TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:...........................................................................................................................3
CURRENT MARKET SITUATION:..........................................................................................................................4
PRODUCT STRATEGY................................................................................................................................5
CLASSIFICATION OF STREPSILS...........................................................................................................5
PRODUCT DECISIONS................................................................................................................................5
INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT DECISIONS.......................................................................................................................6
1. Quality:...............................................................................................................................................6
2. Features:.............................................................................................................................................7
Advantages:............................................................................................................................................7
Benefits:..................................................................................................................................................7
3. Style & Design:...................................................................................................................................7
4. Branding:............................................................................................................................................7
5. Packaging: .........................................................................................................................................8
6. Labeling:.............................................................................................................................................8
PRODUCT LINE DECISIONS.................................................................................................................................9
PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE.............................................................................................................................9
PRICING STRATEGY..................................................................................................................................9
NATURE OF MARKET AND DEMAND..................................................................................................................10
CONSUMER PERCEPTION ABOUT PRICE AND VALUE.............................................................................................10
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY....................................................................................................................10
CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE AND AVAILABILITY:.....................................................................................................10
SELECTION OF CHANNEL:.................................................................................................................................11
TYPES OF INTERMEDIARIES:..............................................................................................................................11
NUMBER OF MARKETING INTERMEDIARIES:..........................................................................................................12
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY..................................................................................................................12
PROMOTION STRATEGY........................................................................................................................12
AWARENESS AND IMAGE:................................................................................................................................13
DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION:........................................................................................................13
PULL STRATEGY.............................................................................................................................................13
INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS (IMC)...........................................................................................14
Advertising............................................................................................................................................14
Sales Promotion &Public Relations.....................................................................................................15
ACTION PROGRAMS........................................................................................................................................15
COMPETITIVE REVIEW..........................................................................................................................15
CLOSE COMPETITORS:.....................................................................................................................................16
DISTANT COMPETITORS:..................................................................................................................................16
 COMPETITIVE POSITION:..................................................................................................................................16
STREPSILS AS A MARKET LEADER:.....................................................................................................................16
WHY NOT PRICE LEADERS:.............................................................................................................................17
SWOT ...........................................................................................................................................................17
ANALYSIS....................................................................................................................................................17
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY:.......................................................................................................................19
POTTER’S 5 FORCES MODEL:...............................................................................................................20

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 Executive Summary:
We being the Marketing Team of the Strepsils, are preparing to re launch the
Srepsils. Despite its dominance as a market leader, we can still expand the market by
increasing its demand. The main theme behind the re launch of Stripsils is to develop
market by developing new users, new uses and more usage of Strepsils and this can be
done by changing people’s perception that “Strepsils is somewhat only pharmaceutical
stuff and only used for throat care”,
All our actions including;
1) The new Strepsils slogan “Mazay Mazay Mein Gala Saaf”,.
2) Introducing a new flavor of “Elaichi”(which freshens the breath)
3) The new Strepsils candy like packaging,.
4) Incresing the availability of Strepsils by placing it in General stores.
will support our re launching theme of developing new users, new uses and more usage
of Strepsils by mapping the minds of people. We try to blend the four Ps of marketing in
such a way that the changes in them provide oxygen to increase Strepsils life.

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 was the world’s first medicated sore throat lozenge commercially
available. Strepsils has been in production since 1953 by BHI (Boots Healthcare
International). After the formation of Reckitt & Benckiser, Strepsils has been produced
by it. Strepsils contains two active ingredients, namely amylmetacresol and 2, 4-
dichlorobenzyl alcohol. These ingredients are mild antiseptics, which kill bacteria
associated with mouth and throat infections.

The name Strepsils is derived from the streptococcus bacteria which are the
world’s most common cause of sore throat. The only brand with a true medicinal value,
Strepsils is the pre eminent first aid people reach out for when the throat starts to become
sore. Strepsils relieves more sore throats for people around the world than any other
throat lozenge.

