Seroflo in Nepal: Sustaining Brand Leadership in COVID-19 Times

In Nepal, which primarily relied on the use of oral therapy for the treatment of chronic respiratory conditions, Nirparaj Joshi, country manager for Nepal at Cipla Limited (Cipla), had been successful in creating a market plan for the inhaler brand, Seroflo. After consistent efforts, Seroflo had risen to the top market position in fiscal year (FY) 2019–20. This had established the brand not only as a category leader in the respiratory segment but also as a leader in the overall Nepalese pharmaceutical market. Joshi had planned a massive outreach campaign in FY 2020–21 to further push the absolute sales, increase the prescriber base, and boost patient enrollment. However, when everything seemed to be on the right track, the entire world was gripped by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This forced Joshi to re-strategize so as to adapt the brand to the “new normal” and sustain brand leadership. He was faced with many challenges and needed a revised roadmap to navigate the crisis. He was also evaluating whether or not this was the right time to transition to an Agile marketing approach.