Client Name

Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Nasir Afghan

SBS Thought Leadership Areas

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

SBS Thought Leadership Area Justification

This ELP aligns with entrepreneurship and innovation by identifying and addressing an unmet consumer need through a creative, insight-driven solution. Rather than focusing solely on product features, the project uncovered a key market opportunity: pregnant and lactating women often neglect their own health due to societal norms.

Using extensive research and consumer insights, the team developed the innovative campaign platform “Sehatmand Rehna Not Optional,” which differentiates Abocal by combining emotional relevance with functional benefits. The project also leveraged modern marketing approaches, including digital content, influencer partnerships, online communities, and integrated communication channels.

By transforming consumer insights into a scalable business solution that can enhance brand awareness, customer engagement, and market growth, the project demonstrates the practical application of entrepreneurial thinking and innovation in a real-world business context.

Aligned SDGs

GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being

Aligned SDGs Justification

This ELP directly aligns with Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3) by promoting awareness of calcium deficiency and encouraging preventive healthcare among pregnant and lactating women, a group with elevated nutritional needs. The campaign addresses the widespread tendency of women to overlook their own health during and after pregnancy, leading to potential long-term bone and calcium-related issues.

Through educational content and awareness-driven communication, the project encourages women to prioritise their health, adopt healthier behaviours, and make informed decisions regarding calcium supplementation. By improving awareness of bone health and maternal nutrition, the campaign contributes to better health outcomes and supports overall well-being for mothers and their families.

NDA

Yes

Abstract

This Experiential Learning Project (ELP) was awarded to Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited with the intention of revitalizing the marketing campaign of the flagship calcium supplement of Abbott in its Therapeutics Division, Abocal. Abocal is a clinically superior-formulated product, the absorption of calcium is 40 percent greater than the typical calcium carbonate products, but with a low level of consumer awareness and online presence in a category dominated by CAC-1000 (Pfizer).

It was a project of four IBA students who were supervised by Sheikh Awais, Group Product Manager, Abbott and Dr. Nasir Afghan, Faculty Supervisor, IBA Karachi. Throughout the semester, the team engaged in an in-depth mixed-methods research process, which involved primary and secondary data. This included formal consumer research (n=90+), field research (visiting pharmacies in Karachi), community listening on Facebook groups and Reddit Pakistan, and a lot of secondary market research, and competitive benchmarking in the calcium supplement category.

The most significant research findings were the high but under-recognized consumer knowledge that women during pregnancy and lactation prioritize their own health needs secondarily not due to laxity but due to a strong social conditioning that maternal self-sacrifice is normal. Even the everyday cultural manifestations like ye tou sab kay saath hota hai support the normalization of fatigue, symptoms of calcium deficiency and bone weakness in the long run as an unavoidable part of motherhood. This was the emotional and strategic power of the campaign.

Some target audience groups were taken into consideration including younger women between 1825 years and post menopausal women. The analysis resulted in the team narrowing down the target segment to pregnant and lactating women aged 20-35 years old in SEC A/B+/B households. The reasoning behind this group was that they are high calcium needers, high digital users, easily influenced by their peers and that they have an ever-renewing annual pool of about 2.6 million urban women entering pregnancy or lactation phases.

The last campaign plan, which was created with the help of the creative agency Ishtehari, is based on the main concept of Sehatmand Rehna Not Optional. The platform puts the functional advantages of Abocal, 40 percent better calcium absorption, better bone health and energy replenishment, and a powerful emotional story that motivates women to put themselves first. The campaign implementation strategy involves animated digital video content, pillars of social media, influencer and PR partnerships, radio and out-of-home advertising, point-of-sale material, and community involvement in online parenting and women-centered communities.

This report details all the research process, analysis frameworks, consumer insights, brand strategy, and final campaign recommendations as per the Terms of Reference (TOR) as provided by the ELP/CDC office.

Document Type

Restricted Access

Document Name for Citation

Experiential Learning Project

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