Leaks in pharma marketing

THE ABOVE PICTURE IS RELATED TO JOHN KOPCHINSKI (former Pfizer sales rep) WHO WAS THE WHISTLE BLOWER (marketing leak!) THAT LANDED PFIZER IN TO PAYING 2.3 BILLION USD AS CRIMINAL FINE, AND JOHN MADE 51.5 MILLION USD IN THIS LEGAL ORDEAL. HE IS A BATTLE HARDENED GULF WAR VETERAN. I GOT THE ABOVE IMAGE FROM HERE.

Carry on doctor!

Pharma marketers lionize doctors. Prescription flow is the bread and butter of pharma marketers. To engage prospects and prescribing doctors, pharma marketers look at various formats of messaging. The MR too puts on his charms and persuasively feeds the doctor's senses - literally by sponsoring lunches and figuratively, by providing clinical data literatures. Small freebies, mega gifts and sponsorships - particularly to medical conferences is the icing on the promotional cake! Doctors like being lionized by pharma professionals.

The impasse: With market spends going northwards day-by-day (marketing budgets never come down do they?!) it is increasingly difficult to accurately judge which item of the marketing and promotional mix is providing the best bang for the marketing buck. Identifying the most powerful market-mix elements and investing most on the best options will certainly plug the leaks in pharma marketing.

MRs the biggest marketing investment

MRs (medical representatives) get a lot of the market spend. Their salaries, incentives, and expense reimbursements take a lot of the marketing moolah. Added to this are the doctor oriented spends through MRs. These include monies invested for samples, print inputs, gifts (small and big), and specific sponsorships. These items are provided by MRs to doctors based on company guidelines and business requirements. So essentially, the product per se takes the back seat. It is the marketing effort and resources that take up a lot of marketing monies. Without intelligent market spends, the product inevitably has a lack luster market performance. So the market spend through MRs to doctors and chemists is a necessary millstone round the company's neck!

Let us say, the company allots 25 units samples for a product/MR. Now is this less or more? If the samples are stopped will it increase or decrease the sales of the product? These type of nagging questions do not have clear cut answers. And hence, there are a lot of marketing leaks.

There is one more conundrum: typically, some MRs are heavy samplers and others get the business without much sampling. Yet each MR gets the same aliquot of samples. So how do you identify and judge the marketing leaks?

Certain areas of India are sample oriented, others - gift oriented, and still others require both. How to identify the right marketing cocktail to ensure that marketing leaks are minimal?

Distribution leaks

The penetration of products into the nook and corner of the target market is the key to product success. Products move from stockists (wholesellers) to retailers; however, products also move from the wholeseller to sub-stockists or even to unlicensed hawkers, and then on to retailers or dispensing doctors. Even these market forces (sub-stockists and hawkers) influence market penetration. So does one classify the sub-stockists and hawkers as leaks in the distribution process? Normally, they are valid marketing leaks!!

Schemes (bonus offers or free goods on purchase of a certain quantity of goods) on pharma products are a vibrant dimension of the commoditized pharma marketplace today. Schemes are an addiction. They can take product sales upwards, remove the schemes - the sales can drop like a stone in water. So where do you strike the balance? Should the corporate honcho summarily dismiss schemes as a massive leak in the distribution activity or should he identify it as a strategic investment for market penetration?

Leaks in messaging

Let us say the product manager (PM) creates a 10 sentence visual aid page for a product. During the briefing session to the MRs, the PM lays emphasis on 5 sentences. During the practice session, the MR focuses on 3 sentences, and finally on the first call with the new visual aid page, the MR in his very brief encounter with the doctor focuses on 1 sentence and tries to detail the second sentence. During his subsequent calls, the MR manages to only say the brand name and the pay off or tagline sentence. Finally, as the visual aid gets worn out, the MR stops detailing all the visual aid pages and randomly shows one visual aid page based on the time available and the target focus product. So do we conclude that the visual aid creation activity and all the investment to create the visual aid was a waste or a marketing leak?

When a MR gets a bunch of leave behind literatures, out of the 50 pieces, he uses only 28 and the rest are sort of discarded (he may even give some to his young niece). So should the firman be that leave behind literatures are an expensive fancy and to curb expenses - let us reduce the literatures and also the nos. given? This way it is hoped that the marketing leaks in messaging inputs are plugged. Now, is this a sagacious approach?

Where is the ROI?

During a lunch break, the finance genius cum finance departmental head sits across the table with the marketing head and asks him with bewilderment and justified consternation, "If each MR gets Rs. 150 worth of samples of a product, should he not get atleast Rs. 1500/- of business for the product?" And the finance head continues "There is that guy in place XXX who gets Rs. 15000/- worth of business for the product A with samples worth Rs. 150/-". "Why?" he thunders, chewing on a chicken kabab. Is the finance head right in identifying the tasty morsels of so- called marketing leaks (?) that can be plugged? After all the finance whiz has to ensure financial discipline. Nothing is free. There are no free lunches (or free kababs for that matter)!

WHITHER DO WE GO TO IDENTIFY AND PLUG THE MARKETING LEAKS? Hey, wait a minute, do we all agree, first of all that there are marketing leaks, or are they all necessary strategic investments?

