Allergy ad spend kicks into gear
A sneeze is no small thing. Neither are itchy, watery eyes or a stuffy nose. Not when they are due to seasonal allergies.
These symptoms translate into big dollars. In fact, a recent TMR report predicted that the demand in global allergy treatment will translate into $41.17 billion in revenue by the end of 2025 — that’s nothing to sneeze at.
March is traditionally the kick-off to ad campaigns designed to get people ready for the pollen that hits alongside the sunshine. And, taking a look at the top TV ads in the category for past month, it is clear that the top-selling over-the-counter allergy treatments are spending big to ensure that they continue being placed in consumers’ shopping baskets this spring season.
According to Alphonso data, GSK Consumer Healthcare’s Flonase was far and away the biggest allergy advertiser on television in March — with S$11 million in total spend. The brand aired three distinct spots, not including 15-second variants. Two versions in particular nabbed the top two spots on the TV ad spend ranking for allergy medications.
The biggest slice of the budget — $5.7 million — went toward supporting the Flonase Sensimist product line, which includes a children’s variant specifically targeting moms on such parent-skewing networks as VH-1, Nickelodeon, and the Lifetime Movie Network.
But men weren’t left out of GSK Consumer Healthcare’s focus — with male sports fans specifically in its sights. The company ran an ad touting Flonase’s adult allergy relief products, with commercials airing on over 50 different TV networks, with the largest spend on Headline News, followed by NBC Sports Network and the NFL Network.
Bayer’s Claritin also spent big on television ads in March — in total $9.6 million — with three main commercial spots, as well as a children’s and Hispanic variants.
At $4.5 million, spend on Claritin D made up nearly half of the company’s TV budget that month, with airings on more than 50 various networks. Discovery Family, Centric, and Spike led the pack. Diving into the programs they aligned with, it seems that Bayer is all about the laughter. Reruns of comforting sitcoms like “Two and a Half Men,” “Friends,” and “George Lopez” were their top three picks.
Claritin concentrated their other two commercial buys on the same three networks. And, although there were slight variations in the TV programming mix, “Friends” was a constant.
It is telling to see that each allergy brand turns to distinct TV channels, shows, and audiences to maintain and increase marketshare—a recognition, perhaps, that pollen isn’t a problem isolated to one demographic and can affect us all.
TS Kelly is senior vice president of research for Alphonso, a TV data company that provides real-time TV campaign analytics, one-to-one TV ad retargeting, and closed-loop attribution for brands and agencies. In his role at Alphonso, Kelly deep dives into television data and insights, giving clients guidance on how to optimize their TV spend.
These symptoms translate into big dollars. In fact, a recent TMR report predicted that the demand in global allergy treatment will translate into $41.17 billion in revenue by the end of 2025 — that’s nothing to sneeze at.
March is traditionally the kick-off to ad campaigns designed to get people ready for the pollen that hits alongside the sunshine. And, taking a look at the top TV ads in the category for past month, it is clear that the top-selling over-the-counter allergy treatments are spending big to ensure that they continue being placed in consumers’ shopping baskets this spring season.
According to Alphonso data, GSK Consumer Healthcare’s Flonase was far and away the biggest allergy advertiser on television in March — with S$11 million in total spend. The brand aired three distinct spots, not including 15-second variants. Two versions in particular nabbed the top two spots on the TV ad spend ranking for allergy medications.
The biggest slice of the budget — $5.7 million — went toward supporting the Flonase Sensimist product line, which includes a children’s variant specifically targeting moms on such parent-skewing networks as VH-1, Nickelodeon, and the Lifetime Movie Network.
But men weren’t left out of GSK Consumer Healthcare’s focus — with male sports fans specifically in its sights. The company ran an ad touting Flonase’s adult allergy relief products, with commercials airing on over 50 different TV networks, with the largest spend on Headline News, followed by NBC Sports Network and the NFL Network.Bayer’s Claritin also spent big on television ads in March — in total $9.6 million — with three main commercial spots, as well as a children’s and Hispanic variants.
At $4.5 million, spend on Claritin D made up nearly half of the company’s TV budget that month, with airings on more than 50 various networks. Discovery Family, Centric, and Spike led the pack. Diving into the programs they aligned with, it seems that Bayer is all about the laughter. Reruns of comforting sitcoms like “Two and a Half Men,” “Friends,” and “George Lopez” were their top three picks.
Claritin concentrated their other two commercial buys on the same three networks. And, although there were slight variations in the TV programming mix, “Friends” was a constant.
It is telling to see that each allergy brand turns to distinct TV channels, shows, and audiences to maintain and increase marketshare—a recognition, perhaps, that pollen isn’t a problem isolated to one demographic and can affect us all.