We believe in investing behind our brands consistently: Anurita Chopra, Haleon

Crocin, Eno, Iodex, Sensodyne, Otrivin and Centrum are among the many well-known brands under Haleon’s umbrella—making the company a near-ubiquitous presence in Indian households. The consumer healthcare major’s purpose is summed up in the phrase “Better everyday health with humanity,” underscoring its commitment to making healthcare more inclusive, accessible and sustainable—blending scientific expertise with human understanding and empathy to break down barriers to well-being for millions. The purpose is embedded as a guiding principle directly in the company’s portfolio and marketing approach.

Highlighting the process, Anurita Chopra, Chief Marketing Officer – India Subcontinent, Haleon says, “The purpose of the organization is reflected in the brands in our portfolio, because we deliver the purpose, delivering everyday health with humanity.” Haleon’s brands—from Sensodyne to address tooth sensitivity; Eno for relief from acidity in six seconds to Crocin for pain and fever; Iodex for fast, targeted relief from musculoskeletal pain; Otrivin to relive nasal congestion; T-Minic used for relief of common cold and allergy symptoms; Ostocalcium, a calcium and vitamin supplement and Centrum to cover nutritional gaps —are designed to address everyday health needs across life stages with the brands positioned as practical solutions rooted in science. “Across our portfolio, each brand solves a real condition or delivers a wellness benefit that consumers need to live healthier, happier lives,” she says.

Education as the core marketing pillar

Education sits at the centre of Haleon’s communication strategy. The company focuses on explaining health conditions clearly and authentically, often addressing issues consumers may ignore or underestimate. Sensodyne’s long-running communication, for instance, has relied on actual consumers sharing their experiences of tooth sensitivity and relief. Eno, by contrast, uses humour and everyday situations to show how acidity can disrupt life—and how quickly it can be resolved.

With Centrum, Haleon is addressing a more preventive health space. Despite a seemingly balanced diet, many consumers lack essential micronutrients. The brand’s role, therefore, is to educate consumers about these gaps and position supplements as a necessary part of everyday wellness.

“Our consumers don’t always fully understand the condition they’re dealing with,” Chopra says. “Our job is to explain it, backed by strong R&D and science, and then tell that story in a compelling way that prompts timely action.”

Building categories, not just brands

Haleon sees itself as a category creator as much as a brand builder. By highlighting under-recognised conditions—such as tooth sensitivity or micronutrient deficiency—the company encourages consumers to acknowledge the problem and act before it worsens. This category education ensures that when consumers seek a solution, Haleon’s brands are top of mind. Chopra reiterates, “That's what we keep as the center of our promise - we understand about your condition and what you're going through. We create categories, as that's how we work and because we are the ones investing behind the category and I education, consumers do associate our brands with the first solution that they think of whenever they want to solve that condition.”

Citing an example, Sensodyne toothpaste entered the Indian market in February 2011 and its inaugural campaign centred on building awareness around tooth sensitivity through education-led initiatives, direct consumer engagement and dentist outreach. This multi-pronged strategy—focused on educating consumers that the sharp, sudden pain triggered by hot, cold, sweet, or sour foods is a clinical oral health issue—was a first for the Indian oral care market and played a key role in establishing Sensodyne as the leading brand in the sensitive toothpaste segment. She adds, “We believe in creating categories and educating consumers about certain conditions that they may not know about. Consumer may ignore a condition as they may feel it's not big enough. It's our job to explain to them, what the condition might be and that if they do not take immediate and quick action, it will only get worse.”

Reaching multiple cohorts with one brand

While marketers often debate how to crack Gen Z or future cohorts, Chopra believes the focus should remain on understanding people as humans first. Haleon strategy is to first understand the motivations and triggers of the various cohorts and as marketing becomes increasingly personalized, then segment consumers by life stage, need states, preferences, geography, behaviours and like-minded individuals and then adapt messaging accordingly for different cohorts.

