What next?

What next?

Question: What next?

Answer: Stay relevant - through digital!

What next? Perhaps this is the top of mind question of all marketers and others.  

The situation got changed

We are all used to a way of life.  Getting up at 6.00 am, getting ready and being out of home at 8.15 am, reaching office or work place or work spot (for field workers) at about 9.15 am and following the pattern till evening.  As evening falls, going home via a friend’s place or favourite café or after a walk in the park is what one does.  This pattern repeated day after day.  Every pharma company marketer has a pattern of ensuring that its foot soldiers performed in-clinic (may be 11 calls/day), in-stall, in-CME, in-pharmacy (approx. 6 chemist calls/day), and campaigning activities for demand creation and fulfillment. And suddenly, one fine day, it is curtains for this pattern.

Virus break

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that goes by the name Covid-19 originated from a bat or pangolin or from a bat to pangolin and then to the butcher at the Wuhan wet non-veg wildlife food market of Wuhan, Hubei province, China and finally to rest of world - has disrupted the pattern of normal existence of every citizen in the world.  In any case this is a highly mutated virulent contagious coronavirus of which Bill Gates warned and many movies like Contagion signaled – this virus is causing immobilization.  This pandemic has ensured economic cycles are broken.  Everyone is wondering - what next?

We are aware marketing is an important organ of business development.  Marketing is an organizational process (not just departmental) to create, communicate and deliver value to target audiences, stimulate and facilitate exchange processes.  Marketing generates customer satisfaction and delight (the latter happens when we do something extra unexpected to the customer and he gets delighted).  When marketing is effective there is ever increasing market penetration and spontaneous word-of-mouth - and in modern times it means marketing makes messages go viral.  Marketing is accountable for customer acquisition and retention.  Just like measurement is critical, training is a game changer and all other aspects of a business are vital; marketing is the life breath of business development.

The current socio-economic scenario is certainly not going to the normal we know any soon, is my viewpoint.  The future scenario will have several new normals’, this will include hefty digitalization of marketing - digital messaging with lesser face-to-face interactions.  The Covid-19 pandemic induced lifestyle change is a trend and we need to change our marketing activities accordingly.  Digital marketing and e-messaging is the only way out.  Jo dikta hain woh bikta hain is the only truth of marketing and business development.

Already online medicine companies have got the green signal from government - https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/centre-permits-doorstep-delivery-of-medicines-during-covid-19-lockdown/articleshow/74829942.cms 

We are seeing a sea change of attitude towards digital activity by govt. of India and all other business organizations:

Big Bazaar has revved up the home delivery activity.  Ref.: https://www.bigbazaar.com/door-step-delivery/ also second reference: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/fmcg/big-bazaar-expands-home-delivery-footprint-as-india-gets-stuck-in-lockdown/articleshow/74807089.cms

Big Basket is now a seen as a life saviour service – they have innovated with times to handle huge volumes, they are working with fervor and a missionary zeal similar to a coronawarrior.  Big Basket offers contact-less service too, now, where the delivery man places the items at the doorstep of buyer or at security ,and does not meet the person who is ordering.  Big Basket is taking pooled orders from a single apartment complex that makes fulfillment faster and easier.  That is how market responsive firms respond; they rise to the occasion, at Mahindra, a few innovator employees locked themselves up to finally come up with the prototype of a ventilator. 

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR AN ORGANIZATION IS NOT TO GET OVERWHELMED AND IMMOBILIZED. 

A challenging crisis time is the opportunity to recast marketing procedures and get relevant to stay in business! 

That is what Cipla is doing with Cofsil.  Many in the market never knew that this respiratory health brand had a mouthwash gargle.  Suddenly Cofsil Experdine Gargle https://www.cofsils.com/experdine-gargle is making its presence felt in you tube advertisements and other digital media.  Cofsil Experdine Gargle is a mouthwash.  Positioned as a gargle and mouthwash, Cofsil is useful for oral health.  The beauty is that mouthwashes can be used to gargle in the mouth and cleanse the throat.

Betadine has put its mouthwash and gargle on a high exposure mode digitally.

Many sore throats are caused by viruses and some types of bacteria.  And this is the time of Covid-19 virus - ideally we should be using more of mouthwash for oral and throat gargling along with hand hygiene.

Two vital trends for good health in the background of Covid-19 pandemic that pharma marketers can use:

a)     Hand hygiene

b)     Mouthwash based oral hygiene (for oral cavity hygiene and throat gargling)

We have a habit of touching the face, studies say we do it up to 16 times a hour, unknowingly by force of habit.  Contaminated hands transfer bacteria and virus to the nose, mouth, eyes and lips.  Thus, absence of hand hygiene can be dangerous - may lead to Covid-19 infection.  Hence, along with hand hygiene, oral hygiene through mouthwash (for oral cavity cleaning and throat gargling) is essential.

The era of digital marketing in pharma has arrived firmly thanks to disruptive pandemic Covid-19.  Pharma companies are racing to engage doctors, pharmacies and patients on health and products.

Freshchlor is a mouthwash for oral hygiene (mouthwash and throat gargle with proven use against viruses and bacteria)

There are many possible digital marketing approaches:

a)  Right time to offer online CME programs to doctors, dentists and other medical professionals who are having free time to participate in them, and gain CME points  (many private medical practitioners are having reduced patient flow and dentists are not practicing chair procedures)

b)     Engage with campaigns through whatsapp to targeted doctors and pharmacies

c) Make product websites interactive so that patients engage with them eg., https://www.cofsils.com/experdine-gargle and https://www.dettol.co.in/en/ the latter have created a web link on Covid-19 information

d) Offer a helpline manned by doctors offering information on Covid-19, respiratory disease and Cofsil mouthwash eg., Cipla Covid-19 helpline Ph. XXXXXXXXXX

e)     Offer a dentist hotline to answer quiz questions and gain points that can be redeemed later for gift hampers, eg., Group Pharma dentist quiz hotline Ph. XXXXXXXXXX

f)     Offer a doctor-only website that hosts medically relevant information on Covid-19

g)    Brand based messaging on various aspects of Covid-19 and other things to do through social media (it requires a social media team)

What next?  It is to stay relevant, that is what marketing is all about!  Best of luck pharma and healthcare marketers, stay safe in the times of Covid-19!