Beiersdorf Answers New Product Itch With Eucerin Menthol-Based Spray

Beiersdorf will support the spring launch of Eucerin Itch-Relief Moisturizing Spray with two different ad campaigns as part of a U.S. positioning initiative the company has been developing for the brand over the past three years, Marketing Manager Ellen Finn said.

In a $6.5 mil. campaign, the Hamburg, Germany-based company will target two distinctly different audiences, parents with young children and mature adults, Finn said.

One set of ads, targeting parents with young children, will break in parenting magazines and will feature a photo of a mother and baby coupled with a product shot. Copy will read, "Instantly stop the itch without fingernails."

The other ad, targeting mature adults, will show a photo of an older woman's back with the copy, "Instant relief for every inch of itch." The ads will appear in magazines such as U.S. News & World Reports and Modern Maturity, Finn said.

As the biggest launch of the year for Eucerin, Itch-Relief Moisturizing Spray will be supported with half of the brand's planned $13 mil. advertising budget for 2002, Finn said. Other ads will support Eucerin's core hand and body business, she noted.

Promotional support for Itch-Relief also will include extensive sampling through doctors' offices and in-store. More than 1 mil. 10 mL spray pump samples will be distributed as part of a cross-promotion with Eucerin moisturizers, Finn said.

The cross-promotional effort, which will feature samples attached to product packaging, will help the "very loyal" Eucerin user know that there is a new product on the market, Finn explained.

An additional 5 mil. samples will be distributed through dermatologists, physicians and pediatricians as part of the company's extensive doctor detailing program, she added.

A large part of Eucerin's business is generated through doctor recommendations as the brand is targeted to people that have concerns about their skin, such as sensitivity or a specific skin condition, Finn said. Most Eucerin customers are "using the brand because they've heard about it from a doctor," she said. Beiersdorf also will build awareness for Itch-Relief via a $1 off coupon with the purchase of a lotion, the exec said.

Itch-Relief, shipping in March, is one of Eucerin's first products to "address the itch that dry skin causes rather than resolving dry skin," the exec said. The product is formulated with medicated menthol to immediately sooth and cool skin, according to Beiersdorf.

Itch-Relief is the ideal product for "anyone who suffers from dry, itchy skin," the company claims, noting "it's strong enough to calm the itch associated with severe dry skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis and eczema."

The product also is the first spray moisturizer to join Eucerin's portfolio, which largely includes heavier creams and lotions, Finn said. The product features a micro-emulsion technology that delivers "tiny particles in a sprayable, fine mist," Beiersdorf said. The mist absorbs naturally without being rubbed into the skin, the company added.

In keeping with other Eucerin products, packaging for Itch-Relief Moisturizing Spray is white, but features a royal blue wash over it and grooved sides for easy gripping. Bowing in food, drug and mass retailers nationwide, Itch-Relief Moisturizing Spray will be priced at $7.85.

While a dominant player in the European skin care market, Eucerin has a much smaller presence in the U.S. where it markets only approximately 10 SKUs, Finn said. The company is continuing to expand the line, however, both by bringing new products to the U.S. market from Europe as well as by creating new products specifically for the U.S., such as Itch-Relief, the exec noted.

Eucerin also is looking to expand its face care business "as long as we can find the right products" that are benefit-driven, Finn said.

Eucerin's sister brand, Nivea , positioned as a beauty-oriented line, has a much stronger presence in the U.S., with a 3.4% dollar share in the market compared to Eucerin's .9%, Beiersdorf said, citing A.C. Nielsen data. Nivea also is expanding with new products for spring (see ¹ (Also see "Nivea Silky Shimmer Lotion Adds Sparkle To Body Portfolio" - HBW Insight, 18 Feb, 2002.) ).