U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1961)

Fighting colds and headaches is big business* Spending for drugs and health aids is digested from 1959 survey of U.S. drug store sales by marketing research dept. of DRUG TOPICS. Only items have been excerpted which seem pertinent to "winter ailments." Important to note that classifications include prescription sales along with proprietary items. (ADD 000 TO ALL DOLLAR FIGURES) Civilian Spending in % of spending in drug stores total Products all outlets only store PRESCRIPTIONS $2,058,960 $2,017,780 27.84 PACKAGED MEDICATION $1,635,660 $1,094,400 15.10 Vitamin concentrates $341220 i ! 253,860 }.5v 94,180 93,050 i. la Others 247,040 160,810 2.22 uougn oc com items ) 21/ ,15U y.UU flrnrir IniBnffn^ rt ■ I m r~ t r r» li ri o a a a art Cough drops _ b,U4U .Uo Lozenges, troches "7 OQfl /,oyu .11 Gums . 2,140 i 1 on l,loU no 76,100 59,850 .00 27,250 19,050 oc .60 65,090 41,130 .3/ Antihistamines 32,400 29,840 .41 Nose drops, sprays, inhalants "44,560 36,900 .51 Nose drops , 20,260 16,460 .23 Nasal sprays _ , „ 20,000 16,410 .23 All other inhalants 4,300 4,030 .05 All other 19,550 15,270 .21 Laxatives $152,860 I t 99?30 1.38 Tablets, pills, gums, lozenges 38,940 18,050 .25 Milk of magnesia liquids 23,690 11,390 .16 All other 90,230 70,490 Internal analgesics $332,670 J J 1 53,160 2.11 Aspirin 68,880 29,330 .40 Baby aspirin _ _„„ 5,480 4,710 .06 All other aspirin , _ 63,400 24,620 .34 Aspirin-salicylate compounds 213,580 88,420 1.22 Effervescent 60,650 27,840 .38 Non-effenrescent 152,930 60,580 .84 Arthritic pain relievers 24,890 23,000 .32 25,320 12,410 .17 External analgesics # 90,220 $ 56,770 .78 Salves, ointments, balms 39,650 28,040 .39 liniments & other liquids 21,210 10,660 .15 Rubbing alcohol 23,320 13,450 .18 All other 6,040 4,620 .06 Antacids # 56J30 $ 28,090 .39 Tablets, pills, gums, lozenges 23,690 10,980 .15 7,260 4,300 .06 17,500 8,520 .12 8,080 4,290 .06 Other medication Lip protectors 3,560 2,500 .03 •Drug Topics. figured id be ai peak volume. Bui vvcathci conditions ;incl epidemics don't always abide by a timetable. The smart advertiser will be in for the whole six-month period, and ready to fatten schedules oil short notice. Cold remedy manufacturers and their admen follow winter conditions carefully; the Asiatic flu epidemic: a few years ago set off a real scramble to get on the radio bandwagon. Generally, proprietary drug hillings on radio in winter increase two to five times over summer. Q. When are cold remedy sales at their peak? A. The Nielsen Drug Index-based chart on page 00 shows when retail sales are highest in the cold remedy field. Yet within this six-month span, many unpredic table things can happen. A long Indian summer in the autumn can lower the incidence of colds and depress the sale of cold medicines. By the same token, a bitter cold spell in February with nearzero temperatures, crisp days and clear nights also tends to cut down the cold remedy market. People don't catch colds in extremely cold, bracing weather. The "ideal" conditions for catching cold are freezing temperature, sleet, fog, and plenty of slush underfoot. This is what the cold remedy advertiser must be ready for all winter long, and radio is ideal for his purposes because of the flexibility it offers for copy-switching and schedule-fattening. Q. Who uses cold remedies and other proprietary medicines? A. Just about everyone. If you get through the next year without catching at least one cold, then you are simply shot through with luck, since it is estimated that the average dweller in the U. S. suffers between two and three colds annually. An article in the National Education Association Journal once put the incidence of the common cold in the U. S. at more than 400 million a year. More than an estimate on the present incidence of the common cold (or coryza) is impossible. Not only is the common cold still a mystery to science, but statisticians can't U. S. RADIO/July 1961 19