Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies

Pediasure: children’s health problem now a history!

Farah Naz Baig
Article information:
To cite this document:
Farah Naz Baig , (2016),"Pediasure: children’s health problem now a history!", Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies,
Vol. 6 Iss 2 pp. 1 - 21
Permanent link to this document:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/EEMCS-06-2015-0150
Downloaded on: 13 July 2016, At: 03:46 (PT)
References: this document contains references to 0 other documents.
To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight.com
The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 7 times since 2016*
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

Users who downloaded this article also downloaded:

(2016),"AaramShop.com reinventing the e-grocery wheel in India", Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, Vol. 6 Iss 2 pp.
1-28 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/EEMCS-06-2015-0138

Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by emerald-srm:327772 []
For Authors
If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service
information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit
www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information.
About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.com
Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of
more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online
products and additional customer resources and services.
Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication
Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.

*Related content and download information correct at time of download.

 Pediasure: children’s health problem now
a history!
Farah Naz Baig
Farah Naz Baig is a
Lecturer at the
Department of Marketing,
Institute of Business
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)
Administration, Karachi,
Pakistan.
Disclaimer: This case is written
solely for educational
purposes and is not intended
to represent successful or
unsuccessful managerial
decision-making. The author/s
may have disguised names;
financial and other
recognizable information to
protect confidentiality.
DOI 10.1108/EEMCS-06-2015-0150
On a bright sunny day in April 2011, Khurram Tahir sat in a pensive mood in his new room
at Abbott Nutrition in Pakistan. As a recently promoted brand manager for Pediasure, he
had to develop a promotional strategy for the brand. The Pakistani market had a population
size of 180 million people with population growth rate of 24.3 births/1,000 population. The
market for Pediasure was consumer-driven as many mothers identified their children’s
eating problems and either took them to the doctor for a prescription or bought advertised
nutritional products on their own. Being a pharmaceutical company, Abbott’s promotion
was directed toward doctors, and things were no different when they launched this
particular nutritional supplement in 1996 as a pioneer in the untapped market. Khurram had
to identify whether he should continue the marketing plan toward the doctors’ route or
amend it to direct to consumer (DTC). In 2006, DTC direction was selected, but it resulted
in backlash from the doctors. “Mothers are the key decision makers. Therefore, it is
essential that we directly talk to them in order to build demand and tap the huge
opportunity”, Tahir considered. The key question was should he do it at the risk of losing the
support of the doctors.
Company introduction
Abbott Laboratories was an American health care products company founded by
physician, Dr Wallace Calvin Abbott in 1888. Abbott Pakistan was a part-global Abbott
corporation. Abbott started its operations in Pakistan as a marketing affiliate in 1948 and
was ranked in the top five MNCs operating in Pakistan in 2011. It had two pharmaceutical
manufacturing facilities located at Landhi and Korangi in Karachi. Abbott Pakistan had
leadership in the fields of pain management, anesthesia, medical nutrition and
anti-infectives. Their wide range of products were managed and marketed through “three
marketing arms”. It had therapeutic products ranging from Faverin to general health care
products such as Burnol (tube for burns) and Mospel (mosquito repellent lotion). Abbott
Nutrition department was developed as a separate department in 2006 with a separate
sales force for nutritional products. Initially, the nutritional products were promoted by the
same sales force. The company’s promise was to serve people in the “pursuit of healthy
lives”. The company’s mission was:
To deliver consistently superior products and services which contribute significantly to improve
the quality of life of consumers.
Industry dynamics
The Pakistani pharmaceutical industry was a highly profitable industry worth US$1.88 bn
with a growth rate of 19.2 per cent in 2011. The local and multinational market share split
was 57 versus 43 per cent, respectively. The industry was highly competitive and
VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016, pp. 1-21, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2045-0621 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 1
 fragmented. Companies in the pharmaceutical industry ranged from large MNCs to small
companies with one-room operations. The pharmaceutical industry was highly regulated by
the Ministry of Health, Pakistan. Some of these pharmaceutical companies had a food and
nutrition department which marketed categories including food supplement, powdered
milk and healthy food drinks. The powdered milk, healthy drinks and food supplement was
approximately Rs 13 billion market. In the food supplement category, Abbott’s Nutrition
department offered brands such as Pediasure and Ensure and had a total share of 6.1 per
cent. The food supplement category was an underdeveloped category, as there were not
many brands available in the market; Abbott’s Pediasure was the only food supplement
available in Pakistan. Until 2006, the dynamics in the food supplement category were
different because the need was recognized by mothers, and the food supplement brand
was actively prescribed by the doctors. A mother’s biggest concern pertained to their
child’s growth and health. Kids aged between 2 and 6 years were either very choosy eaters
or had genuine eating problems which resulted in poor mental and physical growth as their
mother’s core objective was to ensure that their child got proper nutrition and had physical
and mental growth in accordance to kids in their particular age group. Mothers generally
developed the physical and mental growth reference based on their discussion with other
mothers. Also, in case of any eating problem with the child, Pakistani mother’s initially
consulted their friends and relatives and then consulted the doctor (Exhibit 1). This could
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