The mind game begins

Baby, marketing is a game of PERCEPTIONS. The cup is half - full and/or half - empty. What goes up should come down. In life, the full circle phenomenon is the complete truth.

What is this full circle phenomenon?

An example of the full circle phenomenon is this: let us say a guy is a strict veggie, nonsmoker and teetotaler. Slowly, he starts breaking from this mould. He begins occassionally dabbling in nonveg foods, tobaccoism, and alcoholic beverages. Then the frequency increases and it starts peaking. At its peak, the guy starts thinking of altering his lifestyle and starts reducing intake. Finally, after some more time he tends to come back or atleast wants to come back to where he started from.

Let us say, a company starts upping the market spend slowly, then it peaks, the company then tries to curb and come back to a lower position.

It is all about balance.

When a company starts getting the general feeling that market spend is high, perceived marketing leaks are plugged to try and get a balance. Each stakeholder has his own agenda in creating a positive perception about the marketing strategies, inputs, and approaches. In marketing it is very difficult to get the right picture, because each element of the marketing mix does its bit in creating the business result. It is difficult to define a perfect marketing leak. Sponsorship of a stall in a medical conference is a marketing leak to some marketers, but to some it is an opportunity to prospect, convert doctors, and message powerfully.

Marketing is the only field of business activity where apparent leaks can be converted into opportunities that create customers, and increase sales revenues. True marketers do not visualize leaks they see opportunities, and work on how to create customers, retain customers and increase sales. through the marketing leaky hole!

If marketers start thinking of leaks, creativity gets bogged down, and it is the deathknell of marketing. There are no marketing leaks, only marketing opportunities. Oh yes, there should be budget and there has to be a framework to work on the marketing approaches, otherwise it creates imbalances.

The thumb rule is that marketing activities should be a mix of activities that provide short-term results, medium term results, and long term results. This will automatically ensure that alleged marketing leaks are not there.

WHEN THERE ARE SEVERE IMBALANCES AND EXCESSIVE FOCUS ON SHORT TERM RESULTS, CRIMINALIZATION OF PHARMA MARKETING TAKES PLACE. AFTER ALL IT IS NOT A SMALL EVENT THAT PFIZER HAD TO COUGH UP(in India they market an (in)famous cough syrup called Corex) 1.3 billion USD for misbranding and illegal kickbacks to doctors - this is a massive criminal fine. The total fine to be paid by Pfizer is as is now well known 2.3 billion USD (that is one third of the annual retail Indian pharma market in Indian rupees!). And mind you the massive criminal fine payment by Pfizer has happened because of a whistle blower Pfizer sales representative. The sales representative involved was John Kopchinski who fought legally for six years with Pfizer, and in the process has gotton himself 51.5 million USD through his victory. NOW THAT IS A MASSIVE MARKETING LEAK!!

Thanks for going through this marketing blog leak - please scroll down, click on older posts to read all the posts, please inform your acquaintances of this blog.

The bottomline: create a budget and work on the apparent leak (because it is actually an opportunity). Work with a sense of balance towards short term objectives, medium term goals, and strategic long term goals. There will be no sense of marketing leaks.

The coming OTC boom in Pharma India

I GOT THE ABOVE IMAGE OF REVITAL (RANBAXY) FROM HERE.


I GOT THE IMAGE OF SUPERACTIVE (PIRAMAL HEALTHCARE) FROM HERE.

THE NEWS THAT RANBAXY'S REVITAL IS ITS NO. 1 PRODUCT HAS SENT INDIAN PHARMA MARKETERS IN A TIZZY. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MARKETING DEVELOPMENT, PERHAPS MIRRORING A MAJOR SILENT MARKET TREND.

OTC in pharma industry parlance stands for over-the-counter (mainly with reference to drugs). It refers to the purchase/sale of drugs across the counter without prescriptions. In fact, in India every pharma product market is OTC. You can orally ask for any product and buy it across the counter. Abroad in Europe and America there are prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs. The prescription drugs are strictly sold only on showing the prescription (Rx). In fact, in some countries once the products are dispensed as per Rx, a seal is put on it to indicate that the "Rx has been filled". If the patient goes in for refill of the Rx, the pharmacist does it only if it is legally permissible; again a seal or stamp is put on the Rx to indicate that the Rx has been filled once again. But in India, such procedures are not strictly followed. Hence, in a way, the Indian retail pharma market is OTC - or rather it is better to call it OTX (combination of OTC and Rx).

Drug consumption and marketing

It is said marketing is business and business is marketing! This saying only highlights the importance of marketing. When customer conversions are taking place through the messaging and the value delivery process, consumption of the marketed product increases. Messaging in pharma takes place chiefly through in-clinic product promotion by MRs (medical representatives) to doctors. Pharmaceutical messaging processes also seek to strengthen the word-of-mouth for pharma products between doctors, through various forums where doctors meet and discuss clinical and medical matters. Hence, in-stall promotion (where MRs promote pharma products to doctors through stalls at medical conferences) and CME (continuing medical education) event based promotion also are very important. 'Marketing messaging' also takes place to patients through patient information leaflets and during meetings where doctors talk to their patients collectively ('patient seminars' where expert personnel give talks on disease management and pharma companies reinforce use of products). Hence, marketing activity is the core of pharma businesses.

