CASE STUDY: Simplifying communications to sell cough medicine in Korea

Background
Boehringer Ingelheim faced several challenges to promoting its Mucopect expectorant brand in Korea. A commercial based on one that had run in China featuring direct reference to lungs was barred in Korea due to strict censorship regulations. A further stumbling block was the name: research had shown Koreans found Mucopect difficult to remember. Boehringer Ingelheim needed to create maximum awareness for the brand in the mature cold and cough remedy sector, where local competitors were more focused on product margins than advertising.

Aim
In an area dominated by local brands, Boehringer Ingelheim needed to get to the point and demonstrate Mucopect’s primary effectiveness, rather than presenting it as a ‘cure-all’ by presenting its secondary benefits. The key differentiating factor of the product was its ability to eliminate phlegm-induced cough. This was an essential point for target consumers, since all cold medicine claims were the same to them.

The focus of the campaign became urging cold sufferers to ‘Get the power of the ‘Moo’ in Mucopect’, the phonetic ‘moo’ sound meaning ‘to eliminate’ in Korean. It not only made the name simple to remember, but also drove home the distinction that it was not about getting better in a vague, general way, but specifically getting rid of irritating cough symptoms.

Execution
The use of Ryu Jin, a Korean celebrity who happened to be playing the role of a doctor in a television drama series, helped significantly. Also, the substitution of blue and red brand arrows in place of lungs in the television commercial overcame censorship issues to deliver the desired message. These factors, combined with the unique use of the ‘moo’ character in the Mucopect name, drove aided brand awareness from 0.9 per cent to over 30 per cent in just 90 days. In addition, what was different about the inclusive television campaign was its heavy focus on terrestrial television, reaching out to housewives as well as working people. Cold medicine had been over-marketed to housewives, and target audience expansion was a key differentiator for Mucopect.

The TV component was supported by bus advertising, reaching working people on the road who had neither time nor patience to go to a clinic. In-store posters reinforced recall of the TV spot and built on the celebrity’s link to the popular medical drama series, resulting in subtle endorsement.

Results
Total market share for Mucopect increased 83 per cent in 2008 compared to 2007. Total sales of Mucopect in just four months exceeded the total annual sales of its only expectorant competitor, Yongaksan. Sales of 10-tablet packs went from 3,000 packs per day in October 2008 to 17,500 in January 2009. Sales of 20-tablet packs went from a peak of 1,200 packs per day in October 2009 to 8,300 in January 2009.
(Source: IMS Data from Nielsen)





Credits
Project: The 'Moo' in Mucopect
Client: Boehringer Ingelheim 
Product: Mucopect
Creative agency: Grey Seoul
People: Hyunhwa Lee, creative director, and Steve Yi, chief strategy officer, Grey Seoul. Jinyoung Ko, marketing manager, Eduard Voges, CHC director, Kat Kim, senior account executive, Boehringer Ingelheim.
Duration: October 2008 to March 2009.
Exposure: TV, bus ads, in-store posters