Reason Behind Boryeong 'Yonggaksan Cool' Achieving Record Sales

Boryeong Yonggaksan Cool 2 Types.

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Boryung’s Jinhe Gadamje ‘Yonggaksan Cool’ is breaking its highest sales record and maintaining its position as the number one over-the-counter expectorant. This is attributed to the synergy effect of its convenient dosage, fresh and innovative marketing, and the fact that expectorants used for cough and phlegm symptoms gained attention as essential medicines for COVID-19 home treatment due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

According to Boryung on the 20th, Yonggaksan Cool’s sales last month surged by 201% compared to the monthly average of January and February. Yonggaksan also increased by 28% during the same period, resulting in a total sales increase of 117% for the ‘Yonggaksan Group (Yonggaksan, Yonggaksan Cool).’ Currently, Yonggaksan brand products are experiencing a shortage phenomenon where all products are sold out immediately upon production and stocking.

Even when the respiratory disease treatment market faced a downturn last year, Yonggaksan Cool alone reversed the trend and grew rapidly. According to data from IQVIA, a pharmaceutical market research firm, Yonggaksan Cool’s consumer sales last year more than doubled, surpassing the existing Yonggaksan and emerging as the leading product in the entire cough medicine (expectorant) market.

With increasing consumer interest in respiratory care, Yonggaksan Cool’s efficacy and Boryung’s proactive marketing are analyzed to have driven the rapid sales growth. Yonggaksan Cool is a product launched by Boryung Pharmaceutical in 1967 with the first release of ‘Yonggaksan,’ enhancing the content of key herbal ingredients such as Platycodon root powder, Senega, Apricot seed, Licorice, Ginseng, and Asen medicine, and packaged in convenient single-use stick packs. It comes in two flavors, peach and mint, and is granulated for easy consumption. Among over-the-counter drugs currently marketed in Korea, there are no products with the same ingredients and formulation as Yonggaksan Cool.

Yonggaksan Cool Advertisement Image.

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Yonggaksan Cool delivers immediate effect the moment it touches the throat and is composed of various herbal ingredients, allowing continuous use even for mild bronchial discomfort. In addition to cough and phlegm symptoms, it shows excellent efficacy for throat-related symptoms such as sore throat, swelling, discomfort, and hoarseness, providing comprehensive respiratory care and competitive advantage.

Proactive marketing also played a key role in the sales growth of Yonggaksan Cool. Boryung Consumer Healthcare, responsible for the distribution and marketing of Boryung’s over-the-counter drugs, launched an advertisement for Yonggaksan Cool in October 2020 focusing on ‘dry cough in daily life.’ The ad realistically portrayed uncomfortable situations caused by dry cough in everyday life, gaining empathy across all age groups and showing an upward trend in performance. The recently released new Yonggaksan Cool advertisement has also attracted attention with a cheerful concept where a ‘Dry Cough Hunter’ searches for dry coughs in daily life, records them, and creates a ‘Dry Cough Beat’ using the recordings.

Lee Ji-young, brand manager of Yonggaksan at Boryung Consumer Healthcare, said, "We will continue advertising campaigns that resonate with consumers and meet diverse consumer demands through continuous new product launches such as large-size packages and various flavors (blueberry, coffee mint)."

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