Current Market Situation:

The existing Strepsils promotion is too weak and this is because of the
pharmaceutical perception attached to it. The trends in Pakistan markets show that
pharmaceutical products are not very much promoted and their promotion is either
dependent upon the medical rap or on the prescription of the doctors or in some cases on
the free suggestion of medical store retailers to the customers. In value terms, Strepsils
commands a 47 per cent market and in terms of volume about 33 per cent in a turf marred
by seasonality, medicinal nature, and channel of distribution. This equation clearly
underlines Strepsils premium status.

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 Product Strategy
Levels of product “Strepsils”

Core Benefit: Relief from early sore irritation.

Actual product: Strepsils throat lozenges.

Augmented product: Easy to carry, don’t have sedatives, Attractive colors and
design, Different sized packs, Easily available.

Classification of Strepsils
Strepsils comes under the category of convenience product as it is frequently
purchased, have little planning, little comparison or low shopping effort and has
low consumer involvement. Its price is low. But it is not widely distributed as it is
supposed to be a pharmaceutical product and available only at pharmacies and we
are going to change the mind set of people that it is not only restricted to a
pharmaceutical product but can be taken for pleasure and joy as well.

Product Decisions
Strepsils make product decisions at two levels:

i. Individual Product Decisions

ii. Product Line Decisions

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Individual Product Decisions

Product Quality

Product
Features
Labeling

Individual
Product
Decisions

Style & Design

Packaging

Branding

1. Quality:
The greatest achievement of Strepsils is that it has continued to grow within an
ever changing market environment and despite the fact that basic Strapsils formula has
not changed in its fifty year history. Market research has shown that for consumers
Strepsils is the most preferred medicated throat lozenge. It is good in both quality and
consistency.

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2. Features:
i. It is a throat lozenge used when throat is initially started to sore.
ii. Strepsils lozenges are available in different mouth watery flavors, Flavors available in
Pakistan are ice mint, original and lemon and honey. And we are going to introduce a
new taste of “Eilaichi”.

Advantages:
i. It doesn’t contain sedatives, which causes sedation.
ii. It is candy like which doesn’t need to take with water.

Benefits:
i. Strepsils is the only medicated throat lozenge and possesses a drug license which shows
its throat care reliability and has an edge over its competitors like Vicks which doesn’t
contain a license.

3. Style & Design:

It is round shaped. And its size is moderate.

4. Branding:

has always been seen as a brand that’s efficacious, soothing, caring,

pleasant tasting and consistent. A heritage of almost 50 years has seen it emerge as a
brand that people trust and rely upon. While it’s often seen as a traditional brand, a new
sense of contemporary appeal will now be initiated to rejuvenate an association with the
younger generation as well, as it will now say “Mazay Mazay mein Gala saaf”. It's not
just the feel good factor that is Strepsils' goal; the brand wants users to actually feel it

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working. Strepsils has maintained a consistent positioning of a specialist throat care
remedy.

5. Packaging:
Over the years, packaging for Strepsils has
been modified to meet the demands of an
evolving market and to maintain a healthy
price position. Present primary packing of
Strepsils is a strip of 10 lozenges and
secondary packing of 15* 10’s lozenges.
New packing which will now going to be
introduced will be of a single lozenge and
packet of 30 lozengez so as to make it easy
for customers to carry, and in this way
they will not be bounded to purchase the

whole strip of 10 lozenges, rather they can make purchases of their choice. The present
packing will be continued to be available.

6. Labeling:

Strepsils has a very catchy logo look which identifies the

product and promotes the product because of its attractive graphics. Its label is not
going to be changed in re launching process as it is already pegged in the minds of
people.

