Lauren Schulz is director of OTC brand marketing at Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. The Indian drugmaker, which acquired six OTC brands from Ducere Pharma last year, launched the first U.S. marketing campaign in August for pain-reliever Doan’s in twenty years. Ducere bought the brands from Novartis in 2013.
See also: Why Excedrin embraced the headache of a contentious election season
What’s your morning ritual?
I wake up at 4:30 a.m. to get to the gym for a 5 a.m. boot camp class. I try to carve out 30 minutes for myself every morning to have coffee and get ready for the day. Then I get myself ready for work. By 7 a.m., my seven-year old daughter, Maya, and my five-year old son, Miles, are awake and ready to go. They are very busy, enthusiastic children who require a lot of my attention. Mornings are usually hectic, but my husband, Craig, is very hands-on. With organization and a good partnership, we manage to pull it off and have fun along the way.
How did you get into the industry?
In one of my first jobs out of college, I worked as an account manager at an advertising agency. My boss at that agency and I stayed in contact for years. Ten years later, she hired me to run some OTC brands at Insight Pharmaceuticals. That role included brands such as E.p.t pregnancy tests and Uristat, an OTC urinary tract infection treatment. During that time, I learned the ins and outs of OTC marketing.
Prior to that role, my experience had mostly been in the food and hospitality industry at the corporate headquarters marketing departments at Wawa, a chain of convenience stores, and Aramark,a food-services company. Coming from a retail background gave me unique insight into the perspective of the OTC customer.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is the fact that I’ve been given the opportunity to develop a department that didn’t exist here at Dr. Reddy’s. When our company purchased six assets, including the Doan’s, Bufferin and Nupercainal brands, it represented the company’s foray into the branded OTC space. It was a strategic move for Dr. Reddy’s and as a result, the company is putting its money where its mouth is — investing fully in reenergizing these brands. I really enjoy building something from the ground up.
What is your greatest professional challenge?
The greatest challenge is delivering on the promises we’ve made to our shareholders and stakeholders when it comes to our branded OTC offering. It’s a real challenge to turn around these brands that have not had any real attention for more than 20 years.
What is the best career advice you’ve received?
Do what you love, and you will never have to work. I have a real passion for marketing and sales, and the people here at Dr. Reddy’s make it easy, which is why it doesn’t feel like work.
What do you do when you feel uninspired?
I eat cheesecake. Seriously, it’s easy to stay inspired when your products are great and you believe in them. I try to find personal, professional goals and tackle them one at a time. Little successes gather steam and become bigger and more important, and they help drive larger successes.
What is the last thing that inspired you?
I get inspiration from my kids’ enthusiasm for the little things that we take for granted every day like rain, cows, and their toys.
What industry event are you most looking forward to?
I’m really looking forward to going to the Association of National Advertiser’s Masters of Marketing. It’s a premier conference for consumer and B2B marketing held in Orlando each year. The lineup of speakers is phenomenal. It includes Tony Rogers, CMO of Walmart U.S., and other top leaders from companies like Google, Samsung, Procter & Gamble, and Facebook.
What are some health gadgets or apps you’re currently using?
I use my Apple Watch to track steps, and I use a Scosche heart rate monitor for my gym workouts. I also love the Aaptiv app, which allows you to pick workouts from trainers combined with music so I can stay motivated throughout a run.
What are you reading?
I just started reading “Flying Without a Net” by Thomas J. DeLong, and I’m about to finish “Leaving Time” by Jodi Picoult.
From the November 01, 2017 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
