Benylin: Effective Use of Advertising to Increase Sales and Market Share

John Flaherty and Roger Pratt

TV campaign for the cough treatment Benylin 1985-6. Like all other branded cough medicines, Benylin was no longer available for prescription on the National Health Service from April 1985; this led to a drastic fall in sales.
Agency: Newlands Knight And RoundAuthors: John Flaherty and Roger Pratt

Benylin: Effective Use of Advertising to Increase Sales and Market Share

INTRODUCTION

This case history recounts the success of a television campaign for the cough treatment Benylin during the period April 1985 to May 1986. The campaign was a notable success for a product which had never advertised direct to the consumer before; over a year in which competitive volume fell by 3%, Benylin volume grew by 11%.

Benylin had been brand leader for many years. This case history shows how an unexpected development in a...

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