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 Product Line Decisions
Beyond decisions about individual product, product strategy also calls for
building a product line. The major product line decision involves product line length-
the number of items in the product line. Current product line length of Strepsils is 3. In
re branding process, its line is decided to be maintained to 3 but by pruning an
unnecessary and un profitable flavor “Original” and by introducing new fresh flavor
”Eilaichi”. “Original” flavor is decided not to be further produced as it is not very
demanding in public because of its unpleasant taste which not at all creates enjoyment
and “Maza”, which is now the main slogan of Strepsils in re branding process.,
Strepsils is now looking towards product line filling approach- with new and fresh
addition of “Eilaichi” flavor.

Product Life Cycle

The brand Strepsils and its products are in its maturity stage as it has largely
achieved acceptance by most potential buyers. But the new flavor “Eilaichi” would be at
introduction level as the product is going to be introduced in the market.

Pricing Strategy
It is the amount of money charged for the product that consumers exchange for
the benefits of having or using the product. Strepsils is using fixed price policy i.e. setting
one price for all buyers.
Strepsils price is Rs1/ lozenge. The price of Strepsils is kept same to Rs1 little
higher than its competitors but it justifies its high price, as it gives the best quality.
Strepsils is not competing in terms of price, but it is competing about keeping customers
loyal by providing the value they can’t find anywhere else.

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Nature of Market and Demand
Strepsils is working under monopolistic competition, in which the market consists
of many buyers and sellers who trade over a range of prices rather than a single market
price. Under this competition, buyers see different products like Vicks, Hoest Drops,
Soothers which charge different prices. All these charge Rs0.5/candy. But even then,
buyers prefer to use Strepsils because of its effectiveness, good mouth watery flavors,
and consistant quality.

Consumer Perception about Price and Value

In value terms, market share of Strepsils is 47% which clearly tells about its
quality and value. Strepsils is a market leader. When buyers buy Strepsils, they exchange
something of value (price) to get something of value (the benefits of having Strepsils, i.e.
“Mazay Mazay mein Gala Saaf”).

Distribution Strategy
A company’s distribution decision directly or indirectly effects every marketing
decision. Some companies pay too little attention to their distribution channels, but others
use imaginative distribution system to gain competitive advantage.

Customer convenience and availability:

We are focusing on the customer convenience and availability of Strepsils on
every departmental store, super store and convenient store. So that our product will not be
available only on medical stores but also on general stores.

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Selection of channel:
. We use indirect marketing channel for our product. Such marketing channel
includes two levels wholesaler (Aventice, main distributor in Lahore) and retailers
(medical stores and convenience stores).
Racket Benckiser

Aventice(wholesaler)

Specialty and convenience (retailers)

Consumers
Reckitt Benckiser has its own genareral store distributors which take products like
Dettol, Cherry Blossom, Disprin, Mortein, Harpic, Veet from the industry to the retail
stores. So, in order to extend our distribution channels, besides transporting products to
Aventice, which takes products to medical stores, Reckiit Benckiser’s own distributors
also take Strepsils to transport to convenience stores.

Types of intermediaries:
When company defines its marketing channel, it should next identify alternative
channel in terms of types of intermediaries. Alternative channel used for strepsils is
industrial distributors who will carry the product in different regions or industries.

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Number of marketing intermediaries:
Our distribution strategy is intensive distribution (stocking the product in as many
outlets as possible) instead of selective distribution (the use of more than one but fewer
than all of the intermediaries who are willing to carry) the company’s product.

Development Strategy
Strepsils has planned to grow and develop itself by means of market development
strategy and by product development strategy. In market development, it has found new
geographical markets, which is departmental and general stores, so as to increase the
sales and also to change the minds of people from Strepsils as only pharmaceutical
product to the refresher which can be taken as for joy as well. In product development
strategy, it is going to introduce a new flavor “Eilaichi”.

Promotion Strategy
Modern marketing calls for more than developing a good product, pricing it
attractively and making it available to target customers. It is also necessary that
companies must also communicate with current and prospective customers.
Communication is all about promotion of a product or a company. So while re lunching
Strepsils, one of the most important steps towards its success will be its effective
promotion.

