Exactly three weeks ago, the world was rocked by what appeared to be one of the largest pandemics since SARS and Bird Flu. And like with the previous two pandemics, the cynics amongst you may well be worried, that as before literally tens of people may become ill for literally a number of days. However, one thing is true for Swine Flu, and that is the power and influence marketers have to cash in on this potential global scare. Whilst back in 2005 Bernard Matthews was at the heart of Bird Flu, it seems that Dettol (owned by Reckitt Benckiser) has been the first major brand to jump on the Swine Flu band wagon. 
Not only is the Dettol UK website providing a key resource for information on this pandemic, but a campaign claiming that "Dettol kills 99.9% of germs including the flu virus..... which is apparently responsible for the swine flu outbreak" was spotted in the London Metro this morning.However, the impact on search alone is phenomenal, especially for Dettol. Looking at Google Insights over the last 12 months in the UK, search queries for the term "Dettol" have reached their highest in the last seven days. The UK is not the only country cashing in on this scare. In the US, Dial (owned by Henkel) has been quick in launching their campaign which encourages people to wash their hands more often. But taking ad copy alone, whilst Dettol UK does not do any PPC search activity, in the US, Dial does. However the ad copy does not mention swine flu. Are they missing a trick? Dettol is a trusted and well respected brand? Could consumers be looking for solace from their trusted brands? Cealry the key is for agencies to be able to react quickly to such media and offline activity, to be able to drive targeted campaigns for their clients within a matter of hours. In the UK, we are renowned for always missing the boat, and this seems no exception. The only pharmaceutical brand that is making any noise right now seems to be Alli - the fat loss pill.
Google Insights "Dettol" - 5 May 2009
Although in independent taste tests Costa Coffee may well beat that of Starbuck's, the approach Costa are using is no different to what Burger King have been doing to McDonald's for the past fifteen years, in particular the 1997 US French Fries campaign BK launched - "the taste that beat McDonald's fries", which mirrored the ongoing Coca-Cola/Pepsi debate stating that Pepsi is the preferred choice in blind taste tests. Costa's strap line, 'Sorry Starbucks, The People Have Voted', is surely just another example of the underdog trying to outdo the champion? As with Burger King and Pepsi, Costa's wow factor is considerably lower than Starbucks, who ranked 85th in the 2008 Interbrand best global brands. In terms brand perception, why have BMW when you can have Rolls Royce, even if BMW if faster?
Not only is the Dettol UK website providing a key resource for information on this pandemic, but a campaign claiming that "Dettol kills 99.9% of germs including the flu virus..... which is apparently responsible for the swine flu outbreak" was spotted in the London Metro this morning.
