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The preference for private brands is growing, with 89% of consumers trusting them above the national brand equivalent, according to a recent Daymon Private Brand Intelligence Report. This change in consumer perspective highlights the importance of offering affordable healthcare solutions in today's society.
"Now more than ever, patients are open-minded about the products they choose for over the counter (OTC) care," says Peter Koo, PharmD, vice president, Pharmacy & Healthcare Solutions at McKesson. "Private brands are increasingly becoming a good alternative to name brands and are being chosen just as frequently."
From relieving everyday aches and pains to addressing minor ailments, readily available OTC products empower consumers to manage common health concerns independently.
Enter Foster & Thrive™. The new McKesson brand consolidates its former Health Mart® and Sunmark® products to offer an expanded assortment of more than 270 private OTC health and wellness goods.
The portfolio of Foster & Thrive’s products are formulated for a variety of everyday needs, including:
Acute care – to relieve temporary illnesses such as allergies, pain, cold and flu, digestion, and smoking cessation.- Diagnostic care – to check and track symptoms and vital signs with diagnostic products like thermometers and blood pressure monitors.
- Everyday care – to help mend everyday ailments with products for first aid, daily living support, feminine care, and cosmetics.
- Preventative care – to help ensure continued health and wellness through vitamins that support immunity, nutrition, and other personal needs.
"With Foster & Thrive now available in the market, customers have access to high-quality products at a fraction of the price," says Megan Baccam, senior manager, Category Management at McKesson. "By partnering with independent pharmacies and offering our products at a lower cost compared to a national brand equivalent, we're helping to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for everyone."
Consolidating the two brands allows McKesson to enhance its supply chain efficiency, ushering in an opportunity for Foster & Thrive to offer expanded availability through increased production volumes and efficiencies that will help meet evolving patient needs and growing demand.
"We're uniquely positioned to meet this growing demand for private brand products that pharmacists, patients and caregivers can depend on," says Koo. "Foster & Thrive offers pharmacists and their customers selectively sourced products that meet the quality standards of a healthcare leader. It's important that products work, and equally important today's customers can easily find those they need."
Embracing A Consumer-Centric Design
Packaging serves as the first point of interaction between a brand and its audience. Knowing this, the Foster & Thrive brand was launched with the consumer in mind. After months of consumer research and deciding from hundreds of names, including Health Mart and Sunmark, participants selected the Foster & Thrive name as it communicated quality, trustworthiness, confidence, and, most importantly, health.
But the ampersand in the name and packaging is what helps bring the brand to life.
“The ampersand wraps around our packaging to evoke the feeling of being cared for and that we’re always there with consumers on their wellness journey,” says Baccam. “Our aim is to create packaging that not only informs, but also resonates with consumers on a deeper level."
The design helps consumers quickly identify the four distinct verticals—Preventative Care, Acute Care, Diagnostic Care and Everyday Care—via the dedicated ampersand design. Each vertical is distinguished by its unique ampersand, serving as a visual cue for consumers navigating the product range.
As the brand continues to evolve, select products will be on display at McKesson’s ideaShare conference in June 2024. Additionally, Foster & Thrive products can be found at local independently owned Health Mart pharmacies nationwide.
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