Ogilvy Health Australia has launched OTC Influence, a new offering focused on marketing non-prescription, over-the-counter (OTC) brands.
The agency explained that the launch comes as the sector continues to grow in Australia, with the OTC pharmaceuticals market projected to reach A$6.75 billion in 2026.
The offering will focus on creating integrated campaigns for OTC brands built on cultural insights, using a social-media-first approach that includes health influencers, earned media, and owned channel content.
CEO of Ogilvy Health ANZ, Richard Brett, explained that OTC Influence will aim to culturally connect OTC brands and products directly to trends, consumer insights, and user attitudes.
"Bringing OTC brands into the heart of Australian culture is the critical next step for OTC marketing in Australia. This is where magic happens - at the intersection of brand attributes and cultural connection. It’s about leveraging earned-first creativity and developing ideas so compelling, entertaining, or culturally relevant that people want to share them."
Ogilvy Health’s Group Managing Director, Rachel Stanton, said: "The OTC Influence process starts with a deep dive into cultural insights, using data and listening tools to identify trends, phenomena, and consumer attitudes that create a new way to talk about health issues. This cultural hook then informs how the OTC brand provides commentary, a solution, or a new approach, moving it beyond its category and simple function and giving it a distinct point of view.
"By connecting the brands closely with culture, it will give OTC brands the opportunity to engage with consumers, pharmacists and retailers in their worlds, through their preferred channels in ways that resonate to get the brand both noticed and sold.”
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Raymond Lau, Partner, Eastwest Public Relations, said: "The assumptions that once underpinned business as usual no longer hold. Geopolitical tension, economic uncertainty, and more frequent disruption now shape how organisations operate. Communication has become a strategic function against this backdrop - it determines how employees, clients and regulators judge an organisation's readiness when events unfold.
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Syazlina Haniff, Head of Marketing and Communications, Singapore, International SOS, added: "International SOS has served organisations in Asia Pacific for over four decades, and the region remains central to our work.
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Vero has elevated Peerapong Pongpakdee (pictured middle) to Director of AI, Innovation, & Insights for Southeast Asia.
In the role, Peerapong will oversee the consultancy’s regional capabilities in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital innovation. He has led the insights team, formerly known as Vero IQ, for the last five years.
Based in Bangkok, Peerapong works with clients and colleagues across Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and more recently, with colleagues from Mad Hat Asia. He will lead Vero’s social listening and media monitoring capabilities, in addition to its Generative Engine Optimisation offering.
Additionally, Peerapong will also spearhead internal AI adoption initiatives across six markets through training, playbooks and workshops, while strengthening the implementation of Vero’s AI usage policy, covering client confidentiality, data privacy, intellectual property, and human oversight.
He also leads the management of Vero’s existing tech stack, which includes AI-powered content optimisation tool, EditorialIQ, as well as agentic AI for client, media, and back-office work.
Peerapong said: “The new name of our team reflects the work we are doing for our clients today,”
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Vero’s Chief Commercial Officer, Umaporn Whittaker-Thompson added: “The PR industry is expanding at a rapid pace, and strengthening our AI, Innovation, & Insights team is one of the crucial steps we are taking to ensure that we are not just keeping pace, but also pioneering the next generation of storytelling.
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