Pharma Marketing at the Crossroads…Again
Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 11:07AM Perhaps you’ve noticed the stream of fresh evidence that the old license to market in pharma is slowly but steadily being revoked.
- You may have seen this article from The New York Times on the role pharma plays in educating doctors. In late June, the University of Michigan Medical School announced that in early 2011, the institution will eliminate commercial financing for medical education, slashing funding that traditionally approaches $1 million in sum.
- In other news, the Archives of Surgery recently released a study, “Physician Attitudes Toward Industry,” concluding that 72 percent of the 590 physicians and medical students surveyed continue to have positive attitudes toward various marketing offers, including gifts. While this seems positive, to me it’s neutral at best. We continue to hear that physicians enjoy the gifts, but that the items do not impact their decision-making. So then….why are we giving the gifts? The only thing the industry seems to get out of them is reputational harm.
- Finally, a survey released by Knowledge Networks in conjunction with the Physicians Consulting Network (PCN) finds that 17 percent of PCPs and 18 percent of specialists who have smartphones are using them to bypass sales calls from pharmaceutical representatives.
Your brand logo on a pen. Free lunch for the office. They all say one thing: sales pitch. It’s us pitching to them. Not them talking with us. Marketing in virtually every major consumer industry is moving to a model based on engagement. The underlying premise is simple: interaction breeds familiarity and trust. And we buy from who we know and trust.
A component of our future success as pharma marketers lies in creating mutual benefits between the acts of marketing and the building of relationships that enhance patient health. We have many tools and opportunities to do this. There are innumerable reasons why we should do this. So much rides on whether or not we actually do.
What do you think? Can marketing and patient health co-exist? Please feel free to comment below and I will work to respond to your thoughts.
Gene
Reader Comments (3)
Every other leading marketing organisation outside pharma (I'm talking FMCG etc) has realised in this post-recession world that traditional sales pitches don't work.
Pharma has been forced into its own special version of the recession by governments, and the industry has responded with Market Access, Key Account Management and Value-based selling. These are positive, major initiatives, even if they're in their infancy. They're the main topics within conferences which my organisation is planning, which means they're the areas where people are most likely to put their money where their mouth is at the moment.
Regrettably more blatant, less effective and questionably less moral initiatives such as those in the New York Times article still exist. I hope that everything else proves itself quickly enough to ensure as much money is diverted away from these areas as quickly as possible.
In summary I believe pharma in general is on the right track but it'll take time.
Thanks for your thoughtful response. I couldn’t agree with you more. Although it will take time for the industry to move past the current stage of tightened budgets and the allegiance to traditional selling approaches, I’ve been encouraged recently by several positive signs. We are seeing some industry leaders who are open to more innovative marketing strategies that better enable them to engage with their customers. Hopefully the dollars will follow and pharma marketers will be able to pursue these new smart new approaches in earnest and truly lead the industry towards a transformation.
Gene
I think there are things to be evolved around pharma marketing business.Accesibility problem will continue to be a challenge for sales reps ,KAM. My projection is the business will proceed more on web 2.0 cause as if we review the current status that stake holders profile have changed.Phyisicans have tendency to allocate less time for pharma reps despite of advantages offered by pharmaceutical companies.Thus today's technological developments will drive the business through more internet applications.Imagine that a physician with a tablet pc and a program allow him/her to easily get patient data and all diagnostic information& anamnesis during patient visits.Herewith medical treatment options will be appear in accordance to physician diagnosis on the touch screen. Doc. will select the brands than Rx will be ready in a second.At the same time physican will ask patient where would he/she like to have the Rx'ed medicines in the office or near home.Cause the Rx will be available at pharmacy network with all information related to patient.Now referring to my prevision which doesnt unrealistic to me. Therefore pharmaceutical business ought to take necessary measures accordingly for seeking opportunities as to intervene and shape the perception of stake holders