be attributed to the fact that the eating problems were not considered to be a threat by
mothers. In case of persisting problems, doctors were consulted. The consultation with
doctors also varied with the strata; for instance, in the upper echelon, pediatricians were
consulted for problems related to children. However, mothers in the lower classes
consulted the general physicians, friends or elderly people in the family about such
problems. The choice of consultation depended on the gravity of the situation, and doctors
were consulted primarily for serious issues.
To obtain data regarding the buying and usage habits in the powdered, healthy drinks and
food supplement category, AC Nielsen and IMEX were subscribed. AC Nielsen monitored
all the brands recommended by the pharmacies or brands promoted on television, while
IMEX monitored all the products that doctors actively prescribed. To accurately measure
the consumer demand of Pediasure, Abbot decided to do their own market research in
which 313 stores were visited. The stores division was 107 category A stores and 206
category B stores. The store interception survey asked parents about the following
characteristics (please refer to Exhibit 1 for the research results):
 recommendation (doctors, friends, relatives, neighbors);
 price effect on purchase decision;
 company name’s effect on purchase decision;
 nutritional value (calories or number of nutrients); and
 TV ads they may have seen.

Competition
The market for powdered milk and food supplement was divided into categories based on
price and consumer age group (Table I).
Competitors of Pediasure also included brands in the healthy food category. The healthy
food drinks catered to kids aged between 5 and 15 years. This category included brands
such as Complan (containing 29 vital ingredients), Horlicks (containing 23-26 vital
ingredients), Nestle Milo and Bournvita. The healthy food drink brands not only fulfilled
flavor-enhancing purpose when added to milk but also provided energy. In the Pakistani
market, Nestle Milo was available in both the powdered and ready-to-drink format.
Complan, Horlicks and Bournvita were available only in powdered format. Flavors including
chocolate, strawberry and vanilla were widely available in the healthy food drinks category.

PAGE 2 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016

 Table I Powdered milk and food supplement
Infant formula category – Stages 1 and Grown up category – Stages 3 and 4 (Age:
Price categories 2 (Age: 0-2 years) 3-8 years)

Low price (Rs 150-350)
Medium price (Rs 350-550)
High price (Rs 550-600)
Lactogen, Nestle Milo Nido (Rs 12 bn value share), Lactogen (Rs
1 bn value share) Stages 3 and 4
Meiji, Morinaga Meiji (Rs 1.25 bn value share)
Med Johnson, Abbott, Nutrina, Cow & Abbott: Pediasure
Gate

Horlicks was a product of Glaxo SmithKline which was a reputed MNC operating in
Pakistan. It was a malted hot drink and mostly used as a supplement for vitamin D which
aided in calcium absorption. It had 12 essential minerals and vitamins and was available in
five different flavours (Horlicks traditional, Horlicks light, Horlicks light chocolate and
Horlicks cappuccino). Its micronutrients improved bone growth, strengthened muscle
tissues, enhanced brain functions and improved immunity. The additional nutrients resulted
in a significant improvement in growth and development. The brand promotion was done
through television commercials directed toward mothers and kids aged between 6 and 10
years. The primary target audience were kids aged between 7 and 12 years, usually shown
in advertisements enjoying a cup of Horlicks. Mothers were also shown alongside the
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

