What a sickly bunch we are. Brits have spent an extra £18.9m on treating their sniffles, sore throats and headaches. That's a rise of 5.3% in value terms and an extra 2.4 million packs (1.3%) sold. But who's buying? 

"Perhaps unsurprisingly, the 65-plus age group contributes the most value to the category, accounting for 30% of spend over the year," says Kantar Worldpanel analyst Charlie Neil. "However, it also seems that their spend is less likely to be influenced by a change in the weather." 

Rather, it's the youngsters who are most likely to increase their spend on winter remedies when the weather takes a turn for the worse. And, with March's Beast from the East blowing in after what had already been one of the harshest winters on record, the weather was a major factor this past year. 

"Younger groups are more likely to see seasonal peaks and troughs in spend," adds Neil. "There was an 395% spike in spend among the under-35s in December versus July 2017; for the over-65s the peak was 239%. So over-65s are more likely to treat 'winter' ailments all year round, while younger age groups only do so when faced with adverse conditions."

Only Sudafed and Benylin have increased spend on traditional ad space amid the rise of digital. 

Sudafed's advertising was timely considering the brand was referenced in stories about new NHS guidelines, which questioned the efficacy of oral decongestants. Its ads claimed its Congestion & Headache Relief line "helps clear the symptoms of your head cold". 

Despite the overall dip in investment in traditional advertising, winter remedies brands still spend big. The collective £14.9m was nearly double the amount spent by the bread category's top 10 advertisers in the year to 28 February 2018.