Crocin 2.0: GSK is reinventing the pain-reliever brand to keep it relevant

The British multinational adds a fresh extension to its 40-year-old flagship, hopes to leverage the brand's recall to expand its remedial reach

How does a brand with a near-generic association with one purpose or product expand its metier and, at the same time, stay relevant for its core audience? That is a question that GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH) has pondered over often, given its portfolio of legacy brands in the country. And for Crocin, a brand under GSK Consumer since 1996 (for 33 out of the 40 years of its existence in India), the answer it appears, is to keep reinventing itself. 

In its most recent effort, GSK Consumer has launched a new variant for headaches, over and above the Crocin for cold, pain and fever that are already part of its over-the-counter (OTC) play in the country. This is not a full-fledged brand extension, but a repositioning of its anti-pain medicine. The slew of extensions and repositioning attempts under Crocin are aimed at not just refreshing the brand’s promise to consumers, but also at expanding its footprint. And by doing that, the company hopes to take the brand beyond the ambit of being a pill that chases down fever and body-ache.

GSK Consumer acquired Crocin from Dupharm in 1996. A familiar household name even then, GSK Consumer has been actively promoting the brand. It has been an aggressive advertiser in print and on TV and increasingly now, on digital media too. Its efforts, the company said, have managed to keep the brand relevant even among new users and today, around 25 Crocin tablets sell every second. 
 

Extensions are the secret to longevity and relevance. Or so the company asserts. “Every time we have added an extension, it is typically talking to a consumer who is currently not interested in the brand,” said Naveed Ahmed, area marketing director, Wellness, GSKCH. 

Extensions are also a way to the take the brand beyond its comfort zone. While Crocin is what chemists recommend for fever, it is not always the first choice for related ailments. Rival brand Saridon, which is sold as a headache slaying pill,  dominates the category (headche cure) and has grown at a faster clip than Crocin's Pain Relief. 

Saridon saw sales grow from Rs 39.4 crore in FY17 to Rs 74.5 crore in FY19. In contrast, Crocin (including suspensions and tablets of various dosages) saw sales slip from Rs 31.5 crore in FY18 to Rs 29.3 crore in FY19, according to data from market research firm AIOCD AWACS. This does not include the Pain Relief and the Cold and Flu sales, but sales for these drugs have also been mostly stagnant. 

In fact, Crocin, point out experts, was caught in a trap that many legacy brands face. Xerox, the copier machine and Kodak, the camera maker, for example. Such brands have to keep mutating to keep customers hooked.

GSKCH saw an opportunity in the headache category and a chance to take the fight to Saridon. The expectation is that the trust in the brand and recall (as fever medicine) will rub off on other OTC categories. Ahmed says that of the Rs 2,200 crore analgesics OTC category (that is split across fever, pain and headaches), around 50-60 per cent are formulations for aches and pains. 

So, why did GSK not launch a fresh extension under Crocin, for headache? Ahmed explains, “Crocin Pain Relief, the formulation is known for safety credentials, trusted over the years and consumer feedback is very positive. No reason to launch a new product in the segment. The idea is to educate consumers that they can use the same drug for headaches. That is why the re-launch.”