children, encouraging the product usage. The core message was “Horlicks makes kids
taller, stronger and sharper”. Products such as junior Horlicks, meant for kids under the age
of three, had mothers as the core target audience. The ads were aired during cooking
shows, dramas/soaps and also on Cartoon Network and other kids’ channels. A few on
ground promotional activities were also conducted by the brand, for instance, the Horlicks
Wiz kids and an inter-school literary and cultural competition was held in Karachi, Lahore
and Islamabad. The idea behind the event was to bring the bright students from South Asia
together with one platform.
Complan was owned by the H. J. Heinz Company. Complan – known as “complete food”
was a milk-based nutritional health beverage fortified with 34 vital nutrients in balanced
proportion including 100 per cent milk protein to help in better child growth. Complan was
available in seven flavours: chocolate, kesar badam, pista badam, strawberry, mango,
caramel and natural. The promotion focus was more at the retail level and eye-level shelf
displays inside the stores.
Cadbury Bournvita was among the oldest brands in the malt food category with a rich
heritage and had always been known to provide the best nutrition to aid growth and all
round development. Launched in 1948, throughout its history, Cadbury Bournvita had
continuously re-invented itself in terms of product, packaging, promotion and distribution.
The Cadbury lineage and rich brand heritage had helped the brand maintain its leadership
position and image over the past 60 years. Cadbury offered two flavours: Cadbury
Bournvita, with its popular chocolate taste, and Cadbury Bournvita 5 Star Magic, leveraging
the rich chocolate and caramel flavor of Cadbury 5 Star. It focused on milk flavor
enhancement and provision of vital nutrients. The marketing emphasis was on retail
presence and frontal displays. There was no television advertising done for this brand.
Red concentrates such as Roof-Afza and Jam-e-Shireen, were the two most famous local
brands available in the market for the more than 30 years. The usages for the red
concentrated were many. They were used as cold drinks to be served to guests (substitute
of fizzy drinks), served as milk flavor enhancers and as sweeteners for ice creams. They
were initially targeted toward the families which gave it the image of an old brand, but both
brands were repositioned and were targeted toward the youth market. Initially, the
campaigns of the concentrates compared red concentrates with the fizzy drinks and
indicated the health benefits. Later on, the focus was more on user imagery showing young
adults and kids having fun while enjoying the drink. Jam-e-Shireen developed an animated
cartoon series for the kids indicating the health benefits of the brand. The core functional

VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 3

 benefit was the presence of natural ingredients that revitalized and refreshed the individual.
Jam-e-Shireen and Rooh-Afza are the preferred drinks during the holy month of Ramadan.

Pediasure
In the international market, Pediasure started as a hospital brand aimed at sick children
who could not consume solid food. Later on, it was positioned as a nutritional supplement
aimed at children who were picky eaters or/and faced feeding difficulties. The dietary
supplement was intended to deliver nutrients that may otherwise not be consumed in
satisfactory quantities. Supplements, as generally understood, encompassed vitamins,
minerals, fiber, fatty acids or amino acids, among other substances. US authorities defined
dietary supplements as foods, while elsewhere they may be classified as drugs or other
products. There were more than 50,000 dietary supplements available. More than half of
the US adult population (53-55 per cent) consumed dietary supplements. Pediasure was an
important nutritional supplement because it provided nutrients in balanced quantities that
might not be consumed otherwise. The brand was trusted by mothers in more than 80
countries around the world and was meant for the age group of 2-10 years (not for infants),
a special age group because of a child’s physical and mental development that happens
during this phase. Pediasure provided balanced nutrition of proteins, carbohydrates, fats
and vitamins. The kids who did not consume the right level of nutrients usually suffered from
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

