Law & Kenneth bags Dabur’s Honitus

In line with its plans to consolidate the creative duties for its brands with a few agencies and to bring down the count of its roster agencies, Dabur has awarded the creative duties for its cough syrup and lozenge brand, Dabur Honitus, to Law & Kenneth.

The size of the business is estimated to be Rs 8-10 crore. The company had called for a pitch some time ago. The participating agencies were asked to provide strategic inputs for the brand to get a leadership position in the market.

Mudra also handles part of the Dabur OTC portfolio. Dabur has various categories in its OTC portfolio, among them the cough and cold, women’s health, rejuvenator, medicated oil, Ayurveda and churna categories. Apart from the cough and cold brand, Honitus, the advertising for the women’s health category, rejuvenators, medicated oils, churnas, and Nature Care continues to be in Mudra’s custody.

Dabur’s Honitus and Himalaya’s cough syrup are positioned on the Ayurveda platform, so consumers view them as safe for frequent intake. The allopathic segment is categorised into prescription and OTC brands. Prescription brands such as Corex or Phensedyl cannot be advertised and need to be prescribed by a physician. OTC allopathic brands such as Benadryl and Glycodin, which can be advertised, obviously have an edge over the brands that can’t.

Dabur Honitus, therefore, faces stiff competition from each of the brands that caters to treating coughs and colds.

Honitus was originally launched as a prescription brand. But with the acquisition of the brand by Dabur India, the strategy for the brand underwent a massive change.

Looking at the re-alignment that Dabur is working on, just last month, O&M won the creative duties for the hard surface cleaning brand that is on anvil and the Balsara-acquired SaniFresh. Dabur has entrusted the creative duties for the entire Vatika portfolio with Contract, while three months ago, McCann was made responsible for the Balsara-acquired oral brands, Promise, Meswak and Babool.