Brandworld and Pfizer wins four golds for Avigra campaign launch
Launching a new medicine into the market in a sensitive area like erectile dysfunction has its own challenges. Pfizer,
which bought the ground breaking erectile dysfunction treatment Viagra to New Zealand, faced this issue ealier this year
when it wanted to launch Avigra, its generic version of Viagra.
The Pfizer marketing team decided to adopt Brandworld’s educational masthead advertising format, Family Health Diary, to
communicate the reason for Avigra’s launch in as trustworthy and informative a manner as possible. This was supplemented
by a cheeky, tongue-in-cheek print campaign, aimed at building simple brand awareness.
“The resulting higher market share and sales volumes rewarded the insight shown by the individuals and the company
management in taking this strategy,” says Richard Stevens, general manager at Brandworld. “Both the infomercial style of
Family Health Diary on television, combined with its online and printed magazine format, quickly led to high levels of
awareness and understanding about why Pfizer was launching a second erectile dysfunction brand and the all important
message that the brand might have changed but the product had not.”
“Avigra was first launched in New Zealand in May 2011, when Viagra’s New Zealand patent expired,” says Frances Benge,
Managing Director, Pfizer New Zealand. “The launch has been an outstanding success with Avigra establishing itself as
the New Zealand erectile dysfunction market volume and revenue leader within nine months of its launch date. Our launch
strategy is based on simple, clear and memorable messaging Viagra = Avigra and Avigra = Viagra.” “When broaching
sensitive subjects like erectile dysfunction, humour is a fantastic tool to break down barriers. Creative and effective
marketing is important to help achieve patient awareness and education about an illness and how our medicines may be
able to help,” says Frances Benge.
Pfizer’s Avigra launch campaign won Gold awards in the Consumer and Lifestyle categories at the 2012 TVNZ-NZ Marketing
Awards. It also was awarded two further GOLDs for the Judges Choice Award for Marketing Leadership and Innovation
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