Ascof

ASCOF®

Principles of Marketing

MKG501

PREPARED BY:

GROUP 2

ALELIE MADELEINE C. LAGASCA

BRYAN JOHN TAN

CHRISTOPHER JOHN REYES

NORILINE MARIANO PALILEO

JOHN ROMAR BACOSA PADUA

BACKGROUND AND SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

Ascof® is a natural, herbal cough medicine produced by Pascual Laboratories, a consumer healthcare corporation in the Philippines. The product is made from Vitex Negundo L. (Lagundi), an aromatic shrub native to the South and Southeast Asian regions. Lagundi is one of the herbal medicines endorsed by the Philippine Department of Health as an effective herbal medicine with proven therapeutic value.

When Pascual Laboratories launched Ascof® to the market in 2009, the company highlighted that its efficacy is clinically proven and extensively researched. With its inherently organic nature, it has positioned itself to be all natural and safe, with the leaves nurtured organically in a quality certified farm with no use of synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Its 3-way effectiveness also made it a value for money: broncholidating, mucolytic and anti-hismatic or provides cough relief.

With the growing health trend in the country paired with the increased awareness for healthy alternatives, Ascof® made itself a strong entrant in the landscape, making it Number 1 in the natural cough medicine category. Through its strong positioning, it was able to compete in the category. Its established brand identity is attributed to the fact that they have played on their strengths to impend the competition.

Though Lagundi’s medicinal benefits have been established way before its chemical counterparts, the Ascof® brand is not as established as the major players who have long been present in the landscape. Other competitors include similar products in the Generic medicines category that address “coughing” are also available in the market at a cheaper price. It also has limitations in its mode of action, as its strongest competitor, Solmux plays as an...