vs. investment cost USD 123K) • rise in TOM awareness of 21% • increase in sales: 12% Given that PR was the sole communication, all improvements appear directly attributable to this, and this was done against a market background of increasing competitor spends.

The Brief

• Prominent weaknesses: - Weak brand saliency - Low perceived efficacy (vs. gel format) and perceived unsafe artificiality (vs. herbal/saffron and honey tablet) - Low conversion trialists to regular users - Low support budget availability • The situation: Overall, Kremil-S’s equity was weak in consumers’ minds: overall low awareness and those who were aware perceived the product to be inferior. • The opportunity: - Functionally the product does deliver with antacid giving fast relief gastric pains: if PR could drive trial the product would drive repurchase. - Garner support from pharmacists and doctors (the right KOLs) to drive expertise credentials.

Results

- Cimigo: • Sales performance: growth rate = 12% (2010 vs. 2009). Prior to this sales had been in decline: given that PR was the only channel used growth is attributed to this. • Brand equity: + brand awareness increased 21% + anecdotal evidence that trial and repeat purchase increasing: data awaited • Perception of “(Kremil-S) is a famous brand”: increased 165% (Q3 vs. Q2) • Perception of “Effective in relieving pain due to overeating/indigestion”: increased 182% (Q3 vs. Q2) - Return-on-Investment Analysis: • Approximately 32.5 million media impressions • ROI value nearly 200% • Investment/ impression only $0.0038 - Client comment: “Necessity is the mother of invention. With Kremil-S we’d have liked to advertise equity, but simply didn’t have big budgets. The stand-alone PR campaign drove increases in brand awareness and sales of 21% and 12% respectively, with a per contact media efficiency three times that of advertising.”

Execution

Tactics: • Press “Stomach-ache” Advice Columns: Series of editorials endorsed by doctors to educate public about stomach care. Run in healthcare columns of high-ranking publications for 2 months. • Radio “Your Doctor” Program: 10-min twice weekly interactive program with doctors on Binh Duong Radio (broadcasted before the top rated “Weekend music on demand”) in 3 months. • Special seminar on digestive system: Co-organising with HCMC Medical University Hospital “Stomach-related disorders in today life” event with Kremil-S experts (doctors/also KOLs) directly consulting with the media and patients about stomachache and its solution. Held in a Hochiminh hotel on June 24, 2010 with a 4-month supporting PR campaign (June – September) • Front-liner program: Co-branding withHCMC Medical University Hospitalto organize series of doctors’ knowledge sharing sessions coupled with a mobile marketing campaign (using an interesting interactive game). Campaign was run in Health & Life and Women Sunday Magazines for 4 months.

The Situation

• Prominent weaknesses included: - Weak brand saliency - Low perceived efficacy (vs. gel format) and perceived unsafe artificiality (vs. herbal/saffron and honey tablet) - Low conversion trialists to regular users - Low support budget availability • The situation: Overall, Kremil-S’s equity was weak in consumers’ minds: overall low awareness and those who were aware perceived the product to be inferior. • The opportunity: - Functionally the product does deliver with antacid giving fast relief gastric pains: if PR could drive trial the product would drive repurchase. - Garner support from pharmacists and doctors (the right KOLs) to drive expertise credentials.

The Strategy

Overall strategy: THE SIMPLE EQUATION: Issue: “Stomach-ache & related issues of discomfort” Solution: "KREMIL-S as your Stomach Specialist". Do this with publicity targeting end-users and specific relationship work with key influencers. Steps to success: Phase 1: Education • Educate the target audience on the product benefits and what Kremil-S can deliver • Start building up the ‘expert’ image for the brand Phase 2: Stimulation • Continuously provide relevant & stimulating information to the target audience • Cement ownership of ‘expert’ image of the brand and make it stick! • Maintain top-of-mind awareness with Kremil-S being a preferred choice… with top recommendation of the front-liners Phase 3: Engagement & Loyalty • Deepen relationships with target • Invest in the future stable development of the brand Phase 4: Measure impact