problems such as low immunity, low weight, less energy and overall lethargy. Some of the
kids having such problems could be classified as picky eaters. Some of the characteristics
of picky eaters were:
 ate very little;
 ate only a limited number of foods;
 unwilling to try new foods;
 refused to eat vegetables and/or foods from some other food groups;
 showed strong food likes and dislikes; and
 child’s behavior disrupted mealtimes.
Pediasure was different from other brands available in the market because it was not a
flavor enhancer but provided the nutrition of a complete meal. It not only helped kids in
physical and mental growth but also improved the level of immunity and reduced the
incidence of infection. It had undergone various clinical trials internationally and scientists
had proven its efficacy in undernourished children. Pediasure contained 25 essential
vitamins, mineral and a healthy combination of protein, carbohydrates and fat. The
procedure required the powder to be mixed in warm water, five scoops for one cup with the
scoop being provided in the tin. On average, it was recommended that a child should
consume five boxes of it monthly, but most parents did not follow this and ended up using
around three boxes.
Pediasure was launched in Pakistan in 1996 at the price of Rs 375 per tin. The product was
imported from Singapore initially and then subsequently from Holland. The fluctuation in the
exchange rate led to huge price fluctuations for the brand. The promotional activities were
mostly directed toward the doctors at brand-sponsored conferences and seminars and
free samples and there were approximately 2,500 sales people promoting various Abbott’s
brand; however, there were 50 sales people who handled Ensure, Pediasure, Pedialyte and
Isomil. The Field Force was not divided as per the specialty of the doctors but on the basis
of products. The sales people usually spent three to four minutes with the doctors.
However, when something was introduced or there was brand-related news to share, the
call could get prolonged to 10 min. The number of visits required by the sales person to
make the doctor become proactive depended on the number of competitors and the
scientific strength of the brand and the sales force would visit both general physicians and
pediatricians. The core reason behind the promotion of Pediasure through the doctors was

PAGE 4 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016

 to establish brand credibility and to make the consumer understand that the reason for the
high price of the brand was that it was the only nutritional brand recommended by doctors.
The strategy of promoting the brand through the doctors’ route was aimed to establish the
brand’s perception as a more “serious” brand as opposed to competitors; who were
investing in traditional promotional activities such as advertisements on television, radio
and billboards directed toward mothers and kids. In 2011, Pediasure was priced
approximately at Rs 700.
Pediasure was promoted only through the doctors at the launch time. As a pharmaceutical
company, this was the most viable route for Abbott. However, with the change in
competitive landscape, the focus was shifted from no direct promotion to consumers to 30
per cent of the budget going toward promoting the brand directly to consumer. The
primary target audience for Pediasure was mothers aged between 20 and 35 years of
socio-economic class classification (SEC) A and B, living in the urban areas of Pakistan.
The mothers identified eating and health-related problems with the kids and were the
key decision makers when it came to the selection of nutritional products. In 2006, Ali
Ahmed, the ex-brand manager of Pediasure, decided to promote the brand directly
toward the consumers and, therefore, began the first above the line (ATL) campaign in
2006 which lasted until 2008. Pediasure was the first brand to choose and promote the
platform of “picky eating” (which meant that the kids ate selected food items and this
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

habit usually led to certain deficiencies in the body hampering the mental and physical
growth). The 30-s communication showed a mother talking about the problem of picky
eating followed by the doctor elaborating the problem and the repercussions which
included poor immunity, mental and physical growth problems. During the last few
seconds doctors endorsed Pediasure as the desired solution because it was the
complete meal supplement that would resolve all three problems discussed earlier. The
media budget was dependent on the sale of the brand which dwindled as a result of the
fluctuating exchange rates. For Ali, the campaign was an achievement because it was
well received by the consumers. The dipstick result showed that the campaign
generated awareness and increased sales. Things, however, were not so positive at the
doctors’ end. There was a backlash from the doctors who questioned the fact that why
should they have to promote the brand when the consumers were already well aware
about it. Ali realized that the negative reaction from the doctor might be unhealthy for
the brand in the long run and hurt the overall brand portfolio. The doctors were actively
prescribing other brands of Abbott, such as Ensure and Pedialyte, although these
brands were the over-the-counter options available at the retail stores. The campaign
was called off in 2008.
In 2009, worldwide, Identification Management of Feeding Difficulties (IMFeD) platform
related to the feeding difficulties was launched for Abbott. Ali launched the same platform
for the Pakistani market in 2010. This campaign, however, was only launched for the
doctors. There was no TVC support. The IMFed campaign was only promoted to doctors.
Dr Glenn Berall, Chief of Pediatrics and Medical Program Director at North York General
Hospital in Toronto and Director of the Feeding Disorders Clinic, at Bloor view Kids Rehab
said:
Until now, we have not had a systematic approach to identifying and managing children with
these issues. IMFeD is a practical, easy tool for doctors to use when caregivers alert them to a
potential feeding difficulty, which could be quite serious over the long term
(http://cityparent.com/posts/343-new-diagnostic-tool-helps-manage-feeding-difficulties).

