Anurita Chopra, CMO – India Subcontinent at Haleon, outlines why education is at the heart of the its communication strategy and its approach to building entire categories, not just individual brands
Crocin, Eno, Iodex, Sensodyne, Otrivin and Centrum are among the many iconic brands from Haleon’s portfolio, making the consumer healthcare major a familiar presence in most Indian households. At the heart of the company’s mission is the purpose statement, “Better everyday health with humanity,” which underscores its commitment to making health more inclusive, accessible and sustainable. Rooted in human understanding and empathy alongside science, this purpose shapes Haleon’s portfolio choices and marketing strategy, guiding how the company addresses barriers to everyday well-being for millions.
In an interaction with Pitch, Anurita Chopra, Chief Marketing Officer – India Subcontinent, Haleon says, “Haleon’s global vision is to make a difference in the everyday health of every human being on this planet.”
Edited excerpts:
Anurita, let’s begin with Haleon’s purpose of ‘delivering better everyday health with humanity’. How does this translate into your marketing—both in communication and execution?
The purpose of Haleon truly comes alive through the brands we proudly carry. Across our portfolio—Sensodyne, Eno, Crocin, Iodex, Otrivin, and Centrum—we deliver everyday relief and wellness solutions that help people lead healthier, happier lives.
Take Sensodyne, for instance—it offers relief from tooth sensitivity, a condition many people experience but often ignore. With Eno, the moment acidity strikes, it’s the first brand that comes to mind. Centrum, as a wellness brand, supports long-term health by helping people meet their daily micronutrient needs. Across life stages and everyday health needs, our brands deliver either immediate relief or sustained wellness solutions.
At the core of our communication strategy is education. We explain health conditions clearly and we say it as it is —what they are, why they occur, and what can be done about them. Sensodyne’s communication, for example, has always featured real users sharing authentic experiences of relief. Eno uses humour and relatable moments to show how acidity can disrupt joyful occasions—and how Eno comes to the rescue quickly.
With Centrum, we are educating India that even with a balanced diet, the body often needs additional micronutrients. Backed by decades of R&D and strong science that we offer to our consumers, our storytelling is designed to be compelling while also nudging the consumer to take timely action. This approach is deeply embedded in how we build and grow our brands.
Sensodyne is often credited with creating awareness around tooth sensitivity as a category. Is education the starting point of your entire process?
Absolutely. We strongly believe in category creation through consumer education. Many people dismiss health conditions they may not know about as temporary or insignificant. However, our job is to explain what these conditions really mean and why immediate timely action matters.
Whether it’s oral health, nutrition, or digestion, the body doesn’t fix itself without support. With acidity, for instance, people often continue to suffer or rely on slower home remedies. But Eno starts acting in six seconds, delivering fast relief and allowing consumers to get back to life. The center of our promise is that we understand this is what you're going through in life. We create and invest in categories as that’s how we work. When brands invest in category education, then consumers associate and think of those brands as the first solution when they are looking to solve that condition.
Marketers often say they struggle to understand Gen Z. How do you approach different consumer cohorts, especially with Gen Alpha on the horizon?
At the end of the day, we’re talking to human beings. While cohorts differ in motivations, triggers, and barriers, the foundation remains the same—trust in the brand.
Marketing today is highly personalized, enabled by sharp data targeting across geography, age, lifestyle, preferences and like-minded individuals", to understand which cohort us warning up to your proposition. Beyond that, the brand’s promise and relevance matter most, though it might take a shade different tone for different cohorts.
Take Centrum as an example. We speak differently to mid-lifers, children, and older consumers and my hero promise will change depending on the conversation that I'm having with whichever cohort. As people age, joint and mobility needs become more prominent and the older cohort have different vitamin and nutrient needs —this is where formulations like Centrum with UC-II collagen and Vitamin K2, calcium and Vitamin D come in, as they ensure that the joints get the strength and support needed.
Younger, more active consumers may relate more to Centrum Recharge, which supports energy replenishment. For Centrum Recharge, we collaborate with running clubs, joggers, fitness clubs, marathons etc. because we want to associate with active individuals looking to recharge their body with the right vitamins and nutrients.