Marketing and the media

Messaging takes place through media. The carriers of messages are most vital for the messaging processes. The MR based pharma product promotion model is age old, time-tested and proven. The MR is the relationship and event manager between pharma company and doctors, the message carrier, and channel manager (managing relationships with chemists and stockists). This MR based marketing model is of the pre-internet and pre-electronic media period. Particularly, in the late 1960s when the first MNC MRs made their way in to the Indian pharma market, even the print media had limited penetration. Literacy was very low too. Today, the penetration of print media is much better but is competitively inhibited by the internet and electronic media.

Earlier if the newspaper did not come to the doorstep in the morning one would get information hunger pangs!! Now - information hunger pangs for newspapers are milder. Many a times, people do not get time to read the newspaper in mornings, yet they are well informed, thanks to the breakfast TV programs. Recently, most people were informed that Obama had won the Nobel prize for Peace much - much before the newspapers carried the news (only the next morning). By about 3.00 pm many people had come to know about Obama winning the Nobel prize (office goers got to know through internet and radio, and the ones at home and travellers came to know from word-of-mouth, TV and radio), while newspapers carried this news the next day morning (as the headlines).

Internet (which can be accessed through mobile phones too) and electronic media are instant and prompt in terms of messaging. Messages are also consumed much faster and the audiovisual nature of these media makes customer engagement much better compared to print media products. Messaging through internet and electronic media can be done to prospects directly bypassing the sales personnel and strengthening the messaging process done by sales personnel. In the context of internet and electronic media penetration, it is inevitable that the role of front line pharma personnel will slowly evolve to being more of relationship managers, event managers (organizing in-stall events in medical conferences), clinical experience facilitators and managers, channel managers (managing relationships with chemists, stockists, institutional buyers, and dispensing doctors); and, of course, reinforcing the product and brand messaging.

Engaging customers through internet, mobile messaging and electronic media

In face-to-face selling and messaging experiences there are many subjective and relationship aspects that influence the encounter. In internet and electronic media based messaging processes, such subjective influences can be curbed. These media also have the advantage of gaining the full attention of the doctor. Furthermore, the doctor can receive the message during his free time or when he is at leisure to gain the messages. Distraction of doctors, which is a major obstacle in communication between MR and doctor can be avoided. MR based messaging is heavily based on the behavior of the MR. Electronic media, mobile and internet based messaging are not sender behavior based activities.

The tranche of messaging options are ever-increasing

Messaging is the core of marketing activity. Without value delivery and communication in today's world, product consumption is not assured. For value delivery and messaging, the tranche of options are increasing. It is not based on MRs alone. Marketing investments inevitably have to be made on electronic media and internet, which are fast becoming the important avenues of message consumption. Pharma messaging is not inured to this trend.

Messaging and OTC pharma market

The growth of electronic media and internet is playing host to messaging on various health related matters. OTC pharma product marketers are naturally participating in internet and electronic media. When possible, Rx pharma product marketers will also increase involvement in this trend of using internet, mobile and electronic media messaging platforms. This is inevitable. When messaging increases automatically, brand registration and brand recall will increase.

Let us say, a 20 year lady gets bombarded by messages about cosmeceuticals and cosmetic therapies. It is only human that she will get influenced by it and start consuming the marketed product. Get the price right and put the messaging processes in place - markets for the brands will get built. Of course, the dicey matter is how long will it take for the market and trust to get built. That is the hazard of marketing activity. Most OTC marketing activities require stamina and intelligent messaging to engage target audiences beneficially and economically (for the marketer).

Similarly the nonprint media is abuzz with talks on lifestyle diseases. OTC healthcare product marketers are cashing on this buzz. There is improved sales of skincare products, general health, cardiovascular health, respiratory products, and other lifestyle prophylactic (preventive and wellness) products. AN IMPORTANT INDICATOR OF THIS OTC BOOM TREND IS THE FACT THAT FOR RANBAXY, REVITAL IS THE TOPMOST SELLING PRODUCT TODAY. Ranbaxy is following up on this success with launch of an OTC brand protein supplement named Revitalite. Taking a cue from this fact, Piramal Healthcare is improving OTC marketing focus on its brand Superactive.

The growth of the healthcare OTC market is taking pharma, healthcare and other allied marketers by a storm. Mankind is diligently and surely stepping in to OTC healthcare markets through their brands of condoms, sanitary napkins, and artificial sweeteners. Britannia, a bakery and biscuit marketer, uses the health platform emphatically to improve business results. Many regional and local marketers are stepping up their product messaging - particularly the Ayurvedic products (as they can be promoted OTC).

The boom in Indian OTC healthcare market is directly proportional to the growth of mobile, internet, and electronic media in Indian society. The boom has just started. The best picture is yet to come. OTC healthcare in India is where traditional pharma market was in the early 1970s. Fast clipping growth of OTC healthcare brands will continue and increase, thanks to growth of the nonprint media, increased healthcare awareness and needs/wants, improved rural purchasing power, and rise in disposable incomes (urban and rural).

Thanks for reading this blogpost, please scroll down and read all other blogposts, click on OLDER POSTS whenever required, and kindly inform your acquaintances of this blog.

Colors of marketing

I GOT THE ABOVE IMAGE (color wheel) FROM HERE. I GOT THE IMAGE OF THE BLUE CIRCLE FROM HERE.

