India-wide release, 14th February 2023: One of India’s leading pharma brands, Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd, recently unveiled its first-ever 12-week-long campaign across TV and digital. With this new campaign #BeShelcalStrong, the pharma giant announces the entry of its brand Shelcal 500 – a market leader and the no. 1 doctor-recommended calcium supplement$ – as an over-the-counter (OTC) calcium supplement brand.
The ever-rising consumer empowerment, demand for relatable storytelling and expectation of engagement has necessitated creating multi-channel marketing campaigns. Nowadays, consumer healthcare marketers understand that engaging consumers in out-of-the-box marketing practices is increasingly helpful in getting their point across. These subsequently encourage conversations around health issues and offer solutions to help individuals fix them.
In India, close to 40% people are calcium deficient and 79% are Vitamin D deficient*. With this campaign, Torrent Pharma aims to raise awareness about the importance of fulfilling one’s calcium and Vitamin D3 needs in a way that is relatable to the daily lives of people.
As a part of the #BeShelcalStrong campaign, Torrent Pharmaceuticals has added a highly interactive calcium calculator on the website, www.shelcal.com, which will calculate the approximate daily dietary calcium intake of the user, meeting 100% RDA of calcium. Based on the analysis, consumers can make an informed decision about their calcium intake. In addition to this, consumers can connect via the toll-free number 18002020240 to seek assistance and resolve calcium-related queries.
Additionally, the TVC created under the campaign aims to address the aforementioned lack of dietary calcium amongst people by educating them to pay heed to their exhaustion and listen to their aching bones, especially after they turn 40. By depicting everyday instances, the film further highlights the need to supplement one’s diet with Shelcal 500 daily.
With its composition of 500mg Calcium and 250 IU of Vitamin D3, Shelcal 500 helps optimize calcium absorption, increases bone density, improves muscle strength and helps boost immunity. The calcium is sourced from natural ingredients like oyster shell, having good absorption/bioavailability in the body.
Furthermore, Shelcal500 is a consistent market leader in the Rx category, with a market share currently at ~43% that continues to rise$. And going OTC will see Shelcal further increase its market share substantially in the consumer healthcare segment.
Aman Mehta, Director at Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd, said, “With Shelcal’s entry into OTC, the brand is poised to become the largest calcium supplement brand in India. Via this campaign launch, we wish to encourage consumers to take calcium supplements regularly to make up for their dietary deficiencies. #BeShelcalStrong is a strong value proposition that intends to not only build on Shelcal’s brand awareness, but also educate people about calcium’s importance to their diet, which in turn can positively affect their quality of life.”
Amal Kelshikar, Executive Director at Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd : “According to data, 40.6% of Indians are calcium-deficient, while 79% of Indians are Vitamin D-deficient*. Moreover, while RDA recommends 1000 mg/day of calcium, 1 out of every 2 Indians consume less than 50% of the recommended range*. However, the awareness amongst the consumers in this regard is low, or despite awareness, it is not acted upon. This is why it is important to not just spread awareness about the prevalence of calcium deficiency but also to get people to act upon filling their deficiencies. Thus, by taking Shelcal 500 to OTC while presenting a relevant, relatable and engaging campaign that is driving awareness about how critical it is to complete one’s calcium requirements, Torrent Pharmaceuticals is actively endeavouring to bridge the gap between consumers and a healthy, active lifestyle.”
Marketing of Consumer Health Care products can be interesting and powerful, while still remaining informative. In order to be successful, pharma marketers also need to recognize the importance of building long-term relationships with customers based on trust and care. Today’s hectic and fast-paced lifestyle often gives way to food habits and a diet that may lack adequate nutritional value, giving rise to several health implications. Owing to the pervasive Calcium and vitamin D deficiency in India, and with a vision to offer care via providing better and greater access to dietary calcium, Torrent Pharmaceuticals thus curated this compelling campaign that urges people to #BeShelcalStrong.
