A Heavy Gift with Heavier Consequences

During a December year-end promotional campaign, a major pharmaceutical retail group launched what was intended to be a festive and generous gesture: bath bomb gift boxes to be distributed to pharmacy customers.

The idea was simple—reward loyalty, drive foot traffic, and reinforce brand affinity during the holiday season. The reality was far more complicated.

These bath bombs, while visually appealing, turned out to be surprisingly heavy—and in some cases, unpleasantly scented. So heavy, in fact, that even professional logistics teams flagged the weight and bulk of the pallets. When the boxes arrived at points of sale, pharmacy and drugstore staff were left to wrestle with impractical volumes of unsellable, space-consuming giveaways.

What Went Wrong?

• Storage problems: The POS teams didn’t have backroom space to store dozens of bulky gift boxes.

• Distribution confusion: No clear rules were set on when or how to give them out—resulting in uneven visibility and usage.

• Handling burden: Staff found the boxes physically challenging to move, particularly in compact retail layouts.

• Poor environmental perception: Some recipients and pharmacists questioned the ecological relevance of such a non-essential, packaging-heavy gift, especially given the unpleasant scent reported in several locations.

The campaign, while well-intentioned, received negative feedback across the POS network. In many cases, the gifts remained undistributed.

Lessons Learned

This use case is a reminder that even goodwill campaigns need operational realism:

• Weight matters: Even a lovely object can become a liability when logistics and shelf space are overlooked.

• Utility matters: Giveaways that feel wasteful can create friction with staff and customers.

• Execution planning matters: Without a clear distribution protocol, a campaign loses coherence and impact.

Rüfenacht’s Perspective

We believe in meaningful visibility—executed with precision. That includes advising on formats, quantities, packaging, and on-site realities before the first unit is produced.