Say marketing and you think of the 4 Ps: Product, Price, Promotion, and Placement (distribution and retailing). We also visualize marketing as a value delivery process, which includes messaging and generation of customer delight. Marketing also increases consumption of the marketed product or service by catalyzing the exchange process. Marketing is verily demand creation.

During marketing messaging much of the focus in pharma marketing is on the words after all we are dealing with clinical data and experiences. We also play on visuals since a picture conveys a thousand words! However, many-a-times our choice of colors in the visual aid or leave behind literature is automatic. We do not debate much on it. We see a logic and make the color choice or subjectively zero on a color choice.

Nevertheless, color is a very important consideration in marketing. Cipla has a family color for all its product lines - white. Himalaya had a characteristic yellow for all its product packaging and later on shifted to a green shade. This green is used in their marketing communication material and product packaging. Colors are also chosen on the basis of product nature. For instance, Glucart is a chondroprotective (a drug that protects the cartilage at freely movable joints like knee or hip joint) pharma brand with a color and design that goes along with the bone, which is the organ that Glucart protects. Choice of color is most often dictated by the product policy guidelines of the top management.

There are three choices in selecting colors:

a) Pick the color in line with the corporate color for all products (family color for all brands) - easy choice!
b) Colors are selected in line with the nature of the product and based on the use of various colors by competitor brands (requires research and application of mind!)
c) Colors are selected on the subjective choices made by the powers-to-be in the organization (convenient choice!). For eg., certain company managements believe that a particular purple or blue is very lucky for their company and hence, they try to blend the purple or blue along with other colors in the product packaging or communication material. Colors are also selected on the basis of the limitations or possibilities of the printing machine or packaging material.

Colors also have cultural implications. Green is favored when communicating to Islamic communities. White is the color of death in China but elsewhere it represents purity. Yellow is a sacred color in China but stands for sadness in Greece. Yellow and Red are very sacred colors among Hindu communities in India. However, globally the North American way of associating colors with emotions or thoughts are used in marketing and packaging materials, for eg., Red stands for passion, Yellow is cheer, Orange is warmth, Black is sophistication, Green is nature and cool etc. But one color is universally non-controversial - GOLD!! It invariably stands for something like a benchmark, premium and outstanding. Hence, the wordings THE GOLD STANDARD IN ANALGESIC THERAPY is used as a tagline when promoting products (here we apply it for an analgesic). Yellow, a related color, too is interesting - it invariably attracts. When you are driving and you see a yellow car or a person walking with a yellow dress, you invariably glance at the yellow color. Yellow is the color of attraction. Color based on cultural conditioning can attract or sometimes repel. Black is such a color. Some like it and some dislike the color. Cultural conditioning matters!!

Non-subjective aspects of color

Colors are no doubt very subjective, however there are non-subjective issues of color in marketing. For marketers, there are bright colors and soft colors. They can be used in pharma marketing for providing the right effect. Bright colors are the colors that help capture attention. For eg., a prescription pad that is bright red or dark green when placed on the doctor's table will certainly get more attention than a light or soft color. The chief use of color is to get the attention of the prospect. Brightly lit shops with a shade of bright color will certainly get the attention. It is like speaking aloud. Colors need to be played with intelligently - using a blend of bright and soft colors to maintain balance and soberness. Doctors will certainly not appreciate garish use of color in promotional items although they will be warm to creative promo inputs with an interesting combination of colors.

Contrast in colors too is vital. When dark blue lettering is used on milk white background it is obviously going to stand o-u-t. Contrast gives legibility and impels the viewer to see the wordings. Contrast is very important - red and yellow are very contrasting colors.

Complementary colors are those that go well along with each other. A color wheel is used to pick complementary colors. Marketers and designers use a color wheel to create color combinations. A color wheel provides the primary colors (ie., red, yellow and blue), secondary colors, and tertiary colors.

Brand associations and colors

Brands are covenants of trust. Brands are not just words, a brand represents all other associations like the feel, color, emotion, and other experiences through the senses. Think Red. And you think of Coca Cola. Think Blue. And you think of Pepsi. That is the power of brand association. Repeated use of color in association with a brand creates powerful imagery and brand recall.

Colors have affects on behavior of people. It is reported that use of red and orange in fast food restaurants makes people eat quickly and leave fast! For doctors and healthcare professionals there are some common clinical colors. They are white and blue. The word white coat is invariably used in association with a doctor. White coat hypertension means the rise in blood pressure of a patient when he sees a doctor in the white coat! Colors influence people and patient behavior!! Colors are powerful symbols in advertising and communication. For instance, the International Diabetes Federation has created a blue circle - the diabetes symbol to give a common identity. This is a powerful use of color to convey a message and provide symbolism. This will in turn provide cues to people. There is also a concept of color therapy where color is used as a therapy. This is an alternative energy medicine concept. Colors for behavior change and healing!

Colors in marketing are very important and the issue should not be brushed aside!! Thnks for reading this blogpost, please do scroll down and read all other blogposts, clicking on OLDER POSTS wherever required, kindly inform your acquaintances of this blog!

True marketing is cultural marketing

I got the above image from here.

Marketers are driven by goals: Objectives - both qualitative and quantitative - spur marketers to take up activities that increase consumption of goods and services. Goal setting depends on

1) spending power (or purchasing power) and

2) the culture of the target audience.