Any problem that negatively affected the process by which parents or caregivers provide
food or supply nourishment to their young children is considered to be a feeding difficulty.
The IMFeD tool enabled pediatricians to classify common feeding difficulty conditions into
the following categories and access established guidelines for treatment and management
of the specific condition:

VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 5

  highly selective intake;
 poor appetite that is a parental misperception;
 poor appetite in a child who is fundamentally vigorous;
 fear of feeding;
 poor appetite due to organic disease; and
 poor appetite in a child who is apathetic and withdrawn.
Abbott was providing pediatricians with a comprehensive IMFeD toolkit that included the
following elements (please refer to Exhibit 2 for the sample IMFeD questionnaire meant for
the doctors):
 a patient questionnaire to gather accurate data about a child’s feeding patterns;
 the IMFeD interactive diagnosis tool, which used information gathered from the patient
questionnaire and enabled pediatricians to match conditions with the six common
types of feeding difficulties;
 parental guidance sheets for the doctor to recommend interventions for those
conditions that could be managed at home; and
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

 suggested management to physicians for those conditions where physician

management was the only option.

Distribution
Abbot’s distributional network catered to nine of Pakistan’s biggest cities (which were
Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and
Sialkot) with developed markets where consumer behavior had evolved and was reflective
of a modern mindset. Abbott had three-level channels which included 57 distributors all
over Pakistan who were providing Abbott products to consumers via wholesalers and
retailers. The numeric distribution was 5,000 stores. The distributors focused on modern
trade (local), general and medical stores. Premier agency was appointed as the national
distributor. A special shelf space was created for nutrition products, and all Abbott’s
products were kept together. The total penetration for Pediasure out of Abbott’s distribution
was 12 per cent, predominantly upper classes of SEC A and B, with available capability of
sending on demand if needed at a lower tier area.
Abbott’s main distributors were:
 Pharmanet – Karachi;
 Premier Agency – Karachi;
 Qarni Cooperation – Hyderabad;
 Baber Medicine Co. – Lahore;
 DS Pharma – Islamabad; and
 Nadeem Traders – Peshawar.

Abbott Pediasure in India – looking beyond the border

The Indian economy had emerged as one of the most prominent giants breeding highly
promising industrialist environment for its investors and had successfully managed to be in
the limelight when it came to attracting MNCs. Abbott India Limited, headquartered in
Mumbai, was a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories and enjoyed great brand equity when it
came to multiple therapeutic products in categories such as women care,
gastroenterology, neurology, vitamins and anti-invectives.

PAGE 6 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016

 The Indian Nutraceutical industry stood at approximately US$1,480 m with dietary
supplements forming the most increasing category. It was the Abbott India Company that
had been one of the first few to realize the need to target the “core decision makers”, the
mothers. In 2009, Pediasure struggled to maintain and expand its brand equity for a decent
share in the market of US$0.56 bn pediatric nutrition market. Abbott had developed
campaigns focused on communicating the brand to the mothers concerned about their
child not getting sufficient nutrition. The Indian Nutraceutical industry was all set to flourish
in the coming years, as there were many factors contributing in its favor. Many
pharmaceutical companies were increasingly integrating their functions and marketing
directly toward the consumers, thus limiting the role of the doctors by shifting their products
over the counter and centering their focus directly on to the consumers. Although the
doctors were considered no less than gods, mostly in the rural areas, the same could not
be said for an urban Pediasure Indian consumer. The purchasing power had increased
because of the emerging upper middle class. The consumers made more informed
decisions given the role of media and the nutritional knowledge that the products
themselves provided. Despite starting in 2002, Abbott Pediasure took its time to establish
itself as one of the known children brands in India. Until 2007, Pediasure was only promoted
to the doctors by the pharmaceutical field as Abbott was a part of the Abbott India portfolio.
The company sales force promoted the brand and the doctors endorsed it, which led to a
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

