Beyond the Claim: The brand narratives that shape OTC consumer choice

The world of Over-The-Counter (OTC) pharma and healthcare products is one of the toughest brand environments there is. Regulatory constraints limit what brands can say, many products contain the same active ingredients, and lower-cost generics put constant pressure on named brands. In a category where functional claims are often similar, standing out depends on more than simply saying your product works.

It depends on the story your brand tells.

OTC brands typically communicate multiple claims at once, across both pack and advertising. Speed. Relief. Efficacy. Trust. Strength. Gentleness. These messages rarely operate in isolation. In consumers’ minds, they combine into broader narrative threads that shape how a brand is understood, what kind of value it seems to offer, and whether it feels like the right choice in the moment.

That matters because consumers do not respond to claims as a checklist. They respond to the meaning created by the way those claims come together.

Our latest research, Beyond the Claim: The Brand Narratives That Shape OTC Consumer Choice, explores exactly how these narrative threads influence perceptions of value, trust and purchase intent across OTC pharma and healthcare. Using our narrative behavioural science approach, the report examines how brands are currently positioned in consumers’ minds and what that means for future messaging strategy.

In the report, we show how brand narratives can help you:

• Understand the elements that underpin positive narrative threads across four OTC pharma and healthcare categories
• See how leading brands are currently perceived in terms of narrative-driven value
• Identify opportunities to shape stronger messaging that builds preference, trust and differentiation

Download the report to explore the findings in full and uncover the messages and associations having the greatest impact in your category.

But the report is only part of the story.

To bring the findings to life, we also created a webinar based on the research, unpacking the most important themes and what they mean for brand, insight and innovation teams working in OTC. In the session, we explore which narrative threads are cutting through, which brands are winning the narrative battle, and how messaging can do more than inform — it can actively reshape perception and choice.

The webinar is designed for teams working across market research, brand strategy, marketing and product innovation who want a clearer view of how OTC communications are really being interpreted by consumers.

In the recorded session, you’ll hear more about:

• The narrative threads that resonate most strongly across major OTC categories
• Why some brands outperform others even when claims look similar on paper
• How to build messaging that strengthens value perceptions and drives choice

Check out the webinar below to explore the key findings in more detail and see how the report’s insights can be applied in practice. The original webinar positioning focused on unpacking insights from the report and offering additional practical takeaways.

If you are working in OTC and want to understand not just what your brand is saying, but what story consumers are actually hearing, start with the report and then watch the webinar.