Our strategy across markets is based on the '5 vectors of superiority': Sahil Sethi of P&G India

In today’s day and age, there has been an incremental rise in the number of people struggling to get a good night’s sleep due to various reasons such as stress, anxiety, insomnia, and other sleep disorders. Consequently, the market for sleep aid products has also grown significantly in recent years as people have begun seeking solutions to improve their sleep quality and thus overall health. 

As of recent, P&G Healthcare forayed into the sleep aid category with the launch of Vicks ZzzQuil Natura.

Speaking on the lines of their first product launch in India, Sahil Sethi, Senior Marketing Director and Category Leader- Health Care, P&G India, told BestMediaInfo.com that P&G is fully committed to addressing some of the toughest unmet consumer needs and that the deprivation of quality sleep is just one of them.

“While sleep is vital to one’s well-being, a good night’s sleep is an unmet need to many Indians, with the ZzzQuil India National Sleep Survey with Kantar stating that 6 out of 10 Indians are facing occasional sleeplessness. The sleep aids market has also shown strong growth as a result of pandemic-induced occasional sleeplessness and the rise in consumer awareness of the need of sleeping aid. This context makes the launch of the product quite timely, as it seeks to help Indian consumers with the rest they deserve,” he said.

Sharing some of the key insights that came out of the ZzzQuil India National Sleep Survey, Sethi said, “Our ZzzQuil India National Sleep Survey, by Kantar in association with P&G Health, reveals that only 15% Indians get good sleep, while a vast majority (85%) reported sleeplessness or not sleeping well. 60% reported occasional sleeplessness. Among them, close to 60% reported when they have poor sleep, it interfered with their daily activities. 40% employed individuals agree strongly that lack of sleep caused job stresses to be much harder to handle and it also distracted them from enjoying work.”

Furthermore, he also shared that in the survey, 70% of individuals acknowledged staying up longer than expected, almost every night or a few nights a week and 54% cited social media habits as the key reason.

“Hence, ZzzQuil awareness initiatives are aimed at addressing sleep-related challenges by educating and equipping our audience with the right support through three stages-

1. Build awareness of this problem and how occasional sleeplessness impacts the quality of life.
2. Equip consumers with the right information and the right support.
3. Share the experiences of others who have benefitted from this product.

Through our initiatives, we also aim to help consumers understand more about Melatonin which is a natural body-produced substance, produced and broken down within the body on a daily cycle because ZzzQuil is a nutraceutical intended to supplement your body’s natural production of melatonin, to signal the body to prepare for sleep. This is akin to taking food supplements for other body-produced vitamins,” he said.  

Keeping pace with the same, P&G Health also collaborated with the World Sleep Society to raise awareness on ‘Why Sleep is Essential for Health’ on the occasion of World Sleep Day which is internationally celebrated on March 17.

Commenting on the short-term and long-term objectives that P&G India is aiming to meet, Sethi also emphasised that with more and more consumers seeking to understand and address occasional sleeplessness, the healthcare company is presently focused on improving education and awareness of the category and the product. 

“For this, we are following a multichannel and integrated approach across all media including digital, tv, print, on-ground activations including scientific discussions and public awareness initiatives, and e-comm platforms, all aimed at improving identification of sleep issues, good sleeping habits and ways to address occasional sleeplessness to be able to be your best selves,” he elaborated.

Furthermore, he also went on to highlight that P&G India wants to equip their consumers with the right information and right support and that this right information can be in terms of what all the consumers can do to improve their sleep cycles and from a support point of view, highlighting how ZzzQuil Natura can help them fall asleep better and get refreshed or wake up refreshed next morning.

“We also want people to share their stories to encourage others to identify sleep-related challenges and take steps to address them,” Sethi remarked.

Throwing light on their latest initiative, he went on to reiterate that P&G is on a mission to make India sleep better and with their ZzzQuil #BetterZzzBetterMe Movement in collaboration with consumers, content creators, media houses, pharmacists, and associations, the company endeavours to create awareness on the identification of sleep issues, good sleeping habits and ways to address occasional sleeplessness.

As per Sethi, P&G’s mission behind ZzzQuil stems from the roots of the fact that while health and wellness are on top of mind for Indians today, only a few are aware and pay attention to the significant impact that poor sleep can have on health.

“A good night’s sleep is key to a great morning, and helps you unlock your best self,” he said.

Of late, P&G’s ZzzQuil had landed into a collaboration with Yashraj Mukhate to launch ‘Aapka Din Dhinak Din’. Giving a glimpse behind the strategy of the same, Sethi stated that because the company wanted to amplify and propagate its brand message in a quirky way and also generate greater impact for their #BetterZzzBetterMe movement, the perfect choice was to collaborate with Mukhate as his music is incredibly evocative because of the catchy rhythm, upbeat speed, and catchy catchphrases.

“The video that Yashraj uploaded demonstrates how a person who doesn't get enough sleep is always exhausted and finds it difficult to focus. As soon as he begins using Vicks ZzzQuil Natura to go to sleep soundly, he feels refreshed,” he said.

Moreover, he also went on to state that the sleep anthem is one of P&G’s attempts to raise awareness of the value of sleep and encourage Indians to make the most of their zzzs.

“The brand has also introduced prizes for consumers who create a reel and encourage others to join our movement to make India sleep better,” he said.

During the course of the interaction, Sethi also laid emphasis on the fact that the sleep category does require a lot of awareness creation because the issue is widespread.

“As 85% of Indians today say that they don't get a good night's sleep or 60% say they suffer from occasional sleeplessness. But we don't tend to talk about it enough and we tend to normalise it in our country that occasional sleeplessness is not an issue that we need to address. So, the key objective at this stage is to drive awareness about the category and the importance of good sleep and how it impacts somebody's day-to-day activities if they don't get a good night's sleep. This is something that we are striving to do one consumer at a time,” he said.

Elaborating more on the brand strategy front, Sethi also emphasised that P&G’s strategy across markets is based on the ‘5 Vectors of Superiority’- superior product, packaging, consumer communication, retail execution and super consumer value equation where they compete.

“We continue to put in extensive efforts across all fronts to improve awareness and accessibility of the category and brand through scientifically backed communications disseminated through media, consumer websites, digital platforms and education programmes towards empowering people to identify symptoms, seek timely treatment to live healthier and more vibrant lives,” he added.

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