POINT OF DIFFERENCE Herron has based its entire marketing strategy for its ibuprofen tablets Herron Blue around the fact it is Australian-owned and Nurofen isn't. 4/5 The problem with pain relief tablets is regulation means competing products contain the same ingredients. At least Nurofen has nice shiny silver packaging. 3/5 AD SPEND Herron is massively out-spent by its rival Nurofen, pouring just $1.3 million into main media advertising in the year to June 2005, according to Nielsen Media Research AdEx data. 2/5 Boots Helthcare spent a total of $12.3 million advertising Nurofen pain relief products last year, according to Nielsen Media Research AdEx. $5.5 million of that went on Medifacts and Zoot Review advertorials. 5/5 IBUPROFEN Ibuprofen is the stuff that sorts your headache out and Herron Blue tablets have 200mg of it in each one. 5/5 Surprise, surprise, Nurofen tablets contain the same amount of ibuprofen as Herron Blue - 200mg. 5/5 FIGHTING GENERICS Generic products often offer the same product at greatly reduced prices. Herron should know - leading generic brand Chemists' Own is owned by Herron parent Sigma. Therefore, Herron can hardly claim any point of difference between its Herron Blue tablet, with 200mg ibuprofen and Chemists' Own tablet with identical ingredients.2/5 Funnily enough, the only brand name listed on the Chemists' Own website as a competitor to Chemists' Own Ibuprofen tablets is Nurofen. Chemists' Own sister brand Herron Blue is strangely absent. Despite a significantly higher price, Nurofen's brand power means it is still able to effectively compete against generic brands. 4/5 RETAIL CONNECTIONS Herron parent company Sigma owns Australia's two largest pharmacy retailers - the 365-strong Amcal chain and the 260-strong Guardian chain. It is currently rolling out a new retail concept - Amcal Max, which will see franchisees sign five-year agreements to stock 85% Sigma products compared to the current three-month contract with no stipulation on Sigma stock. 5/5 The Nurofen brand is owned by Boots Healthcare, the UK company which also includes the largest pharmacy chain in Britain - Boots The Chemists with 1,400 stores. There are none in Australia, however, and if Amcal Max takes off, expect more Nurofen products to appear in supermarkets. 3/5 Herron 18/25 Nurofen 20/25
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