For example, a pork based food product will simply have no market in Islamic dominated societies. The consumption of pork based products is not a part of Islamic culture. The point is that even if there is purchasing power amongst the target audience, if the product is not a cultural fit, the consumption will not take place as per expectations!

Marketers have twin goals: Sagacious marketers have two marketing goals: one goal based on purchasing power of the target audience and the other based on the culture of the prospect population. Marketers not only try to influence the spend of customers they also try to redefine the tastes, consumption pattern, culture and lifestyle to favor the marketed product. Having cultural objectives of marketing is crucial for lasting success. In China for instance, the culture of using traditional medicine is more prevalent compared to Western Medicine. Thus, allopathic marketers need to do a lot of market building and market penetration activities to garner sales.

Identifying cultural strands: The shared set of values, attitude, practices, and beliefs characterize the culture of a group. These need to be understood by marketers before product selection and chalking out the strategies (or direction of use of efforts and resources).

Here are some cultural strands that work in Indian pharmaceutical marketing (disclaimer: these are not based on books but practical self experience) :

a) Use of English in detailing pharmaceutical products: As such, talking about pharmaceutical products in the local or regional language will not contribute to the process of increasing the perceived value of the product. On the other hand, it will reinforce commoditization and decreases brand appeal. To make a good impact with doctors, presentation of detailing, in English, makes the difference. The doctor will perceive the MR as well-trained, dependable and professional. However, there is a catch in this! The MR ought to use the local language to strike a rapport during pre- and post detailing discussions!! Or else the doctor may think the MR is snooty and rapport will not be established.

b) Use of a tie: Communication (ie., process of message transfer) is mainly dependent on appearance, body language, vocal tones (voice modulation) and facial expressions. In fact, nonverbal communication is 93% of the message transfer process. 38% of the 93% of nonverbal communication is through vocal tones. Voice modulation is critical for exemplary communication. The rest 55% of the nonverbal communication is through facial expressions. Hence, it is often said the face is the index of mind. Only 7% of the message is verbally communicated during communication process.

In this context, dressing is a powerful message transfer tool. When a MR wears a tie in an urban place during work, he or she commands better attention from the prospect doctor. This in turn improves message transfer process. However, wearing a tie may backfire when the MR works in rural areas where the doctor gets put off by MRs wearing ties and acting smarter than the doctor in the clinic (where the image of the doctor in front of the patients' may suffer). Hence, many MRs wear ties during work in urban areas while ties are avoided in rural areas. I have myself gone through such experiences during my field days of work.

c) Use of classy communication aids: A visual aid or leave behind literature creates a lot of impact in the doctor's chamber during product promotional activities. A doctor may not listen to the entire detailing of a visual aid page or may not read the leave behind literature completely, however, the few sentences he or she encounters, the quality of words, paper, visuals and presentation creates a quiet lasting impact. This influences prescribing habits significantly. Image matters a lot - it gives confidence. The entire sales building process is a play of confidence. If the MR is fearless or confident, and the communication aids contain information and data that builds the doctors' confidence, obviously the prescription flow will increase in favor of the marketed brand. Hence, use of classy communication aids makes a significant difference.

d) Remove the footwear please! In India, particularly in semi-rural and rural areas, many doctors do not want their patients and other visitors to wear footwear while entering the chamber. Simple, it helps maintain in-clinic hygiene! However, many urbane educated MRs or their field managers fail to appreciate the cultural sensitivities and go forth confidently with their shining boots on! Many doctors remain silent when this happens. However, it shows up negatively on sales!!

e) Caste, religion and prescriptions: Indians can be grouped on the basis of caste and religion. These social moorings influence the belief systems and behavior of doctors, chemists and MRs. When me-too products are marketed such social identities influence the adoption of products and prescribing behavior. This does give an edge or may act as a barrier. However, ultimately the medium to long term trend in prescribing behavior goes beyond these considerations. It is the professionalism of the MR and the company that finally wins the game. Caste and religious considerations may create some impact in the beginning, however, finally it is to be observed that pharmaceutical selling and marketing game is that of communication, innovation, service, quality, supply, safety, purity, patient acceptance and efficacy of the product.

f) Cigarettes stink, alcoholic breath is no-no! When MRs and field personnel promote products aggressively with a cigarette breath that puts off prospects, the prescription fortunes too go in smoke! Doctors also do not take kindly to the alcoholic breath of MRs/field personnel. In fact, in Gujarat, alcoholic beverages are banned. These cultural sensitivities need to be kept in mind while performing field duties.

Culture is a very important criterion of marketing activities. The cultural acceptance of a product or service concept is critical. If cultural sensitivities are trampled sales too get bogged down. However, in the mad rush for numbers do we have the time for cultural marketing aspects?

Thanks for reading this blogpost, please scroll down and click on OLDER POSTS wherever required to read all other blogposts, kindly inform your acquaintances of this blog.

Demand creation

I GOT THE ABOVE IMAGE FROM HERE.

