What are the major trends and dynamics shaping the wellness revolution today, and how is Haleon addressing these changes?
The wellness revolution, although gradually unfolding, saw a sharp acceleration during the pandemic, which brought health and wellness into clearer focus. People have become increasingly aware of the importance of proactive health management, rather than deferring it to later years.
One of the key trends driving this revolution is the aging population, who are actively seeking ways to manage their health independently. With the number of people aged 60 and above to reach 1.4 billion by 2030, there’s a greater need for preventative health and self-care. (WHO)
We’re also seeing economic shifts amplifying growth in emerging markets like China and India, which are expected to account for around half of economic growth, and 40% of global consumer spending expected within the next 20 years(IMF, 2023 - Regional Economic Outlook for Asia and Pacific, October 2023). We recently increased our stake in our Joint Venture in China, Tianjin TSKF Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., our OTC business in China, from 55% to 88%, which reflects our commitment to this important market and the growth potential we see there.
Self-care also plays a crucial role in alleviating public healthcare burdens, which are under pressure globally. The Global Self-Care Federation estimates that self-care can deliver nearly $120 billion annually in savings for global healthcare and local economies, so there is clearly a huge opportunity here for the consumer health sector (Economic & Social Value of Self-Care Report | Global Self-Care Federation).
We believe that Haleon is well-placed to address these challenges. We do this by leveraging our trusted brands, such as Sensodyne, Centrum, Otrivin and Panadol, to help break down barriers to better everyday health for people worldwide.
How does Haleon balance core product reliability with innovation to meet evolving consumer needs?
Balancing core product reliability with innovation is all about maintaining trust while addressing new consumer needs. Our products have been trusted by generations, so this gives us a solid foundation.
We leverage our deep human understanding with trusted science to ensure our innovations are both relevant to real consumer needs and are scientifically robust. This allows us to meet evolving needs and preferences, whether it’s for multi-benefit products, personalized offerings, or ensuring convenience and comfort. For instance, in 2023 we launched Otrivin Nasal Mist, a new generation of nasal spray which brings greater comfort and ease of use for those suffering from nasal congestion.
Trust in health and wellness is more crucial than ever. How does Haleon build and sustain trust across its many brands?
Trust in health and wellness is more important than ever, as consumers are unwilling to compromise on their health. Health brands generally enjoy a higher level of trust compared to other sectors, and at Haleon, we leverage this trust in our brands to empower people to take an active role in their health ( 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Trust and Health | Edelman). For instance, Sensodyne is the number one dentist-recommended brand for sensitivity, and we’ve been using real dentists in our campaigns for over 20 years. This helps us build condition awareness on tooth sensitivity and provides effective solutions for consumers.
We also maintain trusted relationships with health professionals and equip them with knowledge about our latest product offerings and benefits, helping them to make informed recommendations to their patients based on their needs.
Innovation is a key driver of growth at Haleon. How are you integrating product innovation into your marketing strategy?
We integrate innovation into our marketing strategy by taking a cross-functional approach. We bring together our marketing and R&D teams to identify barriers through consumer insights and deliver what consumers really need through innovation.
Take Gum Health, for example. It’s significant global oral health challenge and a key focus for Haleon. Through our parodontax brand, we’re investing in research and marketing to raise awareness about the importance of healthy gums. Recently we conducted a clinical study which demonstrated that use of parodontax toothpaste helps control gingivitis between dental visits. This commitment to healthier mouths and better Gum Health is why parodontax is confident in our marketing campaign as “the gum experts”.
When it comes to tooth sensitivity, our research shows that three in four people experience signs of tooth sensitivity, but most adults will prioritize whitening over their sensitivity. To address this, we launched Sensodyne Clinical White, a toothpaste that offers whitening benefits while also protecting against sensitivity. Marketing has been crucial in reaching a new audience of sensitivity sufferers who might be unaware that a tailored solution exists to meet both needs.
What challenges do people face in achieving better everyday health, and how does marketing help address these issues?
Everyone should have the opportunity to live in good health, but we know that millions of people continue to face barriers. Haleon supports Economist Impact's Health Inclusivity Index, which highlights the scale of the issue, revealing that three in five people around the world experience health exclusion (the_road_to_health_inclusivity_health_inclusivity_index_2023_economist_impact_final.pdf) Our brands play an important role helping break down the key barriers to health inclusion, such as health literacy, access, bias and prejudice. For instance, Theraflu’s ‘Right to Rest & Recover’ campaign and fund in the US offers families microgrants to help offset the lost wages that come from taking an unpaid sick day. Similarly, Panadol’s Pain Phone in Indonesia connects health professionals with people in rural communities to help improve access.
Marketing is a powerful tool to bridge these gaps, especially in inclusive advertising. Many consumers don’t feel culturally represented in online advertising, and a significant majority expect brands to promote diversity and inclusion in their advertising. Our research shows that Haleon ads with diverse casting are 58% more likely to stand out. Including text captions in digital ads also increases the likelihood of viewers watching the ad completely by 1.2 times and improves brand differentiation and purchase intent by 2.3 and 1.2 times, respectively.
To help make our advertising more inclusive for consumers, we recently launched Panadol’s Health Inclusivity Screener Tool, an AI-powered tool designed to improve representation across our digital advertising content. By promoting our brands in an inclusive way, we can empower people to take control of their health and connect them with the products and solutions they need.
