Go Generic: a non-jan aushadhi generic store (at Mumbai near Andheri East station, photo: 9.6.19)
Market
is merciless, yet the market is kind to the market – savvy. This means having a keen focus on the
goings-on in the market and adapting to the trends. It is simple truth that most of the marketing
honchos in top management are the MRs who started in the 1970s, or otherwise in
the 1980s/early 90s. Those were the
non-mobile times; era of trunk call and STD (standard trunk dialling) phone booths. Plying doctors with more and more samples and
gifts was sufficient to achieve the sales targets. Today, it is these MRs or people with trunk
call and fax mindset who are running the pharma show!
No
wonder all are clueless. Each monthly sales
closing is a new challenge. Even doctor
mindsets’ are different today. Those earlier
days were the times of highly egoistic and authoritarian doctors. Today, most doctors are market savvy
down-to-earth and business-like. Ego has
no place in medical business practice. Social
media has blown the cover off many manipulative medical practices. Dr. Google has empowered patients. Even though doctors want patients to keep Dr.
Google away, they simply can’t. It is
the era of digital penetration, and digitalization cannot be wished away by
anyone – even demigod doctors and non-doctors.
Besides
this, a strong trend towards alternative medicine, traditional medicine, yoga,
naturopathy and non-allopathic methods of wellness and healing are trending. So market is not easy to operate – exploitation
of gullible nature and naiveté is out!!
Era of multiple touchpoints
Imagine
you are a diabetic. Whatever your
monthly income may be, a smart phone is in your pocket. So a diabetic guy is just not going to listen
only to the ‘prescription voice’. The diabetic
will listen to podcasts, see you tube videos, and read many many articles on
diabetes. This empowered patient is not
going to follow the doctor advice blindly.
He may discuss with the doctor or tacitly avoid discussions but follows
his self-reasoning.
Even
the PM: Mr. Narendra Modi is vouching for yoga and jan aushadhi kendras or
shops. Generic non-jan aushadhi shops
are also providing lower cost medicines from standard pharmaceutical companies.
Just outside Mumbai Andheri East local railway
station is a non-jan aushadhi generic medicine store and is doing great
business (my foto of 9.6.19, when I was in Mumbai for a meeting). These developments are stunting the growth of
traditional pharma brands.
So
as a pharma marketer can I depend only on the doctor’s prescriptions? Will my brand not have influential touchpoints
at pharmacies and in the internet? How
can I ethically influence prospect and consumer patients on the mobile
internet? Can I ensure patients who take
my brand of medicine to register on the website and get periodical health
advice so they are inclined to buy my brand?
What sort of after-prescription services can I offer to brand purchasers
through digital means? Is it possible to
wean away my brand purchasers from generic (jan aushadhi and non-jan aushadhi)
products?
Earlier
the brick and mortar pharmacies were the only places of retail sale. Today online pharmacies are showing growth –
so patients are buying from them. Is it
possible for my brand to penetrate the online pharmacy sector? Many doctors are having attached pharmacies –
every doctor wants samples, gifts and also a cut from the attached
pharmacy. So how is it going to work out
financially for me? Boy, the market
complexities are galling.
And
we have the same strategy of the 1990s mindset going round: appoint more and
more MRs, more incentives, give more and more samples, provide more and more
gifts and sponsorships…spray and pray for
results.
Or
should I go on intensifying my promotional role at doctor chambers and
pharmacies: more and more retail bonus offers, more samples, more gifts to
doctors, more sponsorships and more CRM activities to doctors? How much more? The doctor is besieged by atleast 20 medical
representatives (MRs) per day. These MRs
are from all types of companies: PCD (propaganda cum distribution) companies,
semi PCD companies, ethical PCD companies, national Indian companies, regional
companies, different divisions of pharma companies (eg., 16 divisions operate
from Micro Labs, Bangalore), franchisee marketers who are promoting tail-ender
brands of top companies, and MNCs too.
And all these MRs are plying samples, gifts, and other pampering
sponsorships. Spray and pray!!!
Is
the modern day doctor a digital aficionado? Most of the 1990s and pre 1990s mindset
marketing personnel - believe that doctors are not digital. Yes, doctors are not digital!! They do not do whatsapp, they do not go to
medical and social websites!!??! But look at a website like pediatricsoncall (https://www.pediatriconcall.com/
) – content is mindboggling, very engaging style and gets big hits from paediatricians
across the universe! The way forward for
medical content is digital because nothing expires there. There are no back issues to locate. Even if there are back issues, it is all
digital available there for permanence. So
which way are we going to participate in the digital marketing realm? And how to influence doctors, pharmacists and
patients!
Smart
companies like Group Pharmaceuticals with OTX profile products like toothpastes
and oral medical products have launched digital strategies through facebook and
other media – their online brand toothpaste Elsenz is
creating waves, across geographies.
Pharmacies are great underused touchpoints
Every
pharmacist is powerful – he can influence purchase behaviour of patients and
other buyers. It is possible, provided
he has the relevant knowledge and communication skill. But who will improve the knowledge and
communication skill? Will the GoI or
Pharmacy Council do it? Will pharmacist
do it on his own? No!!
Welcome
to the new era where pharmaceutical and healthcare product companies will
develop community retail pharmacists on knowledge and communication skill. Because such an empowered pharmacist will
help push and persuade or be the influencer for the brand! Yes, this day is not far off. Digital medium will enable such pharmacist development
programs. It may also happen that
continuing pharmacist education credit programs (CPE) will be sponsored by pharmaceutical
and healthcare companies.
Eg.,
Evion 400 CPE credit program offered digitally – Vit. E and diabetes management. A pharmacist empowered through this program
will surely endorse or recommend Vit. E (Evion) to the diabetic patient!
Next level:
Imagine a doctor has a tie-up relationship with netmeds the online pharmacy or
practo online pharmacy. After taking the
patient’s consent what if the doctor provides the e-prescription to netmeds or
practo or both and they provide a bundle of offers to patients for online
purchase and home delivery? And where
will it lead the neighbourhood brick and mortar pharmacy to?
Next level:
Elsenz from Group Pharmaceuticals is an online international brand. The traditional ground level medical
representative oriented brick and mortar market brands like Glowdent continue
their way. Elsenz is also available in
pharmacies. Omnichannel marketing is
happening for Elsenz.
Has
Elsenz shown the way forward? However, Himalaya was the pioneer...
From
the 1970s to 1990s to 2019 the pharma market has changed significantly. Pharma marketers cannot operate today the way
we operated in 1970s and 1990s. The
mindset has to change. Digitalization of
pharma is on, and the digital pharma company avatar is inevitable.
Disrupting distribution channel
While
we are aware various disruptive distribution patterns are on to reach the
consumer, here is MEDIBOX a B2B marketplace for OTX, OTC and Rx products
connecting distributors and retailers. https://www.medibox.in/
While
many such entities are putting their plans to have their B2B marketplace, what if pharmaceutical companies launch their
own distribution and fulfilment centers?
Eg., Cipla B2B marketplace for their entire range of branded generics
promoted to doctors, branded and unbranded generics not promoted to doctors and
other products. What is stopping pharma
companies adopting this e-commerce model?
HIMALAYA has already shown the way: you can buy their consumer products
on their website. HIMALAYA Liv 52 is already
available on various e-commerce websites like netmeds and practo. And
yes, you can buy Liv 52 from their OFFICIAL HIMALAYA website too!!
So
get ready for a different inevitable digital pharma India!!
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