Market Best Packaging in oral solid dosage form.

The
It is unlikely that any research can ever throw selection was made on parameters such as
up how many people might be sick in the aesthetic appearance, uniqueness, branding,
world on any one day with flu, headache, a shelf-appeal, display, regulatory compliance,
sniffling cold or a minor body ache. But if anti-counterfeit features, brand recall and
even 0.50% were, the world would have 33 colour scheme.
million people reaching out for a
paracetamol, more than once every day. History
A paracetamol is one of the world's most The history of Crocin is intertwined with the
widely used, over-the-counter (OTC) development of paracetamol. In the late 19th
medicines and can be administered with century there was a severe scarcity of quinine,
complete safety, in therapeutic dosages, a drug that was then widely administered to
without side-effects normally associated with treat fever. This sparked the search for a
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs synthetic substitute which, in turn, led to the
(NSAID). discovery of N-acetyl-p-aminophenol – now
The Indian analgesic and anti-pyretic popularly known as paracetamol, the active
market is a huge one, growing at 9.50% per ingredient in Crocin. By the early 1940s
annum (Source: MAT, April 2009). Not many enough work had been done in the
would believe that this market actually laboratories of the world to demonstrate the
harbours 62 nationally distributed analgesics clinical safety of this chemical.
and over 100 local brands. So in an In India the history of Crocin goes back
environment as competitive as this, a single more than 40 years when it was first
brand cornering 18% of the market in the introduced in the market by Duphar Interfran
systemic analgesics category is astonishing. Limited (now DIL Limited) – a Mumbai-based
Even more astonishing is the fact that Crocin pharmaceutical firm. In its early days, Crocin
– India's largest selling over- like several other drugs, was a prescriptive
the-counter analgesic – and was marketed through the ethical route.
actually grew 21% in In 1996, Duphar Interfran sold the brand to
2008. SmithKline Beecham. Soon after, through a
government notification several drug

colds category by launching Crocin Cold n' Flu.

Crocin Cold n' Flu has a unique non-drowsy
formula comprising paracetamol, caffeine
and phenylephrine. This gives
effective relief from multiple
symptoms like nasal congestion
(stuffy nose), headache, body
ache, sore throat pain and chills.
Crocin Cold n' Flu currently has a
market share of 4.20% (MAT 2009)
and is the fastest growing brand within
the Crocin basket.
Crocin is, today, not just India's number
one brand, it has also featured in the Top 100
brands in the Brand Equity listing. In the
industry itself it has won several awards. The
India Star award was conferred upon it for the
Best Packaging. The Indian Pharmaceutical
Association (IPA) in alliance with Bilcare
Research awarded Crocin Cold n' Flu for the

Achievements
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is one of the
world's foremost pharmaceutical companies.
It was born out of the merger of
GlaxoWellcome and SmithKline Beecham in formulations were removed from the ethical
December 2000. list. Crocin became an over-the-counter drug.
Crocin – also marketed as Panadol in This opened up a huge market. Riding on the
more than 80 countries – is the leading equity that Crocin had garnered over the
paracetamol brand in India. Over the years years of a safe trusted anti-pyretic, SmithKline
GSK has grown the brand laterally adding a extended its presence to the analgesic
number of variants. segment. Kapil Dev was signed on as the
Crocin Pain Relief was launched in 2003 brand ambassador for Crocin Pain Relief. It
with a superior formulation that contained was a fine move that worked wonderfully in
650mg of paracetamol and 50mg of registering the brand in the minds of
caffeine. In 2007, Crocin entered into the consumers.

54 SUPERBRANDS
Product of infecting more people. Mild forms of flu
A paracetamol simply means that the drug and colds were becoming more frequent with
delivers the dual benefit of both a pain reliever - more people. A growing market for a safe
an analgesic and a fever reducer – an anti- OTC drug that could combat this discomfort
pyretic. Paracetamol works by suppressing an was very apparent. This led GSK to launch
enzyme that is responsible for the production of Crocin Cold n' Flu. The new drug offered
a substance called prostaglandins which are relief from multiple symptoms of colds such
important mediators for inflammation, pain as blocked nose, headache, body ache and
and fever. mild fever. The major differentiator was that
Prostaglandins were first isolated as far back unlike most other medicines in this space