The proof of the pudding is in its eating!! The effectiveness of marketing processes is measured through demand creation. The main motto of marketing is demand creation. During the process of marketing, goods move from producers to consumers. It needs to be accomplished in line with customer/consumer (prescriber and patient) preferences and spending power. Marketing inputs like strategic visual aids, leave behind literatures, point-of-Rx and point-of-purchase inputs, freebies, sponsorships, free goods schemes, site facility for wholesalers and retailers ... are used continuously to boost demand. Yet some marketers are more effective in eating the pudding than others! Why is it so?

Marketing depends on people and the climate of the organization

VALUE creation and delivery depends a lot on people and the marketing climate of the organization. Marketing achievements are made by people, and it requires an understanding of the climate of the organization to facilitate marketing achievements. Organizational climate refers to the features of the work climate as perceived by the employees. The organizational climate has a major influence on employee behavior.

Various organizations have different motives that are dominant in them. These motives shape the organizational climate. And in turn, the organizational climate shapes employee behavior and organizational results. The organizational motives are described as: achievement, expert influence, control, dependency, extension, and affiliation.

Thus, the employee will see the organization as having 'dominant achievement motive' or 'dominant control motive' or 'dominant dependency motive' etc. Let us see more details of these motives (in organizational climates below):

In Public Sector Units, the dominant motive is normally CONTROL (adherence to rules and regulations).

In family run businesses, DEPENDENCY is the usual dominant motive (there are key powerful decision makers through whom activities are done).

In specialized organizations, ACHIEVEMENT is a dominant motive. The achievement characteristic is more dominant in industrial and business organizations. If the organizational climate tilts towards excellence, the climate will be characterized by ACHIEVEMENT motive. For example, a biotech contract research organization will obviously offer greater freedom while doing work, with least bureaucratic controls. The focus will be on achieving certain key result areas - in organizations where achievement is the dominant motive.

In pure research organizations - for example - pharmaceutical colleges or departments of pharmacy, the dominant motive of the organizational climate is EXPERT INFLUENCE. The expert influence characteristic is more dominant in universities and scientific organizations.

Nonprofit healthcare organizations or pharma companies or certain departments of pharma companies that are involved heavily in community service or societal marketing have EXTENSION as the dominant motive in their organizational climate. Whatever marketers do in extension motive based organizations should produce community service effects or societal benefits. For example, marketers may have an extension program where poor TB patients are provided medicines at subsidized rates through key prescribers.

AFFILIATION motive is a major theme in the climates of organizations where relationships matter and people are from similar backgrounds. For example, the climate of a medical communications company may have affiliation motive as the predominant motive.

For marketers working in pharma companies or healthcare organizations, understanding the dominant motive of the organizational climate is critical for effective results.

The organizational climate, the dominant motives, and leadership influences the process by which ordinary people make extraordinary achievements.

In the Indian context, the motive of DEPENDENCY is very vital as it is common in traditional and family owned enterprises. The dependency motive is dominant in traditional and autocratic organizations too. A sub-type of dependency motive in organizations is the dependency achievement motive that refers to respect for individuals in certain positions of power. Key decisions are taken by these individuals in positions of power, and is required for achievements of the organization. This sub-type of motive (dependency achievement motive) based organizational climate is common in family-owned organizations. Thus, the dominant motives in the organizational climate and the consequent employee behavior shapes the organizational marketing results.

To produce marketing results in line with the corporate objectives, a keen understanding of the organizational climate is required by marketers. When marketing inputs are designed in line with the dominant motives of the organizational climate it becomes easier to make the marketing input (print or nonprint item), and it is even easier to implement them.

For example a very highly scientific leave behind print input for the retailer made in line with the dominant scientific 'expertise influence' motive of an organization, will obviously be poorly received in the market as it does not meet the customer (retailer's) requirement. For the pharmacist-retailer or chemist-retailer, the print leave behind literature input should be simple, elegant in presentation, and should avoid scientific information overload. So the marketer should be very tactful while designing and providing the product promotional item. On one hand it should satisfy the dominant motive of the organizational climate ie., scientific expertise influence in this case. And at the same time, the print leave behind item should have aspects that are appreciated by the more commercial-minded retailer.

When marketing inputs are produced in traditional family based organizations it is obvious that the dependency achievement motive will be dominant. Hence, keeping key management personnel in the loop will facilitate the making of the print or nonprint promotional input. In organizations with a dominant dependency achievement motive, only certain individuals by virtue of their power can make key decisions. Hence, the marketer will be wise to keep them in the loop for producing the promo inputs.

The marketer should be tactful

Marketers involved in strategy making, creating campaigns, and making promotional inputs (print and nonprint) need to balance marketing insights with realities of organizational functioning. Only then will the marketer be successful with his work. For instance, if a marketer has not understood the reality that the dominant motive is achievement dependency (where authorization or approval is required from higher powers; as in family based organizations), and tends to work as an achievement expert (where greater freedom is granted by the organization), he or she will inevitably come in conflict with the higher powers, and will get bogged down by the organizational climate. The wise marketer however will first understand the organizational climate and the dominant trait of the work environment; only then will he or she proceed to create strategies, campaigns, and promo inputs in line with the organizational climate and the market picture.

This implies that the marketer needs to have a binary orientation for successful functioning. Firstly, he understands the nature (or dominant motive(s)) of his work climate, and simultaneously he is also keyed on to market understandings. The marketer then goes on to produce marketing inputs in line with the organizational climate and market picture. This balanced way of working differentiates the successful marketer from the frustrated marketer. For effective demand creation realizing the realities of the dominant motive of the organizational climate and the market realities are equally important.

