The group product manager for ointments at American Therapeutic Corporation was reviewing price and promotion alternatives for two products: Rash- Away and Red-Away. Both products were designed to reduce skin irritation, but Red-Away was primarily a cosmetic treatment whereas Rash-Away also included a compound that eliminated the rash. The price and promotion alternatives recommended for the two products by their respective brand managers included the possibility of using additional promotion or a price reduction to stimulate sales volume. A volume, price, and cost summary for the two products follows:
Rash-Away Red-Away
Unit price $2.00 $1.00
Unit variable costs 1.40 0.25
Unit contribution $0.60 $0.75
Unit volume 1,000,000 units 1,500,000 units
Both brand managers included a recommendation to either reduce price by 10 percent or invest an incremental $150,000 in advertising.
What absolute increase in unit sales and dollar sales will be necessary to recoup the incremental increase in advertising expenditures for Rash-Away? For Red-Away?