With health and wellness on everyone’s minds more than three years after the Covid-19 outbreak, consumers continue to pour money into the category. According to McKinsey & Company, people now spend an estimated $1.5 trillion globally each year on products and services designed to make them feel better—and they’re only expected to spend more in the future.
The situation presents plenty of opportunity for companies like Bayer, the 160-year-old German manufacturer behind brands such as Aleve, Claritin and Alka-Seltzer, but also more challenges due to an increase in competition.
This is where creativity becomes crucial. Thankfully, Patricia Corsi, chief marketing and information officer of Bayer’s consumer health division, is no stranger to harnessing inventive ideas that make shoppers stop and pay attention—even if that means dealing with a bit of pushback.
“The best ideas are not the ones everyone loves, but the ones everyone can’t forget,” said Corsi.
In recent years, for example, Corsi has unleashed taboo-breaking work for Bayer’s dermatology brand Canesten. Rather than tiptoe around the subject, it got straight to the point by creating the Vagina Academy, a digital platform that features frank discussions and no-nonsense images addressing vaginal health.
For the pharmaceutical sector, which has a history of playing it so safe that much of its marketing verges on boring, this was a bold decision. Canesten’s push to educate consumers while confronting shame and discomfort has led to TikTok removing censorship of the word “vagina” in Brazil, and Facebook doing the same in Italy.
“Being open and unafraid to learn new things is an important source of inspiration,” said Corsi, who held marketing positions at Unilever and Heineken prior to joining Bayer in 2019. “One of the biggest threats to inspiration is approaching life with cynical and sarcastic eyes.”
Whether it’s consumers, competitors, strategic partners or her own team members, Corsi noted she’s always watching to determine what to do next—and what to avoid.
The best ideas are not the ones everyone loves, but the ones everyone can’t forget.
Patricia Corsi
More recently, allergy brand Claritin has set its sights on fighting so-called “botanical sexism.” City planners and urban landscapers have long favored male trees, which are easier to maintain yet also a major source of pollen, making allergies worse. To help restore balance, Claritin has sponsored events in U.S. cities all about planting more female trees, which don’t produce pollen, in public parks and busy streets.
As a Latina woman in the C-suite at a major corporation, the Brazil-born Corsi also knows the benefits of having diverse voices in the room. After all, sometimes those held back by the status quo are the best candidates to break it.
“Having different views on the same topic is refreshing, while also eye-opening,” said Corsi, who has lived and worked in a variety of regions, from Mexico to Switzerland to the U.K. “For some, specific data sets can present a problem, while for others it uncovers an opportunity.”
None of this, however, is a purely artistic pursuit. Corsi understands creativity cannot be divorced from commerce.
Under Corsi’s leadership, Bayer has identified a set of KPIs that measure the impact campaigns have on sales and market share. It’s also implemented diversity metrics to make sure its messaging connects with a larger audience.
In 2022, Bayer’s consumer health division generated $6.6 billion, an 8% year-over-year increase, and the segment continued to grow in the first quarter of 2023.
“We must continue to empathize and have our customers’ best interests at heart,” said Corsi. “It is my strong belief that you can do this and serve our shareholders equally well.”
This story is part of Adweek’s Brand Genius 2023 honors, recognizing the top marketers who have delivered long-term success for some of the world’s leading brands.
This story first appeared in the July 2023 issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.