The same brand adapts its proposition and tone depending on the cohort, while channel choices—from Instagram to print to on-ground activations—are driven by where each cohort has the strongest affinity, i.e. different need states, different cohorts. Talking to different cohorts with different need states, the same brand can travel through both the propositions to both the cohorts.
How has your channel strategy evolved, especially with the rise of digital, activations, and influencer marketing?
Our philosophy is simple: be where the consumer is. Today’s consumer lives a phygital life, surrounded by multiple media touchpoints. As an organization, we strongly believe in investing behind our brands consistently and building them for long term. We are here to make sure that our portfolio of brands makes a difference in the health of this country; educate consumers and meet India wherever India is. We are teaching India about holistic oral health and recently launched Sensodyne Pronamel Toothpaste to protect and strengthen tooth enamel against everyday acid erosion.
TV continues to play a strong role, as does cricket, given India’s deep love for the sport and as other sports come up, we’ll be there as well. At the same time, digital is a major component, enabling personalized education and engagement across the funnel—from awareness to conversion. D-commerce and quick commerce are also increasingly important purchase channels.
Our media investments are fairly evenly split across TV, digital, and multimedia—which includes outdoor, print, activations, and even dealer boards and wall paintings in smaller towns. It is important to be where the consumer is and be to present with full gusto. The key is to show up with full commitment, supported by business outcomes that justify sustained investment. For that, your business must support the spends; and the spends must deliver to business, because then you can continue to build your business and drive the agenda in the market you're operating in.
Haleon’s global Project Unicorn focuses on attention metrics to measure media quality. How has this worked in India?
The effectiveness of media spends and impressions are efficient metrics. However, in today’s cluttered and fragmented media environment, efficiency metrics alone are not enough. While impressions and clicks matter, attention is what truly drives impact and the effort is to make our media and creative more impactful and effective.
Under Project Unicorn, we evaluate whether our creative stands out in the clutter, delivers the message it is intended to deliver, builds the brand, and creates long-term connections. Metrics such as demand power, loyalty, affinity, and brand preference are important criteria that help us assess whether we are building enduring brands.
When creativity cuts through clutter and media choices align with consumer behaviour, attention follows—and attention leads to stronger business outcomes. Our strategy determines our metrics and our metrics determines are our strategy.
Centrum has its own D2C platform. How does this fit into your overall commerce strategy?
We are completely channel-agnostic. Centrum is available across D2C, e-commerce, quick commerce, pharmacies, and modern trade. The goal is convenience—ensuring consumers can easily learn about and buy our products at any place that is convenient to them.
The dedicated D2C platform, centrumshop.in, creates a deeper engagement space for consumers who want to understand the brand better. It allows us to educate them, build long-term relationships, gather feedback, and continue supporting consumers on their health journey.
With ?20 Sensodyne and ?10 Centrum Recharge, how do you balance affordability with premium brand equity?
Brands like Sensodyne and Centrum have strong aspirational equity. Our mission is to democratize our portfolio and provide access to health solutions. Making our offerings accessible at a sweet price point to entry consumers allows them to experience the benefit without a high upfront investment. Once they feel the difference, we’re confident they’ll return.
How is Haleon leveraging martech and AI beyond content creation?
AI is transforming every aspect of marketing—from concept development and product design to analytics and media planning. It accelerates thinking, generates multiple options quickly, and uncovers insights from vast data sets that would otherwise take weeks. The faster organizations embed AI into their workflows, the more agile and effective they become.
What’s next for Haleon India?
Haleon is excited about the opportunity that India presents. India is an important market for Haleon globally. Oral health remains a major focus and will continue to elevate consumer awareness in this area, with toothpaste, toothbrushes and mouthwash to gum care with brands like Parodontax and enamel protection with our recent launch, Sensodyne Pronamel.
We continue to expand access through affordable packs, strengthen beloved brands like Eno, one of the proudest jewels in our crown and grow wellness categories with Centrum. Our OTC portfolio—including Otrivin, Iodex Muscle Care (for relief from everyday muscle stiffness, tiredness, backaches, neck pain, and joint pain), Crocin, T-Minic, Ostocalcium and others—addresses everyday health needs with fast, effective relief. Our commitment remains unchanged: to deliver better everyday health with humanity, at scale.