healthy foothold in the urban areas. Later on, the company changed its focus and
emphasized strong brand creation. Television advertising and on-ground activations were
used as promotional tools to communicate with mothers. Abbott India had further tried to
improve its competitive edge with its competitive pricing. This was evident by the fact that
they had plans to set up manufacturing plants for Ensure and Pediasure. Abbott had also
planned to open a research centre in Bangalore.
Pediasure in India was available in two variants of chocolate and vanilla. Three different
sizes of 200 grams (Rs 235), 400 grams (Rs 425) and 900 grams (Rs 815) were available.
Although Pediasure provided various variants, it was more expensive compared to
Horlicks, Bournvita and Nido. Despite its high price, Pediasure received positive feedback
from mothers who had found an alternative dosage for their children. Instead of going for
five scoops in one cup of water, the alternative was to use two scoops in milk which allowed
the child to consume two glasses each day without much cost. Whether the alternative
method provided the intended nutrition was another question.

The dilemma
The major issue that Pediasure faced was that of brand usage. From 2006 till 2008,
Pediasure was advertised on TV. However, with the increasing budget constraints due to
high import costs, the marketing team had to look at other ways to promote its brand
(Exhibit 4). Internationally, they had already launched the IMFeD campaign at the ATL level.
Tahir wondered whether the IMFed campaign if launched in the Pakistani market with DTC
media, such as billboards and television, would make the brand message get lost in the
clutter. He had various questions in his mind, including won’t the price-conscious
consumer consider Pediasure as a substitute for the competitive brands and that too
substitute available at a higher price? Another issue faced by the brand was related to
awareness of its unique selling proposition (USP). Recommended dosages for competitor
brands were flexible, whereas that of Pediasure were relatively stringent to obtain optimal
results. “What should I do?” Tahir wondered. “Take the direct to consumers” route, but at
the cost of upsetting the doctor?’ The dwindling sales due to the exchange rate led
Khurram to think about approaching the mother’s route once again, but he just needed to
convince the management. It would impact the doctors like before, but increasing
awareness about its USP was important so that it is not considered as a substitute. He had
the Indian case in mind, whereby the sales increased threefold when the brand directly
communicated with the key decision maker, i.e. mother. The work did not end here for

VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 7


Keywords:
ATL and BTL,
Nutritional supplement,
Push and pull marketing
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)
PAGE 8 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES
Tahir. He also had to prepare the various options to convince the management for the ATL
route:
 Doctor’s platform: Abbott developed six reasons, based on interviews conducted by
doctors recommending Pediasure, as to why there were feeding difficulties in children
which it called IMFed. Won’t the message be lost in the clutter whereby the other
brands were promoting the benefit of “taller, stronger and sharper” children and
showed doctors in their ads?
 Slice of life approach: Show mothers in the ad. This type of an approach would show
what mothers go through when their child is suffering from feeding difficulty and at the
end of the ad present solution in terms of Pediasure. It would help to connect with the
mothers.
 A combination approach: Doctor in the ad, to show authority and add to the credibility of
the brand. This would be the core reason to believe because it is the only brand
recommended by the pediatricians. Secondly, showing mothers would increase the
relevance.
VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016
 Exhibit 1. Survey results
The survey was conducted in Karachi with the objective of identifying perceptual
differences in the A class store customers and B class store customers. The contact
method was store interception.

Figure E1 Percentage usage difference in different supplement

Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

Figure E2 Supplement recommended by (%)

VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 9

 Figure E3 Awareness of Pediasure (%)

Figure E4 Respondents who have bought Pediasure (%)

Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

Figure E5 When did they buy it (%)?

PAGE 10 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016

 Figure E6 Why did they discontinue it (%)?

Figure E7 Who recommended Pediasure (%)?

Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

Figure E8 Why never bought Pediasure (%)?

VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 11

 Figure E9 Respondents’ satisfaction with child growth (%)
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

Figure E10 Child falls sick often or not (%)

Figure E11 Factors considered when buying a nutritional supplement (%)

PAGE 12 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016

 Exhibit 2
EXHIBIT 2

IMFED SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE

If you are concerned that your child has a feeding problem, please complete this form by checking the boxes and review it with the doctor.

