Market research proposa.l Festal №10 role in portfolio evaluation QL

Project background
“Enzymes” category is one of the several Digestive Health markets – 35 mln packs (-3% vs LY); 5,4 bln rur (+4% vs LY); a homogeneous market without any strong differentiation inside; 80% of the competitors is mono-component pancreatin brands with low-end pricing strategy.
TOP players of the category: Kreon (MS 33% in value; 12% in volume), Festal (18% in value; 14% in volume), Mezym (16% in value; 22% in volume) and list of generic Pancreatins (9% in value; 37% in volume).
Festal is a traditional medicine (>30 years on the Russian market), #2 in brand awareness, #3 in pharmacists’ recommendation (after Kreon and Mezym). Festal has 3 component composition with 2 additional ingredients which gives us superiority vs other mono-component players.
Festal range consists of 4 SKUs with defined strategic role for each one:
- #10 Switching driver/Trial format (launched a year ago) - a subject of the research
- #20 Volume driver
- #40 Hero SKU, sales generator
- #100 Value for money format
Key brand source of growth: switch from cheap competitors via new affordable #10 format.
One year after the launch – there is still low level of sales, pharmacists don’t recommend this SKU instead of cheap competitors. There is a hypothesis that pharmacists don’t see any value in this SKU neither for recommendation nor for profitability.
From the brief

Research questions and
core goal
Core goal:
To unlock switching trigger from mono-component competitors (Mezym, Pancreatin).
Research questions
How the pharmacists see their role in DH category, especially related to indigestion symptoms – sales, consulters, active switchers etc
What are their strategies for switching consumers (when, whom and how), what can trigger this switching behavior. What are the best cases they see on the market in switching consumers? What is the role of different packaging on the market? How they define the role of the different sizes, formats?
How they define Festal portfolio, what is the role of each of the SKU
Festal #10 current role inside Festal range and in Enzymes category as well
What are the barriers and triggers for Festal #10 among Pharmacists
Strengths and weaknesses of Festal #10 format
Why Festal #100 is preferable to sell by blisters and there is no value to recommend #10 as a finished good
Consumer portrait of Festal #10 and Festal #20: is there any cannibalization or not
Is the price difference between Mezym #20 and Festal #10 enough to increase average pharmacy receipt and/or to get more margin
What kind of arguments we should deliver with MedReps to accelerate #10 sales
The right messages for Festal differentiating from other enzymes
From the brief

SALT research methodology
Desk research
Pharmacists
Consumers
Analysis
Collect range of opinions in social networks and forums, check product layout + pricing points in the pharmacies
Have a quick talks with stakeholders to take their view of the situation
Pharmacists role in DH – points in patient journey and ‘points of sale’
Triggers/barrier in switching (check role of package and size in particular)
Perception of Festal portfolio and role for each SKU (strength and weaknesses, check differentiation from Mezym/Pancreatin
What is patient journey and what is the role of pharmacist within DH and pancreatin category
Triggers/barrier in switching (check role of package and size in particular)
Perception of Festal portfolio and role for each SKU (strength and weaknesses, check differentiation from Mezym/Pancreatin
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To meet all objectives we recommend the following approach
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Key insights and findings related to enzymes category audit – perception, brand image drivers and barriers, brand assets, differentiation points, positioning, communication, target mindset, human truth, etc)
Role of package size with focus on Festal#10
Video quotes to support the findings

12 x 1h in-depth interview in Zoom
Pharmacists
2
Methodology & Sample & Geography

4 x 2h focus-groups in Zoom, 6 participants
Methodology & Sample & Geography
Consumers
3

Project schedule

Budget