Context
Story Listening
Story
Telling
Story Making
Results
Legacy Brand With Outdated Narrative Needs To Reconnect
For decades, Theraflu positioned itself with the unfortunate mnemonic “power through with Theraflu.” In a post-COVID world, this was not only off-color, but it was dangerous. Sales were sagging, and the brand had been relegated to the bottom shelf during a global health crisis when it’s offering was more relevant that ever. The brand needed more than a new positioning to grab attention; it needed to jump in and authentically help culture heal.
“Popping pills and powering through.” is demoralizing for people, dangerous to culture, and unsustainable for business
Competition was often sold in pill format which was easy to take, and easy to understand. Theraflu was made to be consumed as a hot tea, but the brand had failed to explain why. The story of the product format was about how our immune system responds to sensory stimulus; when you feel healing, you are healing. The brand story was hiding in the product all along: slow down, stay home, and heal. This yielded the ‘Hot Beats Cold’ chapter.
You have the right to rest and recover
Theraflu’s story of ’Hot Beats Cold’ worked mid-funnel to drive consideration and conversion. But it wasn’t a big enough gesture to be heard throughout culture and did little to positively impact social problems associated with cold & flu. The team started with deep learning on flu-related social problems and rallied around a single-minded goal: to assure people could recover when sick without fearing economic impact. We developed a multifaceted program to raise awareness and address policy.
Direct impact program developed to raise awareness, distribute grants, and change employers’ sick-leave policy
In the US more than 28 million workers are forced to go to work sick or sacrifice much needed wages. Women of color are disproportionately affected. Theraflu has distributed almost $1mm in microgrants since 2021. The brand has organized with NGOs to introduce the Healthy Families Act (S.1664, H.R.3409) to congress.

15 states pass new paid sick time policies. 1000’s of microgrants distributed. +19 brand consideration. +58% in brand engagement. Double digit sales growth YOY.