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How to tap into the very unique OTC consumer mindset
(Hint: They only come to you when they have a problem)
No matter how cool an advertiser makes athlete’s foot cream, no one is going to buy it and apply it unless they actually have athlete’s foot. The majority of OTC brands are not lifestyle brands like Nike, Pepsi or Cover Girl. They solve a specific problem. A problem someone has right now: heartburn, a headache, dry eye, a rash, sinus pressure, gas. A problem they want to go away asap. That creates a very different dynamic with a unique marketing psychology behind it, and the creative magic has to spring from that mindset.
So how do you speak to someone in this unique OTC mindset?
1. Start by knowing they are emotional.
Depending on their particular condition, they may feel vulnerable, irritated, uncomfortable, even embarrassed. Each condition comes with a unique emotion. That emotion is the one that matters. When speaking with consumers, that is the most critical thing we listen for: how does this particular condition make them feel? What emotion should we connect this brand to? This is the chance for truly meaningful empathy. Here are a couple examples.
-Dry Eye makes people frustrated. Full stop. We explored many other angles like self-expression, confidence, disappointment and self-care. It always came back to frustration.
-Gas is all about embarrassment. No one knows when you have indigestion unless you tell them. Everyone could find out you have gas, and two ways: by sound and by smell. Very embarrassing.
2. Develop powerful, enduring creative ideas for problem/solution brands.
Lifestyle pieces, light, trendy, random one-off approaches might work in the short-term, but they don’t carry the weight needed to make someone feel confident in your solution. From years of experience in this category, we have found a compelling idea based on the emotion and insight works best. It frames the issue in a strong idea the consumer can understand, and it motivates them to act.
3. Tell them how it uniquely works.
You don’t need to overload them with info. You need to tell them, in the most succinct way possible, exactly what makes your brand work like no other. A simple demo doesn’t hurt. Education, in all its forms, always moves suffering consumers to your OTC brand, whether you are educating them about the product, the condition or anything else related to their issue.
4. Understand the legal.
This is a regulated category. You need to do the verbal dance, be able to reword things to make them say exactly what you want and still get through the lawyers. That is an art form.
We have all heard how emotional stress can cause health issues. But the reverse is also true. Health issues absolutely cause emotional stress. Smart brands understand this, and use it to develop insightful, powerful creative that delivers the right message to treat the emotion as well as the condition itself.
