The account was put up for review as Unilab wanted to strengthen its
hold on the analgesic market. It is already the market leader with a 60
per cent share of a market worth an estimated two billion pesos,
according to Basic's executive vice-president, Matec Gargantiel.
It is estimated a further one billion pesos in sales could be generated
by convincing those who have not used analgesics to use painkillers.
However, non-users are put off because they believe it is addictive. As
a result, Unilab needed a communication plan to address this issue as
Alaxan contributes 900 million pesos to the 13 billion pesos Unilab
earns each year.
Basic won the business in a two-way shootout against incumbent DYR-Alcantara.
Gargantiel said the healthcare division nearly wiped out its new business budget on research alone in devising a strategy for Alaxan. "It is easier to defend a campaign that is built on a solid strategy,
she said. Basic already handles a number of other Unilab brands, such as Revicon, Nutroplex and Delcogen, which contribute 600 million pesos to Basic's total billings.
