The very best in product innovation, marketing and training support from OTC companies to community pharmacy was recognised at the SMART Awards 2016, held earlier this month.

GlaxoSmithKline are named Best Overall Company

At a time when community pharmacy faces uncertainty over the proposed funding cuts, Pharmacy Magazine celebrated the valuable support that OTC product manufacturers provide to the sector at the SMART (Sales, Marketing and Retail Training) Awards 2016, sponsored by Numark.

Both innovative new products and established pharmacy favourites triumphed at this year’s event, which was held on February 9 at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole.

Enhancing roles

HRA Pharma, manufacturer of EHC medicine ellaOne collected the Best Product Launch award for what the SMART expert judging panel described as “a groundbreaking POM-to-P switch”, which “enhanced pharmacists’ professional role as key providers of sexual health services in the community”.

The company also won the award for Best Education & Training, impressing the judges with “an outstanding piece of training” which “made full use of the evidence base” to support the product launch.

Commenting on the company’s success, Alison Slingsby, marketing manager at HRA Pharma, said: “The provision of effective emergency contraception and the delivery of accurate and appropriate information on this topic is an important aspect of pharmacy service and HRA Pharma is committed to investing in support for pharmacy teams in this area.”

Category boost

TENA was another important pharmacy brand that achieved well-deserved recognition on the night, taking away two top prizes and one runner-up award. SCA Hygiene, manufacturer of the bladder weakness brand, was named Best Brand Promotion winner thanks to its “bold new relaunch” of TENA Men, which has helped to drive significant growth in the category within community pharmacy.

SCA Hygiene also won the Best Consumer Marketing (Small Budget) award for its TENA Men campaign, which led to a 178 per cent increase in sample requests and contributed to an overall sales uplift of 27 per cent, while TENA Men Protective Shield was Highly Commended in the Best Product Launch category.

“TENA Men constantly strives to break down the taboos around urine leakage and having our efforts awarded with such esteemed prizes shows we are taking a step in the right direction,” said Donna Wilson, TENA training & brand manager. Meanwhile, RB retained its title in the Best Digital Initiative category for Durex, winning the award for its “clever, targeted and imaginative” campaign, ‘When it’s on, it’s on’.

Special recognition

The SMART Awards 2016 was also an occasion to celebrate for Johnson & Johnson, whose tried and trusted skincare brand Aveeno secured the Best Consumer Marketing (Large Budget) Award, as well as being named Best Overall Brand by readers of PM and its sister publications.

In addition, the company was recognised as providing the Best Pharmacy Student & Pre-Reg Support, in association with the BPSA, as well as receiving the Best Support for Multiple Pharmacy Award, presented in conjunction with The Pharmacy Show.

But it was GlaxoSmithKline who beat off fierce competition to claim the title of Best Overall Company, picking up the Best Support for Independent Pharmacy award along the way, both thanks to reader votes. GSK Consumer Healthcare pharmacy director, Andy Gill, said the award “holds special recognition that we as a team are delivering the right solutions that deliver real value.”