Thanks for reading this blogpost, please scroll down and read all other posts, please inform your acquaintances of this blog. Click on OLDER POSTS wherever required.

A beast called cancer and a beauty by name Lisa Ray

I GOT LISA RAY'S IMAGE FROM HERE. AND I GOT SWAMI RAMDEVJI'S IMAGE FROM HERE.

It is the return of lifestyle diseases with a revenge! With lifespans increasing, lifestyle diseases like asthma, cardio-vascular (heart + blood vessels) diseases, cancer (medical word = neoplasm), joint & bone diseases like arthritis & osteoporosis, and brain diseases like Alzheimer's disease, are rearing their ugly heads. Our lifestyle and the higher level of environmental and food pollution has a lot to do with the increasing incidence of cancer. Lisa Ray the charismatic model and film star has announced in her blog that she is suffering from multiple myeloma (a type of cancer). M P Prakash, a senior politician from Karnataka, has just announced that he is undergoing treatment for colon cancer. Lifestyle diseases like cancer are a looming threat.

Cancer refers to the undisciplined growth of cells in the body. Most cancers cause tumours or swellings. Blood cancer does not cause tumours. Severe pain, bleeding or oozing, and swelling are important general characteristics of cancer. Sudden weight loss, jaundice, loss of appetite, and anemia (low haemoglobin pecentage) are other important signs and symptoms. 13% of all human deaths are cancer related. Most cancers are caused by carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals or agents) like tobacco smoke, radiation, microbes, and certain chemicals.

Cancer is a result of genetic abnormalities ie., DNA damage. The damage to DNA may be inherited (due to oncogenes) or caused by carcinogens. Cancer cells are invasive - they invade neighbouring tissues and cause problems. Cancer cells can become metastatic too. Groups of cancer cells break away from the mother tumour and lodge on to other organs to spread the cancer to other parts of the body. Thus, a breast cancer can spread to uterus too. In cancer, the body's own cells metamorphosize in to enemy cells, attacking tissues, organs, and causing death. This is why cancer is difficult to treat. There is great similarity between cancer cells and normal cells, hence, the body's immune system does not attack the cancer cells and destroy them.

Immunoglobulins as the name indicates are globulins (ie., proteins) that help generate body's resistance to disease (they are responsible for immunity). Immunoglobulins are antibodies (proteins) that destroy allergens and other foreign bodies. They are produced by B lymphocytes (type of fighter white blood cells). Natural immunuglobulins cannot differentiate between cancerous and noncancerous cells.

Antibody researchers are trying to create therapeutic proteins (or therapeutic antibodies) that can target cancer cells. Although cancer and noncancerous cells are very similar, there are subtle differences such as certain proteins on the cell membrane. Antibodies that can specifically lock on to these cell membrane sites of cancer cells are synthesized by researchers using rDNA (recombinant DNA) technology (Escherichia coli is used to produce recombinant antibodies) and hybridoma technology. Trastuzumab (Herceptin) is a popular example of an anti-breast cancer therapeutic antibody protein molecule. Trastuzumab specifically binds with defective HER 2 receptor proteins. These HER 2 defective proteins are present in some women suffering breast cancer. Hence, trastuzumab is an effective antibody (protein) treatment for such women. A biotech company called Genentech (USA) invented this drug. The sales of trastuzumab (Herceptin) was 5335 million USD in 2007.

Treating cancer and the associated health problems is a major pharmaceutical opportunity area. For eg., bone disease and osteoporosis is a major and common side effect of cancer treatment. Hence, calcium supplements are prescribed in large quantities to cancer patients.

Multiple myeloma

This form of blood related cancer (haematological disease) is described as incurable. The B lymphocyte - a type of fighter white blood cells that provide antibodies (proteins that help destroy infectious agents) - converts in to cancerous cells. Multiple Myeloma in addition to the usual cancer signs and symptoms is identified by CRAB set of signs and symptoms (C = Calcium elevated, R = Renal failure, A = Anemia and B = Bone lesions or wounds on bones). Multiple Myeloma causes weak bones and they fracture easily.

Lisa Ray suffers from multiple myeloma. This form of cancer is particularly severe. An avid Yoga practitioner Jody Hughes (student of B K Iyengar) too died of multiple myeloma. Lisa Ray too is an 'alternative healthcare' person. Lisa too is in to Yoga, Ayurveda etc.

Pranayama is the missing link

Swami Ramdev is a major healthcare and spiritual force in contemporary global society. Swami Ramdev - the celibate swami - with unparalleled dedication and sincerity is healing and protecting humanity by teaching a combination of pranayama and yoga (pranayog). Swami Ramdev has a regular morning teaching session (from 5.00 AM) and evening (from 8.00 PM) on Aastha TV channel. There are crores of people who have benefited by applying pranayama and yoga techniques as popularlized by Swami Ramdev. The difference between Swami Ramdev and other Yoga educators is the emphasis on Pranayama. This is making a vast difference.

It would be a prudent decision for Lisa Ray and such others to take to pranayama and yoga as demonstrated by Swami Ramdev. This will make a big difference. Lisa Ray has bravely reflected that she wants to conquer multiple myeloma. But this beast of a cancer can be perhaps tamed only through Swami Ramdev's technique of Pranayog.

