VISUAL STORYTELLING | BRAND STRATEGY | SOCIAL MEDIA
Integrated Marketing Campaign Proposal
MENTHOLATUM | 2019 - 2020
ABOUT THE CLIENT
Mentholatum is a global health and wellness company, with manufacturing facilities across 5 locations globally and products sold in over 150 countries. It's iconic menthol ointment is most popular during the winter season for it's utility in soothing cold symptons.
This project was part of a group submission for the course "Integrated Marketing Campaign I". The final campaign proposal was presented by the group to a panel of three judges; the presiding professor in charge of this course, and a client representative from the marketing department of Mentholatum.
THE PROBLEM
In recent years, Mentholatum ointment has faced soft momentum despite ATL investment, driven largely by weakened top-of-mind awareness among younger generations and newly formed households. Many youths view the brand's image and product form as "old" and "outdated."
Mentholatum's positioning as a household medical cabinet staple (家庭藥箱傍身寶) is also under threat, as consumers increasingly turn to products that treat specific symptoms individually. Strong advertising investment from OTC competitors like Panadol and Fortune has likely further eroded the ointment's share of mind for treating cold and flu symptoms.
As a result, sales have declined in recent years, and the brand is losing its connection with younger consumers.
THE MISSION
The goal of this project is to develop a marketing campaign that can rejuvenate the brand image and product usage. The focus of the campaign should be used to achieve the following objectives:
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Boost incremental ointment penetration in the Hong Kong population.
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Enhance awareness and increase usage frequency amongst existing customers.
The client has specifically requested the campaign to run a full year (starting March 2021). In addition, a budget of HKD$2 million has been allocated to cover all production and media spending costs.
DEFINING THE TARGET AUDIENCE
The ointment's current audience is mainly mothers aged 40 to 60, well-informed, experience-driven "helicopter parents" who hold significant purchasing power over household essentials. While this segment provides a steady, reliable customer base, over-reliance on it risks reinforcing the brand's outdated image. We therefore believe Mentholatum should challenge modern preconceptions of the product to appeal to a younger, trendier user base.
Our research points to Generation Z teens and young adults as the segment with the greatest growth potential. Their focus on wellness and self-care aligns well with what the ointment offers, and they also hold significant influence over their friends' and family's purchasing decisions.
IDENTIFYING THE PAIN POINTS
For Mentholatum, we identified two key pain points:
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Weak top-of-mind awareness: Consumers have limited understanding of the product's functions beyond relieving cold symptoms, making them unlikely to think of or choose Mentholatum among similar brands.
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Lack of exposure: The ointment has seen limited advertising and promotional activity, with existing efforts achieving limited impact.
Our proposed touchpoints address both pain points, focusing on raising awareness of the product's capabilities and boosting engagement to convert users into loyal consumers.
原來一直在我旁 不分四季都咁爽
"Cool regardless of the changing seasons, turns out it was by my side all along"
CAMPAIGN TAGLINE
Our campaign tagline is 原來一直在我旁，不分四季都咁爽 (Cool regardless of the changing seasons, turns out it was by my side all along). This reminds audiences of Mentholatum's role as a household medicine cabinet staple and its cooling properties suited to treating common ailments across all four seasons. Written in traditional Chinese with a colloquial play on words and rhyming couplet structure, the tagline is designed to feel distinct and memorable to local Cantonese speakers.
MARKETING STRATEGY
Based on prior market research, we've prioritized digital and social media strategies to stay relevant to our target audience, supported by offline guerrilla and event marketing tactics that appeal to Gen Z's preference for social media and interactive experiences.
Built around our tagline, the campaign's theme embodies aspects of all four seasons, reinforcing the ointment's year-round relevance regardless of changing weather.
PROJECTED CAMPAIGN SCHEDULE
Our proposed campaign spans one year across two phases. "Awareness" (March–June) features two promotional campaigns raising awareness for Mentholatum, while "Experience" (July–December) focuses on engaging target users through interactive experiences. A social media content schedule runs concurrent throughout the year to support these activities.
We open the campaign with a mockumentary-style video exploring different perspectives on 爽, a word that doubles as both a cooling sensation and a feeling of wellness. The video cuts between family interviews and glimpses of their daily frustrations, indirectly referencing symptoms Mentholatum treats without ever naming the product. Instead, it lets viewers draw their own connection between the ointment and feeling "cool." Delivered with humor, the video aims to entertain audiences and draw attention to future campaign activities.
The video would be launched around mid march to early april and it would be advertised on YouTube and Instagram.
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SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
We designed a seasonal poster series, "四季有你" (Four Seasons with You), to elevate the Instagram page's aesthetics and build product awareness throughout the year. Each poster ties a specific ointment function to a seasonal ailment (e.g. nasal allergies in spring, chapped skin in winter), with Instagram's call-to-action links directing users to online shopping platforms.
We also propose a Christmas-themed Instagram filter, "傷風鼻塞通通走" (Shoo Away the Stuffy Flu), launching in early December. The filter gives users reindeer horns and a glowing red "stuffy" nose, then challenges them to catch falling travel-sized Mentholatum jars with their nose within a time limit; success clears the stuffy nose and reveals a "beautified" look with blush. Designed as a playful, game-like brand touchpoint, the filter aims to boost engagement and generate buzz around the brand.
Project Highlights
Figure 1: Competitors analysis positioning map
Figure 2: Competitor-product analysis
Figure 3: Draft questionnaire delivered to GenZ participants on their perceptions towards the Mentholatum brand and ointment products
PROJECT RESULTS AND KEY TAKEAWAYS
The presentation of this project produced the following results:
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Received commendation from the judging panel for my presentation skills during the pitch, earning "Best Presenter," the only student to be recognized out of a class of 30.
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Received extremely positive feedback from my 5 teammates during the final peer review, earning full marks and positive remarks for my leadership and performance.
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My key takeaways from this project:
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Focus on the problem: A proposal ultimately exists to solve a problem. Keeping this front and center is key to crafting effective marketing strategies.
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Leadership and teamwork: A good leader doesn't assert power over the team, but uses their role to provide clear, coherent structure for the team to follow.
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Group expectations: Establish internal deadlines and expectations with the team early on, so everyone understands their responsibilities.