Morepen’s Rx: Greater focus on promotions and FMHGs

Our Corporate Bureau in New Delhi

Sushil Suri, chairman and managing director, Morepen Laboratories at a news conference to announce the company’s health initiatives

Morepen Laboratories’ over the counter (OTC) subsidiary, Dr Morepen Limited is planning a series of health carnivals, health programmes in schools and many more promotional events to directly reach out to the consumers with its fast-moving health goods (FMHG) products.

Also on the anvil is the plan to launch new products in the FMHG segment by the middle of this year. The categories include vitamins, cough and cold, pain management and low calorie sweetners.

The company is in the process of strengthening its national distribution network to extend the reach of its products.

After the successful acquisition of household antiseptic brand ‘Burnol’ from Reckitt Benckiser, Dr Morepen plans to relaunch the product in April this year.

Within six months of the launch of the brand in July last year, ‘Dr Morepen’ was ranked third among the new brand launches during 2001.

“In a unique way to focus on healthcare, Dr Morepen is planning a slew of promotional campaigns to create health awareness and reinforce brand positioning of ‘Dr Morepen’.

Alongside a heady communication mix would include advertising and public relations campaigns,” Mr Sushil Suri, chairman and managing director, Morepen Laboratories told The Financial Express.

“Dr Morepen’s focus will remain healthcare and to be a specialised company offering a range of lifestyle drugs,” he added.

“We wanted to specialise in lifestyle drugs and initiated a process of building our own brand not attempted before. We want to build a brand outside the doctor’s chambers,” Mr Suri said.

With the launch of a slew of products in the FMHG category, Dr Morepen is looking to be a specialised player in the healthcare segment, Mr Suri added.

The health awareness campaign launched by Dr Morepen aims at empowering the consumer with “health in your hands”.

A major media campaign on radio, TV, newspapers, magazines and road shows are the ingredients of this campaign to build up awareness on a healthy and happy life.

Dr morepen has already bought a slot on news channel, ‘Aaj Tak’ and is airing special health programme eight times a day.