My child

-Was small at birth or premature

-Has one or both parents who are small or grew slowly

-Seems healthy and acve

My child

-Is not interested in food

-Stops eang aer a few bites

-Constantly tries to get out of the high chair or to leave the table

-Enjoys playing and interacng with familiar people

My child
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

-Is withdrawn and irritable

Does not smile, babble or talk much

Shows lile interest in playing

My child

-Cries at the sight of food or feeding device (e.g., bole, spoon, or high chair)

-Is intensely resistant to feeding

-Started refusing food aer a frightening feeding experience such as choking or voming

-Is or was tube-fed and fears eang

1. Does your child have any of the following symptoms? (check all the boxes that apply)

a. Choking or pain with swallowing

b. Weight loss

c. Voming

d. Diarrhea

e. Blood in stool

f. Food allergies

g. Eczema or hives

h. Asthma

i. Frequent infecons

j. Delayed development

2. Check the box next to the descripon that most sounds like your child

a. My child

Gets hungry, readily begins eang but then pulls back and refuses to connue

b. My child eats a limited number of foods refuses foods because of smell, taste, texture, temperature and/or appearance

Only accepts foods prepared in a specific way

(continued)

VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 13

 Is reluctant to try new foods

Child’s name ___________________________

Child’s age ___________________________

Date _________________________________

Child’s height ______________________ (cm)

Child’s weight ______________________ (kg)

Child’s head circumference __________ (cm) for children Idenficaon and management of feeding difficules

3. Please provide the following informaon:

Height of child’s mother _____________

Height of child’s father ______________

Was the child born premature? Yes No

If yes, how many weeks into the pregnancy was the child born? ________________________________

Did either of the child’s parents experience delayed puberty or slow growth as a child? Yes No
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

If yes, which parent? ___________________________

4. Does your child eat fruits? Yes No

If yes, which ones? ____________________________

Vegetables? Yes No

If yes, which ones? ____________________________

-Meats or meat alternaves (e.g. tofu, soy bean curd, nuts, beans)? Yes No

If yes, which ones? ____________________________

Dairy products? (e.g. milk, cheese, yogurt)

Yes No

If yes, which ones? ____________________________

-Grains or other starchy foods? Yes No

If yes, which ones? ____________________________

PAGE 14 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016

 Exhibit 3

Table EI Socio-economic classification

Education of chief earner
Illiterate, can Less than Up to 5-9 Up to Post
Occupation of chief earner read/write class 5 Class secondary level Intermediate Graduate graduate

Unskilled worker E E E E E D D
Petty traders E E E E E D D
Skilled worker D D D D D D C2
Non-executive staff D D D D D D C2
Supervisor level D D C2 C2 C2 C1 C1
Small shopkeeper/businessman D D C2 C2 C2 C1 C1
Lower/middle executive officer C1 C1 C1 B B B B
Self-employed/employed professionals C1 C1 C1 B B B B
Medium businessman C1 C1 C1 B B B B
Senior executive/officer B B B A A A A
Large businessman/factory owner A A A A A A A

Exhibit 4
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW At 03:46 13 July 2016 (PT)

Table EII Year-wise advertising budget and cumulative growth indices for abbott nutrition
Year Budget CAGI (%) Strategy

2006 New advertisements 30% 35.00 For the first time, the consumers were directly approached. This was
considered to be a better approach to increase growth and revenue
2007 Advertising ⫽ 30% 34.70 Launched “Gain Plus Smart Choice” (year 2007-2008)–confused
brand positioning. Cannibalization because it focused on growth,
while Pediasure focused on picky eaters
2008 Advertising ⫽ 20% 36.20 New General Manager, decline in the sales force efforts (relaxed
because of the tremendous results in the previous years)
2009 0% (no advertising) 33.50 Lost support from the doctors who believed that once consumers
started getting informed about Pediasure through the ads, the
number of visits has reduced and or their role has been minimized
2010 0% (no advertising) 34.40 Plan to strengthen doctors’ route

Exhibit 5

Table EIII Year-wise sales for Pediasure

Year Sales (pak rupees)

2006 122,698,000
2007 134,346,000
2008 139,691,000
2009 175,410,000
2010 218,945,000

Corresponding author
Farah Naz Baig can be contacted at: fbaig@iba.edu.pk

VOL. 6 NO. 2 2016 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 15