For example, Centrum speaks differently to younger, active consumers than it does to older adults with joint and mobility needs. Centrum formulations catering to ageing consumers who require additional strength and joint support include nutrient combinations such as a blend of UC-II - Collagen and Vitamin K2, calcium and Vitamin D. Products like Centrum Recharge are positioned around energy and activity, with brand partnerships spanning running clubs, gyms and marathons.

The channel mix also shifts by cohort—from Meta, Instagram and YouTube to print, activations or fitness communities—depending on where each audience is most receptive and has affinity towards.

An omnichannel media approach

Haleon follows a simple rule: be where the consumer is. India’s consumer, Chopra notes, leads a “phygital” life, moving seamlessly between physical and digital touchpoints and surrounded and immersed in multitude media exposures. She states, “As an organization, we strongly believe in investing behind our brands consistently and building them for long term. With our portfolio of brands, we educate and talk to India, meeting India wherever India is.”

As a result, television remains important, particularly for scale and mass education, with cricket playing a significant role and Haleon also look at other emerging sports. At the same time, digital is critical for personalised education, footprint, engagement across the funnel and driving digital commerce. Chopra explains, “Our spends are evenly split across TV, Digital, Multimedia, encompassing outdoor, print and activations. If you go into the interiors then dealer boards and wall paintings become important.” The key is to show up with conviction as sustained brand investment must ultimately deliver business impact.

Measuring attention, not just impressions

In September 2023, Haleon launched Project Unicorn - an initiative to boost media effectiveness by utilizing attention metrics, instead of traditional efficiency metrics, to shift media buying toward higher-quality placements for better business outcomes - with full implementation across over 40 markets by September 2025. In a cluttered media environment, Chopra argues, impressions alone are not enough, creative quality, brand distinctiveness and the ability to cut through clutter matter far more. Haleon rigorously evaluates creative effectiveness—tracking brand demand, preference, loyalty and affinity—to ensure long-term brand building. “Our metrics guide our strategy, and our strategy determines our metrics,” she says.

E-commerce and D2C as relationship platforms

While Centrum is widely available across pharmacies, modern trade, e-commerce and quick commerce platforms, Haleon has also launched a dedicated D2C platform, centrumshop.in. The objective is not exclusivity, but deeper engagement.

The platform allows consumers to learn more about the brand, engage directly and build a long-term relationship. “When a consumer chooses to spend time with us there, it signals a deeper investment in her health,” Chopra says. “We can engage with them, ask them about their experiences. That’s how we build relationships for life.”

Balancing affordability and premium equity

Haleon has introduced lower-priced entry packs—such as ₹20 Sensodyne and ₹10 Centrum Recharge—to improve accessibility without diluting the aspirational brand equity. These packs allow first-time users to experience the product benefits at an affordable price point, with the confidence that they will return for more. She says, “Our aim is to democratize our portfolio and make our products accessible at a sweet price point to entry consumers so that they can experience the difference that our brand will make in her life at a ticket value of ₹20 or ₹10.”

Leveraging AI and martech

AI is increasingly embedded across Haleon’s marketing ecosystem—from faster concept development and visualisation to media planning, analytics and research. According to Chopra, AI enables quicker pattern recognition, sharper insights and faster decision-making, allowing teams to respond at the speed today’s market demands.

“The organisations that embed AI early and meaningfully will gain a clear advantage,” she adds.

What’s next for Haleon India

India remains a priority market for Haleon globally. Oral health continues to be a major focus, with new launches such as Sensodyne Pronamel aimed at educating consumers about enamel protection—a largely under-recognised issue in India. The company is also expanding awareness around gum health through Parodontax. Chopra says, “Top of FormWe will continue to elevate consumer awareness about oral health and build a strong long-term regime, not just with the right toothpaste, but also with toothbrushes with soft bristles and mouthwash.”

Across wellness and OTC categories, brands like Centrum, Eno, Otrivin, Iodex and Crocin continue to evolve through new formats, formulations and access-led innovations. The consumer healthcare major also launched Iodex Active Muscle Care cream for relief from everyday muscle stiffness, tiredness, backaches, neck pain, and joint pain. Chopra says, “Our healthcare brands promise to consistently improve everyday health outcomes for India—through science-backed brands that deliver real relief and real wellness.”