Take a Benylin Day turns marketing of flu remedies on its head

Unlike other leading flu remedy brands who have been telling South Africans for years how their products can help people with colds and flu symptoms get through their day by using them, the Benylin campaign actively encourages people to take the day off to recover more quickly and be more productive.

With its innovative campaign, Benylin embraces a notion of rest and recovery, an approach demonstrating an understanding of how consumers feel and what they truly need when suffering from colds and flu, thus connecting with the brand in a unique and personal way.

The Take a Benylin Day concept encourages South Africans to make getting better their first priority whilst reinforcing that combined with the effective Benylin range of products, the prescription of a sick day off, braced with the right remedy is key to breaking the seasonal sickness cycle.

Sneezing all over your boss is never a good career move. Benylin based their core message to consumers on research confirming that the majority of South African employers believe their staff would be more productive after taking a sick day.

A recent poll commissioned by the makers of Benylin confirms that most employers agree that their staff are more efficient if they take time out to recover from illness. 1

Of the 400 employers interviewed, 6 out of 10 agreed that it would be better if their staff took a day off sick rather than come to work.

60% of bosses felt employees were more productive if they took a sick day with 65% of general managers and 63% of company owners agreeing, as confirmed by TNS Research Surveys who conducted the poll.

In a similar survey undertaken by Health24.com, the attitudes of employers and employees towards taking sick leave and the relationship between being sick and productivity, were polled online.

Of the 57 employers that responded, 88% of bosses prefer employees to stay at home rather than risk infecting others at the office, whilst 82% of them agree that staying at home promotes a quicker recovery from illness. Moreover, 74% of the employers believe their employees are less productive when coming to work sick. ²

Of the 797 employees participating in the survey 66% would prefer their sick colleagues to stay at home. More than 60% claimed never to have faked a sick day and only 2% said that they do so frequently. The survey also revealed that 80% of workers would not stay away longer than two days when sick.

The Take a Benylin Day campaign is an exciting mix of key 360 consumer touch-points, ranging from strong TV, radio and PR communication to an exciting online and in-store experience. Consumers are also invited to interact with the campaign via radio-driven promotions and various tactical activations in malls and at traffic lights nation-wide.

In addition they are encouraged to visit an interactive www.takeabenylinday.co.za website for tips on how to call in sick, send sick notes, advice on helpful remedies or to play an online game while recovering from illness.

For over 40 years Benylin has given South Africans a complete range of products to treat the symptoms of colds and flu. For more information on the Benylin range visit www.benylin.co.za.