If you have a headache, you pop a Dart tablet. You don't attribute any religious thing to this. Similarly, Pranayog science from Swami Ramdev provides darting relief to suffering patients. There is no need for any religious complication when practicing pranayama and Yog. One has to have an open mind to try it.

I sincerely pray, that cancer patients like Lisa Ray and all others overcome their health problems and bounce back.

Thanks for reading this blogpost, please do scroll down and read all other posts, please click on OLDER POSTS wherever required, kindly inform your acquaintances of this blog.

Marketers bring cheer

I READ ABOUT THE PAPRIKA EFFECT AND CUSTOMER DELIGHT FROM HERE.

What do marketers do from the point of view of customers? Are they just pesky & persuasive messengers putting pressure to create more and more demand? Do they vex potential and actual customers? After all, marketers are sworn by duty to increase the consumption of goods and services, by catalyzing the exchange process, and delivering value to customers. Marketers are the revenue generators from the point of view of the company, but what do the marketers provide to customers? MARKETERS PROVIDE VALUE, and this value brings smiles on the faces of customers. Verily, marketers bring cheer to customers.

This weekend was hectic - 'in-stall activity' during the annual mega conference of the Karnataka State Obstetricians and Gynecologists Association at Bangalore, kept pharma marketers busy. Pharma marketers were competitively outwitting each other to provide cheer to doctors visiting their stalls. The common idea of pharma marketers manning the stalls was to delight visitor doctors, engage doctors in tantalizing conversations, and reinforce brand prescribing habits.

It is truly ironic that while marketers and marketing activities are keenly measured quantitatively, the actual result of marketing activities depends on an intangible - CUSTOMER DELIGHT. If the doctor is delighted with the in-stall activities, he or she is sure to get her colleagues to visit the stall or the doctor her/himself would become a repeat visitor - visiting the stall the next day too. Thus, marketers constantly grapple with a common problem: HOW TO DELIGHT DOCTORS (OR CUSTOMERS) ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS?

Truly, keeping doctors or customers always delighted is an onerous task. Tachyphylaxis towards marketing activities can develop in the doctor's minds. This means the doctors' kind of get inured to the marketing activities and the marketer fails to elicit the same sense of delight from his target doctors. The marketer's charisma or joie-de-vivre is lost, a certain boredom penetrates the transactions. Hence, novelty is a key feature of marketing to keep delighting customers.

One important way of delighting doctor customers is providing the unexpected. For eg., let us say, the doctor comes to the stall expecting a polite greeting and a free literature with detailing. And if the doctor additionally gets a nice freebie or even a nice rose, then the unexpected happening delights him or her.

For instance, when a lucky dip of visiting cards is conducted on a daily basis among the visitors to the stall, the lucky dip winner values the gift (not for the monetary value alone); he or she values it most because it has come unexpectedly to him or her. Thus, doing something novel can provide delight to the doctor customers.

When a doctor gets a small freebie which delights him or her, the marketed brand creates a niche in his or her mind. But the offering has to be competitive. Something unusually delighting that does not come from any other competitor stall or company. This cachet in marketing activity creates the top-of-the-mind recall for doctors with respect to a brand.

Organizations should be customer-centric: An important prerequisite for delighting customers is that the marketing organization has to be customer-centric. There are many mindsets by which, organizations work. One easiest approach is producing quality goods and expecting them to sell. This is the production mindset. However, with most markets being buyer's markets today, it is imperative that the marketing personnel are part of customer-centric organizations. Such organizations will back the marketer's efforts, and the sales person will not end up being a toothless tiger in the clinic or any other market setting. When organizations are customer-centric they are in a better position to provide delightful inputs to customers.

Process interventions count a lot: When organizations become customer-centric, they begin listening to market conversations, analyze market data, and produce value that will truly delight customers. However, to make delightful inputs to customers or prospects, a sequence of actions involving many people will be required. Thus, this implies that team play and process interventions will determine the outcomes of marketing. A process is vital to create the delight generating marketing inputs. Process interventions are more powerful since there is a back end support to the frontline marketing personnel. The customer delight generated by a process rather than by the charms of a single marketing individual will be obviously more powerful. Process interventions can produce superior outcomes in terms of customer delight.

Talk in terms of how the pharma product will generate superior patient outcomes: The marketing talk should ceaselessly focus on improving patient outcomes. This is the final goal of every doctor. When, all marketing value pivots round this vital point of superior patient outcomes, the delight factor will be higher. This talk has to be embellished with service inputs to doctors. The winning combination will then generate greater customer delight and better sales results.

Small thoughtful touches can win customers. Many a battle for customers are won through small gestures or innovations or acts that delight customers multi-fold. When a customer visited a hotel and found a drape clip to help keep the hotel room completely dark - it delighted her. This reflected a mind-set of the hotel management that they look in to small details to delight customers. This is a very important lesson for marketers. Organizational activities that look in to ironing out small problems will surely go a long way - as it indicates a basic mindset to create customer delight and cheer.

Thanks for reading this blogpost, please scroll down, click on OLDER POSTS wherever required to read all other blogposts. Please do inform your acquaintances of this blog!