as 1935 but it was not till 1971 that Crocin Cold n' Flu did not cause drowsiness. mind set that believed that there was no
pharmacologists were able to determine This variant is already contributing tangible reason to go back to it.
that aspirin-based drugs could inhibit significantly to Crocin's net sales. Crocin decided to return to the formula that
their production. The discovery was had been tried and successfully tested in
seen as a significant breakthrough Promotion international markets for its best-selling drug,
and suddenly opened the Advertising life-saving drugs in all Panadol. It developed 'slice of life' advertising
floodgates for a host of new parts of the world contravenes the showing real people in real situations for real
compounds. In fact, Sune code of ethical practices. However, reasons reaching out for a Crocin. The results
Bergström, Bengt Samuelsson OTC drugs are aggressively have been spectacular. Crocin has won back its
and John Vane, the three advertised with each brand pre-eminent position in the market and
biochemists who first seeking its share-of-pocket. registered a stunning 21% growth in sales.
discovered this fact After its acquisition of
received the Nobel Prize Crocin in 1996, GSK developed a new Brand Values
for medicine in 1982. communications strategy. In those days Crocin is a heritage brand, steeped in
However, in 1953 – exactly half several aspirin-based analgesics and pharmacological history. Over the decades it has
way between the isolation of prostaglandins as paracetamols were readily available. However, brought relief and a gentle touch of caring to
the carriers of pain and the discovery of their research had shown that extended usage of perhaps hundreds of millions of people – quickly
inhibitors – paracetamols began to be marketed these drugs tended to cause severe side-effects and safely.
in the United States by Sterling-Winthrop as a such as liver toxicity, gastrointestinal bleeding, For entire generations, Crocin is more than a
safer drug than aspirin; they were seen as being gastritis, liver-related problems and dizziness, pain and fever reliever, it is a time-tested friend
gentle on the stomach and had few side-effects. amongst others (Source: MedlinePlus, January that has always helped bring comfort and
In 1963, paracetamol was added to the British 2007). Crocin at recommended dosage was a soothe life's little aches.
Pharmacopoeia. safe drug with virtually no reported side-effects. It has also been a mother's first line of
India's best-known paracetamol brand, GSK used this knowledge by positioning Crocin defence. As infants, the single drop of Crocin
Crocin, has a presence in the alleviation of fever, on the safety and easy-on-the-stomach planks syrup she administered brought quick relief; to
pain and cold with its three variants – Crocin, but steering clear of its other benefit: the drug's children it was the spoon of fruity suspension
Crocin Pain Relief and Crocin Cold n' Flu. While analgesic property. Further, fever claim could not and for adults the magic white pill. At every
most of it is sold in tablet be advertised as it stage of life there was a Crocin to fall back
form, Crocin is also featured in the list of upon.
delivered in oral liquid diseases and conditions
dosage form for in the Drugs and Magic www.gsk-india.com
paediatric use. The Remedies (Objectionable
paediatric formulation is Advertisement) Act. All
available in the form of mass media activities for Things you didn’t know about
peppermint-flavoured Crocin were put into low Crocin
drops for infants and a key by the end of 1999.
strawberry and mixed However, by then a Crocin sells more than 2.50 million pills each
fruit flavoured suspension number of new day.That's nearly 30 every second, around-the-
for children between the formulations had been clock
ages of one and twelve. introduced. This had the Internationally Crocin goes by the name
expected result of Panadol
Recent further fragmenting the
Developments market and taking away Crocin has a share of 18% in a market that has
While Crocin was leaping shares from Crocin. many nationally distributed brands and a
up the sales chart, GSK The new drugs were plethora of local brands
had planned several perceived to be very
brand extensions. The effective and offered Unlike other remedies for flu-like symptoms,
rapid mutation of viruses consumers a kind of safe Crocin Cold n' Flu has a unique non-drowsy
and the fact that cross- remedy since they all formulation
border travel had came with the The active ingredient in Crocin – N-acetyl-p-
multiplied many times recommendations of aminophenol – was discovered in the early
also meant that viruses doctors. Crocin was, 1900s
now had the opportunity therefore, up against a

SUPERBRANDS 55