Warner flu cure takes on Lemsip

Warner Wellcome is challenging Reckitt & Colman and SmithKline Beecham with a new hot drink powdered version of its Benylin brand.

The brand, which will be available from the autumn, completes Warner’s cold and flu remedy range, Benylin 4Flu, launched two years ago.

The move represents an all-out attack on market leader Lemsip, owned by Reckitt.

But some observers believe the market is too competitive for Benylin to make much impact without substantial advertising support.

They argue that its positioning will determine whether the hot Benylin 4Flu affects the market share of Lemsip, Beecham’s Hot Lemon or even its own cold and flu remedies.

Only 13.7m was spent on advertising in the sector last year, with 1m on the Benylin 4Flu range through Bates Dorland. A new brand, with TV support, should boost that.

An industry observer says: “It was not unexpected because one of the things you see with new brands is that they move across all the formats. The benefits come from how they balance their support. Will they support the extension or the core products? It’s risky.”

Recent Nielsen figures show Lemsip holds 34.5 per cent value share of the market, with SmithKline Beecham’s Hot Lemon drink on 30.3 per cent.

The cold remedy market in the UK was valued at 103.2m in 1995, up from 94m in 1994.