The OTC market is growing – and with it, the competition for attention. With a market volume of around 12.8 billion Euros, the market for over-the-counter medications is developing dynamically. At the same time, advertising pressure is increasing: more providers, more distribution channels, and greater product variety lead to growing competition for visibility and differentiation.
Between 2019 and 2023 alone, advertising spending in the OTC sector rose by approximately 36 percent – a large portion of the budget was allocated to traditional media. However, consumer information behavior has long since changed. Online searches, health portals, and pharmacy platforms are now central entry points into the customer journey. In short: more marketplaces, more products, more providers, more advertising – attention is no longer generated solely through reach, but through relevance, context, and added value.
The pharmacy is not dying – but it is changing its role
Despite increasing digitalization, the pharmacy remains a central point of contact. While brick-and-mortar pharmacies are increasingly closing, qualified advice is gaining even more importance precisely for this reason. For OTC manufacturers, this means: pharmacy teams must be more involved and supported. Practical consultation guides, compact "snackable content" formats, or edutainment-style social advertising can ease daily pharmacy operations and strengthen consulting expertise. Additionally, Digital Out of Home (DOOH) marketing in the pharmacy environment is gaining importance – providing visibility directly at the POS. Innovative communication approaches also work: campaigns that portray pharmacists as "everyday heroes" create closeness and authenticity; gamification elements in e-learning offerings or in-pharmacy promotions foster interaction; and disease awareness campaigns generate attention.
Dr. Google has long been part of the customer journey
Many consumers today start their research via Google or health portals long before they purchase a product. Those who are visible in this early phase have a decisive advantage. Content-based services play a central role here. Guide articles, health blogs, or topic-specific information portals promote presence and build trust. New technologies such as chatbots, symptom checkers, or digital/interactive health guides can help users classify symptoms and recommend suitable products. Collaborations with wearables, fitness and health apps, or tracking platforms offer new touchpoints and provide data-driven insights.
Retail Media: The Underestimated Growth Driver in OTC Marketing
Retail Media is currently a particularly dynamic area in OTC marketing. With the digitalization of the pharmacy landscape, new advertising spaces are emerging directly in digital sales environments. Whether sponsored product placements on online pharmacy platforms, keyword advertising, or promotions in the digital shopping cart – Retail Media takes place in close proximity to the moment of purchase and enables precise targeting with high relevance and conversion.
Trust Trumps Advertising
A central factor in the healthcare market is trust. Consumers today are better informed and often more critical. Therefore, educational content is becoming increasingly important. Instead of purely product-oriented advertising, successful brands focus on education, medical information, and well-founded content. Marketing and PR are growing closer together in this process. Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Digital Opinion Leaders (DOLs) such as 'Medfluencers' are also gaining influence.
Modern Campaigns Are Personalized
Digital strategies today enable increasingly precise targeting of audiences. Geo-targeting around pharmacies, interest- or symptom-based, and seasonal segmentation open up new possibilities. Data-driven campaigns can leverage patterns and deliver content exactly when and where it is most relevant.
Regulation as an Excuse? Or as a Creative Engine?
OTC marketing operates in the tension between creativity and regulatory requirements, such as the German Act on Advertising in the Field of Healing (HWG). In practice, this often leads to cautious communication and interchangeable messages. However, there are ways to communicate creatively while remaining compliant. Storytelling instead of pure product claims, educational campaigns, expert Q&As, or study facts offer opportunities to make content engaging and compliant at the same time.
Conclusion: Visibility and reach alone are not enough – consistency and relevance are needed
OTC marketing is undergoing a transformation. Traditional advertising alone is no longer sufficient today. What matters more is:
- Content, Data, and Context
- Presence along the entire customer journey
- the intelligent combination of various channels
The real challenge lies in combining innovation and regulatory security. Those who master this balancing act will not only become visible – but also relevant.