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Awareness and Image:
Most of the people in Pakistan are well aware of the name of Strepsils because it
is a market leader in its pharmaceutical category. People here also have knowledge of it
and this is due to it’s often usage. So by analyzing the current market situation, it can be
stated that buyers of Strepsils are at 2nd stage which is knowledge stage of “Buyer
readiness stage” and our work is to move them to next stage of liking and this will be
done by changing people perception.

Buyer Readiness Stages:

Awareness knowledge liking preference conviction purchase

Developing Effective Communication:

The new slogan of Strepsils is a clear
picture of our communicative message and
that slogan besides conveying a
communicative message will fulfill the
requirements of “AIDA” model by getting
attention, holding interest, arousing desire
and obtaining action. This is because, the
joy element of the message will get attention
and arouse desire and the throat care
element will create interest of buyers.

Pull Strategy
As all of our doings are to attract buyers, so that their liking will increase towards
Strepsils and they will ask for Strepsils. We actually want to increase the demand of
Strepsils .That’s why our strategy can be called as pull strategy.

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Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)
Promotion is actually not a single tool but rather a mix of several tools, ideally
under the concept of IMC. The company will carefully coordinate these promotion
elements to deliver a clear, consistent, and compelling message about the organizations
and its product. The concept of IMC suggests that the company must blend the promotion
tools carefully into a coordinated promotion mix. That’s why while selecting our
marketing communication mix we will go for only those promotion tools which can be
blended in effective and efficient way. The promotion mix tools which we have decided
for re launching Strepsils consist of:

Advertising
On one hand, advertising can be used to blend up a long term image, and on other
hand, it can generate quick sales. The main decisions in advertising are about;

As our main objective is to change image of the product to correct false impression, we
will go for information and persuasive advertising. Coming towards message decisions
which includes message strategy, message execution and media decisions, our purpose of

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advertising is to get consumers to think about or react to the product in a way we want to
position it and that is “Mazay Mazay mein Gala Saaf”.

Sales Promotion &Public Relations

Sales promotion and public relations are other tools on which our promotion is
based, so their importance can’t be neglected. The consumer promotion tools which we
decided for re launching Strepsils promotion are samples and point of purchase. By
distributing free samples of Strepsils in schools, colleges and universities, we can
introduce strepsils as candies and once from this short incentive, our image would be
clear, they will definitely ask strepsils for retailers. To let others know that, now strepsils
is available at every general store, it is necessary to display our products by some means
at point of purchase. This can be done by placing our dispensers or by placing boards. We
will also go for stalls in different Melas and festivals. So these steps will change
pharmaceutical image.
To develop good relations with public and to remain in news with good name, we
will sponsor some singing competitions which would be on national basis, because in
these days they are dominating channels. Being a part of community, we never forget our
social responsibility that’s why; we have planned for our medical camps related with
throat care particularly in changing seasons.

Action Programs
Strepsils will increase its production and promotion when there will be a rainy season i.e.
in June/July and also in weather changing months, which are April/May and
September/October, as in these months, most viral diseases spread, most common of
which is sore throat.

Competitive Review
Today’s dynamic environment and aggressive moves of marketing oriented
companies have pushed every company to be very keen in search of opportunities of
adding features and cutting prices to earn largest market share. So, the industry

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participants in the field of lozenges and mint candies are adding more and more features
to their products to win the preference of consumers.
Strepsils’ competitive advantage over its competitors is all about, “why customer
will go to purchase Stripsils when Vicks, Hoest Drops, Soother and Softmint etc, are also
there in the market”. For the answer of this question, Strepsils need to add some benefits
and features which none of its competitors provide.
Strepsills faces its competition from other so called throat lozenges, but now
when it is being relaunching, lozenges as well as a candy, its competition broadens to
other refresher candies also. Following are some of its main competitors.

