Eno gets 10-20% festive push, agnostic approach for Sensodyne: Haleon CMO

New Delhi: With the festive season in full swing, Haleon, the parent company to brands like Eno, Sensodyne, Otrivine, and Centrum, is sharpening its brand playbook. For the healthcare major, their antacid brand Eno is at the centre of its festive marketing play, with spends being boosted by 10-20% to tap into the indulgence-led consumption. 

In an exclusive interaction with BestMediaInfo.com, Anurita Chopra, Chief Marketing Officer, Haleon India Subcontinent, explaining the rationale, said, “Eno will see a certain relevance both from a brand as well as occasion perspective. The brand will see an additional 10-20% spends during the festive season.” 

According to Chopra, Eno naturally aligns with festive indulgence. While Sensodyne could see some overlap in the healthcare conglomerate’s marketing playbook, the approach will remain largely agnostic. 

“The whole point of a festival or any other occasion is: what is your brand’s point of view on it? If you integrate yourself with what you stand for and what the festival stands for, then you’re meaningfully connecting with that audience in that moment. Otherwise, it looks very slapstick,” Chopra stated. 

While Eno anchors itself in food-heavy celebrations, Sensodyne occasionally taps into food triggers linked to sensitivity but does not rely on festive spikes. “Sometimes we do food triggers on Sensodyne but Sensodyne is essentially agnostic to the season,” she added. 

Digital remains the core of targeting

For Haleon, digital sits at the centre of Haleon’s media approach. As Chopra explained, the medium plays a very core role in the company’s targeting efforts. 

“Whether it’s influencer content, video content, or dynamic and engaging content on .com platforms driving discoverability, the whole thing is about how you show up when the consumer is looking for you, and how you talk in a language that the consumer connects with,” she substantiated. 

Navigating walled gardens

When asked about digital transparency challenges, Chopra highlighted that the focus must remain on business outcomes. She advocated measures of conversion rather than reach. 

Advising marketers, she said, “If it's your money, start small, see what is working, try different experiments and you will figure it out. You can pilot, do a test market or have a straight conversation in terms of numbers. Otherwise, you are going to waste a lot of money.”

Linear vs Connected

While digital gets the spotlight, traditional channels continue to play complementary roles. 

Chopra acknowledged the shifting television landscape and emphasised that the choice between linear and connected TV, for Haelon, depends on the ambition and scale of the brand. 

According to Chopra, targeting the youth is primarily done through platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Meta, and WhatsApp. For this cohort of cord-cutters, CTV fits perfectly in the picture. 

However, for scale-driven mass impact, linear TV gets a space on the stage. “If I have to talk to the masses of India, I will have to talk to them through TV. Linear TV absolutely has its role,” Chopra told BestMediaInfo.com.  

Rise of health consciousness

Looking at long-term growth, Haleon’s CMO pointed to the rise of health-conscious consumers as a major opportunity. 

“For our category, it is the health enthusiasts. Our focus is on people who are getting more and more interested in proactively taking care of their health. Ten years ago, maybe the segment did not exist. But today, people are becoming a little more inquisitive, a little more involved: ‘Can I do something proactively for my health?’ That is definitely of interest to us because that’s our business and how we make the most of it,” Chopra concluded.