Dr.Max Romania Strategy: How to Launch a Pharma Giant in a Competitive Market

Entering a mature and highly competitive market such as the Romanian pharma industry requires more than visibility. It requires trust, relevance, and a long-term strategic approach.

For the launch of Dr.Max in Romania, the objective was not simply to generate traffic, but to build a strong presence with real business impact, both across the physical pharmacy network and in the e-commerce environment.

Challenge

The entry of an international pharma brand into the local market came with several strategic challenges:

• Rapidly building brand awareness in a market dominated by established players
• Creating a high level of trust in an industry where authority and credibility are essential
• Aligning local communication with the global brand strategy
• Launching and scaling an e-shop in a competitive environment with strong price pressure

The goal was clear: to transform a newly launched brand into a relevant market benchmark in an accelerated timeframe.

Strategy

We developed a three-stage launch strategy, with each phase playing a distinct role in building long-term impact.

1. Teasing. Creating Curiosity

In the first phase, the objective was to capture attention and enter consumers’ conversations before the official launch. We included relevant Google Search queries related to pain, treatments, remedies, and causes. The strategic idea was simple: a pharmacy should be the trusted source for these answers.

Ads were designed as a direct response to users’ needs, announcing that clear and accessible solutions would soon be available — without revealing the brand. This approach generated anticipation and interest ahead of the official brand reveal.

2. Launch. Building Interest and Identity

During the official launch phase, we focused on two major directions:

• Clearly communicating the brand identity: who Dr.Max is and how it helps
• Strict alignment with the international brand book to ensure strategic consistency

The messaging structure covered two core pillars:

• Emotional benefits: trust, honesty, compassion, care
• Functional benefits: competitive pricing, proximity, loyalty card offers

Through this dual positioning, we successfully built both rational and emotional relevance, accelerating brand adoption.

3. Scaling. Consolidation and Accelerated Growth

After the awareness and interest phase, the focus shifted toward favorability and conversion. As users became more familiar with the brand, branded searches steadily increased, and interest in promotions and offers became more visible.

In parallel, we launched and scaled the e-shop, aligning messages about physical pharmacy proximity with the advantages of online commerce: 24/7 access, extended product availability, exclusive online promotions, and a streamlined checkout process. This allowed us to optimize the digital experience and stimulate direct action.

Results

The impact was visible from day one:

+12,000 clicks and +35,000 brand search impressions on launch day

Six months after launch, the performance marketing strategy delivered measurable brand impact:

+50% increase in brand awareness

+24% increase in consideration (based on Brand Lift studies)

In the performance and e-commerce area, seven months after the e-shop launch, compared to the first month of activity, results indicated accelerated media efficiency optimization:

+301% increase in ROAS

–73% reduction in cost per acquisition (CPA)

Within Google Search campaigns, continuous optimization of messaging and search intent led to:

+44% increase in CTR in month four compared to launch month

These results confirm that a phased strategy — teasing, launch, scaling — can transform a market entry into sustainable growth, both at brand and performance levels.

Industry Recognition

The strategy received international recognition through European Search Awards Contest:

• Finalist 2021 – Best Use of Search – FMCG (Large)
• Finalist 2022 – Best Use of Search – FMCG (Large)

Conclusion

The launch of Dr.Max in Romania demonstrates that a digital strategy built on clear stages, aligned with business objectives, and continuously optimized based on data can transform a market entry into accelerated and sustainable growth. 

It was not just about traffic or conversions. It was about building a brand with long-term impact.

At Canopy, we build digital strategies that take brands from market entry to market leadership. Let’s discuss your next growth move