Close Competitors:
Close competitors of Strepsils are those which are used as a throat reliving and
anti-sorethroat candies or tablets because they are satisfying the same need as Strepsils
do. e.g. Vicks Tablets, Hoest Drops, Soothers.

Distant Competitors:
Distant competitors of Strepsils are those brands which are used only as refresher
because Sterpsils can be among one of them. e.g. Softmint, Coolmint, Airmint, Polo,
Mentos.

Competitive Position:
Strepsils is having a market share of almost 47% in its industry with respect to
value. So having the largest market share, Strepsils is a market leader brand. Strepsils is
leading other firms in new product introduction, distribution, coverage and promotion
spending.

Strepsils as a market leader:

As a market leader, Strepsils will be going to expand its total market demand by
developing new users and more usage of its product means it can be used even if there is

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no irritation in the throat. It is encouraging more usage by convincing people by running
cool ads to use the product more frequently.

Why not Price Leaders:

The reason why Strepsils is not a price leader is that, it has already provided
sufficient benefits that market challenger and follower of this industry have plenty to
follow. There is no apparent chance of any competitor to over come Strepsils market
position.

SWOT
Analysis

Strepsils has several powerful strengths and some weaknesses. Following are the
details.

i). Strengths:
1. More Flavors:
Strepsils is now going to provide more flavors than it had in the past. e.g. Eilaichi.
2. More Packs:
Strepsils will now be available in different types of packs (family and individual)
which are easy to keep & carry.
3. Brand Awareness:
Strepsils has already a significant brand image and awareness in the market.
4. No Sedatives:
Consumer doesn’t feel sleepy or any laziness after using it as many anti sore
throat drugs does.
5. Seasonal selling:

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 Strepsils has been increased sales in rainy seasons because of more throat
problems in that season.

ii). Weaknesses:
1. High Price:
Its significantly high price is its weakness. Price is high because we are focusing
on quality of product to create differentiation and to facilitate people.
2. Perceived image:
Another weakness is its perceived image in the minds of customers. It is mostly
known as a medicine. People use it only when they get a sour throat. To change
this image is one of the main purposes of re launching campaign.

iii). Opportunities:
1. Availability:
Now it will be available on pharmacies as well as on general stores. Increased
distribution means better availability.
2. Increased number of customers:
Because of its fair and even distribution to the pharmacies as well as to the
convenience stores, number of customers will surely increase. And we are
introducing new flavor to attract different types of customers having different
tastes, so there will be increased no of customers.

iv). Threats:
1. Increased competition:
As its market has expanded so that it has to face an increased competition.

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 Maslow’s Hierarchy:

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs provide standards to check, at which level our product
(Strepsils) is targeting the customers. The hierarchy shows that the most pressing needs at
the bottom to the least pressing at the top. A person tries to satisfy the most important
need first. When the need is satisfied it will stop being a motivator and the person then try
to satisfy the next most important need. As Strepsils provide throat care, our customers
will be motivated to satisfy their safety need. Actually Stripsils provide satisfaction by
full filling safety need.

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 Potter’s 5 Forces Model:

When we conduct the industrial analysis of Strepsills using Potter’s five forces
model, we can see that certain factors affect our industrial rivalry according to the kind of
competitors we have.
As depicted from market researches, there is a low chance of any new competitor
to enter in the market. But if any other competitor comes in, we will be having an
advantage over it because of our brand image but still, introducing any new flavor e.t.c
will be enough for that competitor to work and think more before entering.
“Threat of substitutes” is a more important factor for competition,
because there are lot of substitutes for lozenges. To overcome this threat, Strepsills is
continuously adding more flavors and designs to its product.
Bargaining power of customer is high because of many substitutes, satisfying almost
same needs. But it is not as much higher because of our product security.

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Following is given the Spider Diagram of Strepsills with Vicks. (Shaded area
represents Strepsills).

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