Procter & Gamble has added another powerful story to its content initiative #TouchOfCare for Vicks. The brand has returned with the story of Nisha, a young girl with a rare genetic skin condition called Ichthyosis.
“Vicks, a brand synonymous with a generation of care in India, believes in the transformative power of care in human lives. The second edition of the Vicks #TouchOfCare initiative continues to spread the idea of ‘family’ beyond biological bonds. Gauri Sawant and Aloma Lobo are perfect examples of people providing extraordinary acts of care. They demonstrate how each of us is capable of lending unconditional love and extending care to every child who needs it. The first edition of the Vicks #TouchOfCare moved millions of people across the globe. We are confident that Nisha’s story will have a similar impact on every person who sees the film,” said Ritu Mittal, Country Marketing Manager, Vicks India.
“We still have functional ads and a big budget is spent on them but Vicks is known as the number one cough and cold brand in the country and it has very strong functional equities. The challenge before us was to make the brand relevant to the millennial parents how to make people think about the brand even beyond its cough and cold usage. When we did #TouchOfCare last year, even in Philippines, there was absolutely no question as to why a brand like Vicks was doing it. It was like Vicks had earned the right to speak about care. What we have seen is that in both the markets (India and Philippines), the initiative has led to increased top-of-the-mind awareness for the brand, especially in the cities. We have also seen that the initiative has impacted what consumers think of the brand. We did not do this initiative with an intent to drive immediate sales, it is all about driving equity,” said Jagannathan.
Just like the first edition of the initiative, this time too the brand will have just one film that they will run across mediums, primary of which will be digital. Despite P&G cutting down on their digital spends, the initiative will have a huge digital presence. Speaking on whether the budget cuts have affected the brand’s marketing strategies, Mittal said, “As marketer, you always keep looking for ways to make spends more efficient. It is not an absolute thing but a function of which campaign demands which medium based on consumer targeting.”
