Market

Best Packaging in oral solid dosage form. The

selection was made on parameters such as
aesthetic appearance, uniqueness, branding,
shelf-appeal, display, regulatory compliance,
anti-counterfeit features, brand recall and
colour scheme.

It is unlikely that any research can ever throw

up how many people might be sick in the
world on any one day with flu, headache, a
sniffling cold or a minor body ache. But if
even 0.50% were, the world would have 33
million people reaching out for a
paracetamol, more than once every day.
A paracetamol is one of the world's most
widely used, over-the-counter (OTC)
medicines and can be administered with
complete safety, in therapeutic dosages,
without side-effects normally associated with
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAID).
The Indian analgesic and anti-pyretic
market is a huge one, growing at 9.50% per
annum (Source: MAT, April 2009). Not many
would believe that this market actually
harbours 62 nationally distributed analgesics
and over 100 local brands. So in an
environment as competitive as this, a single
brand cornering 18% of the market in the
systemic analgesics category is astonishing.
Even more astonishing is the fact that Crocin
India's largest selling overthe-counter analgesic
actually grew 21% in
2008.

History
The history of Crocin is intertwined with the
development of paracetamol. In the late 19th
century there was a severe scarcity of quinine,
a drug that was then widely administered to
treat fever. This sparked the search for a
synthetic substitute which, in turn, led to the
discovery of N-acetyl-p-aminophenol now
popularly known as paracetamol, the active
ingredient in Crocin. By the early 1940s
enough work had been done in the
laboratories of the world to demonstrate the
clinical safety of this chemical.
In India the history of Crocin goes back
more than 40 years when it was first
introduced in the market by Duphar Interfran
Limited (now DIL Limited) a Mumbai-based
pharmaceutical firm. In its early days, Crocin
like several other drugs, was a prescriptive
and was marketed through the ethical route.
In 1996, Duphar Interfran sold the brand to
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
December 2000.
Crocin also marketed as Panadol in
more than 80 countries is the leading
paracetamol brand in India. Over the years
GSK has grown the brand laterally adding a
number of variants.
Crocin Pain Relief was launched in 2003
with a superior formulation that contained
650mg of paracetamol and 50mg of
caffeine. In 2007, Crocin entered into the
54

SUPERBRANDS

formulations were removed from the ethical

list. Crocin became an over-the-counter drug.
This opened up a huge market. Riding on the
equity that Crocin had garnered over the
years of a safe trusted anti-pyretic, SmithKline
extended its presence to the analgesic
segment. Kapil Dev was signed on as the
brand ambassador for Crocin Pain Relief. It
was a fine move that worked wonderfully in
registering the brand in the minds of
consumers.

Product
A paracetamol simply means that the drug
delivers the dual benefit of both a pain reliever an analgesic and a fever reducer an antipyretic. Paracetamol works by suppressing an
enzyme that is responsible for the production of
a substance called prostaglandins which are
important mediators for inflammation, pain
and fever.
Prostaglandins were first isolated as far back

as 1935 but it was not till 1971 that

pharmacologists were able to determine
that aspirin-based drugs could inhibit
their production. The discovery was
seen as a significant breakthrough
and suddenly opened the
floodgates for a host of new
compounds. In fact, Sune
Bergstrm, Bengt Samuelsson
and John Vane, the three
biochemists who first
discovered this fact
received the Nobel Prize
for medicine in 1982.
However, in 1953 exactly half
way between the isolation of prostaglandins as
the carriers of pain and the discovery of their
inhibitors paracetamols began to be marketed
in the United States by Sterling-Winthrop as a
safer drug than aspirin; they were seen as being
gentle on the stomach and had few side-effects.
In 1963, paracetamol was added to the British
Pharmacopoeia.
India's best-known paracetamol brand,
Crocin, has a presence in the alleviation of fever,
pain and cold with its three variants Crocin,
Crocin Pain Relief and Crocin Cold n' Flu. While
most of it is sold in tablet
form, Crocin is also
delivered in oral liquid
dosage form for
paediatric use. The
paediatric formulation is
available in the form of
peppermint-flavoured
drops for infants and a
strawberry and mixed
fruit flavoured suspension
for children between the
ages of one and twelve.

Recent
Developments
While Crocin was leaping
up the sales chart, GSK
had planned several
brand extensions. The
rapid mutation of viruses
and the fact that crossborder travel had
multiplied many times
also meant that viruses
now had the opportunity

of infecting more people. Mild forms of flu

and colds were becoming more frequent with
more people. A growing market for a safe
OTC drug that could combat this discomfort
was very apparent. This led GSK to launch
Crocin Cold n' Flu. The new drug offered
relief from multiple symptoms of colds such
as blocked nose, headache, body ache and
mild fever. The major differentiator was that
unlike most other medicines in this space

Crocin Cold n' Flu did not cause drowsiness.

This variant is already contributing
significantly to Crocin's net sales.

Promotion
Advertising life-saving drugs in all
parts of the world contravenes the
code of ethical practices. However,
OTC drugs are aggressively
advertised with each brand
seeking its share-of-pocket.
After its acquisition of
Crocin in 1996, GSK developed a new
communications strategy. In those days
several aspirin-based analgesics and
paracetamols were readily available. However,
research had shown that extended usage of
these drugs tended to cause severe side-effects
such as liver toxicity, gastrointestinal bleeding,
gastritis, liver-related problems and dizziness,
amongst others (Source: MedlinePlus, January
2007). Crocin at recommended dosage was a
safe drug with virtually no reported side-effects.
GSK used this knowledge by positioning Crocin
on the safety and easy-on-the-stomach planks
but steering clear of its other benefit: the drug's
analgesic property. Further, fever claim could not
be advertised as it
featured in the list of
diseases and conditions
in the Drugs and Magic
Remedies (Objectionable
Advertisement) Act. All
mass media activities for
Crocin were put into low
key by the end of 1999.
However, by then a
number of new
formulations had been
introduced. This had the
expected result of
further fragmenting the
market and taking away
shares from Crocin.
The new drugs were
perceived to be very
effective and offered
consumers a kind of safe
remedy since they all
came with the
recommendations of
doctors. Crocin was,
therefore, up against a

mind set that believed that there was no

tangible reason to go back to it.
Crocin decided to return to the formula that
had been tried and successfully tested in
international markets for its best-selling drug,
Panadol. It developed 'slice of life' advertising
showing real people in real situations for real
reasons reaching out for a Crocin. The results
have been spectacular. Crocin has won back its
pre-eminent position in the market and
registered a stunning 21% growth in sales.

Brand Values
Crocin is a heritage brand, steeped in
pharmacological history. Over the decades it has
brought relief and a gentle touch of caring to
perhaps hundreds of millions of people quickly
and safely.
For entire generations, Crocin is more than a
pain and fever reliever, it is a time-tested friend
that has always helped bring comfort and
soothe life's little aches.
It has also been a mother's first line of
defence. As infants, the single drop of Crocin
syrup she administered brought quick relief; to
children it was the spoon of fruity suspension
and for adults the magic white pill. At every
stage of life there was a Crocin to fall back
upon.

www.gsk-india.com
Things you didnt know about

Crocin
Crocin sells more than 2.50 million pills each
day.That's nearly 30 every second, around-theclock
Internationally Crocin goes by the name
Panadol
Crocin has a share of 18% in a market that has
many nationally distributed brands and a
plethora of local brands
Unlike other remedies for flu-like symptoms,
Crocin Cold n' Flu has a unique non-drowsy
formulation
The active ingredient in Crocin N-acetyl-paminophenol was discovered in the early
1900s

SUPERBRANDS

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