Breath Right
Case 1
CNS. INC., AND 3M: BREATHE RIGHT® NASAL STRIP
"When we first began marketing this product, what was so gratifying, particularly as a physician were the literally thousands of letters and phone calls we would receive talking about how much better people slept at night. Almost all the letters began with "thank you, thank you, thank you!" Just three thank you's. It was, I haven't gotten a good night's sleep like this in 10 years."
What is Dr. Dan Cohen, CEO of CNS, Inc., talking about? Its Breathe Right® nasal strips, the innovative adhesive pad with a small spring inside that, when attached to the nose, pulls the nasal passages open and makes it easier to breathe. Since its introduction in the United States, Breathe Right strips have been coveted by athletes hoping to improve their performance through increased oxygen flow, snorers (and more often, snorers' spouses) hoping for a sound night's sleep, and allergy and cold sufferers looking for relief for their stuffed noses.
HOW THIS WEIRD-LOOKING STRIP CAME ABOUT
The Breathe Right® strip was invented by Bruce Johnson, who suffered from chronic nasal congestion. At times he would put straws or paper clips up his nose at night to keep his nasal passages open. After tinkering in his workshop for years, he came up with a prototype design for the Breath Right® strip. He brought the prototype to CNS, which was in the sleep disorders diagnostic equipment business at the time. Dr. Cohen knew instantly the market for the strips would be huge. After the products received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and became successful in the market CNS divested its other interests and went to work marketing the strips full time.
Being a small company, CNS did not have the budget to launch a large-scale marketing campaign. But it got the break it needed when Jerry Rice, the wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers won the 1995 Superbowl. The entire nation became aware of the product overnight, and demand
CNS. INC., AND 3M: BREATHE RIGHT® NASAL STRIP
"When we first began marketing this product, what was so gratifying, particularly as a physician were the literally thousands of letters and phone calls we would receive talking about how much better people slept at night. Almost all the letters began with "thank you, thank you, thank you!" Just three thank you's. It was, I haven't gotten a good night's sleep like this in 10 years."
What is Dr. Dan Cohen, CEO of CNS, Inc., talking about? Its Breathe Right® nasal strips, the innovative adhesive pad with a small spring inside that, when attached to the nose, pulls the nasal passages open and makes it easier to breathe. Since its introduction in the United States, Breathe Right strips have been coveted by athletes hoping to improve their performance through increased oxygen flow, snorers (and more often, snorers' spouses) hoping for a sound night's sleep, and allergy and cold sufferers looking for relief for their stuffed noses.
HOW THIS WEIRD-LOOKING STRIP CAME ABOUT
The Breathe Right® strip was invented by Bruce Johnson, who suffered from chronic nasal congestion. At times he would put straws or paper clips up his nose at night to keep his nasal passages open. After tinkering in his workshop for years, he came up with a prototype design for the Breath Right® strip. He brought the prototype to CNS, which was in the sleep disorders diagnostic equipment business at the time. Dr. Cohen knew instantly the market for the strips would be huge. After the products received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and became successful in the market CNS divested its other interests and went to work marketing the strips full time.
Being a small company, CNS did not have the budget to launch a large-scale marketing campaign. But it got the break it needed when Jerry Rice, the wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers won the 1995 Superbowl. The entire nation became aware of the product overnight, and demand