With Flonase facing private-label competition, it has struggled to maintain its premium brand, premium price status. Antihistamine pills remain the preferred choice for many allergy sufferers. The category is mired in competitive claims and counter claims. So, entering the 2018 spring allergy season, it was clear that differentiating on product features alone simply weren't enough to drive sales.
To emotionally connect with consumers, we needed to pivot on relevance. We needed people to see Flonase as not just the gold standard in treating allergies, but as a trusted and authoritative partner committed to proactively helping them enjoy life unencumbered by seasonal allergies. Our goal was for allergy suffers to see Flonase as brand that understood their passions and was there to support them when they most needed it.
To bring real-time allergy data to the masses, we leveraged our partnership with The Weather Channel to run customized jumbotron billboards, incorporating actual real-time pollen counts at the 10 most pollen-prone Major League Baseball stadiums in the country--along with a drive for to The Weather Channel Flonase Pollen Forecaster, a first in providing a 3-day local allergy forecast.
Social and display media supported our efforts with a YouTube takeover timed to run on Opening Day of the 2018 Major League season—starring World Series-winning pitcher Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros.
