Team2play

Teams are fast becoming all important in pharma marketing and business. Teams, in fact, are emerging as the important constituents of pharma organizations. In the earlier avatar, individual MRs/employee(s) were important and their behavior determined the business results. Today (and tomorrow), the team (and not an individual MR/employee) will decide marketing outcomes. Today's world is highly interconnected and interdependent. The media and communication systems are so advanced that each MR is not an island but the part of a closely interconnected marketing ecosystem. Hence, operating in the market requires team behavior. Team success = organizational success.I got the above image from here. In the above graphic we see the five Pandava brothers with Draupadi (the common wife). The Pandava brothers operated as a tightly knit team and fought a successful epic war against their couzins (the Kauravas). This event also saw preaching of the Bhagavad Gita (Song of the Lord) on the battlefield.

The Pandava team represents an interesting composition from the point of view of teambuilding. Although it was not binding, the Pandava brothers were glued to each other through thick and thin. They were together during good times and went through adverse circumstances together. They were together despite the Pandava team of brothers being of different temperaments. Their attitudes were different: Yudhishtra, the team leader, was the eldest with legitimate power. He had his weaknesses (like the gambling instinct) - yet was the indisputed leader. Bhima was the all powerful one. Arjuna was highly talented as a warrior. Nakula and Sahadeva were the obedient youngsters. In thier team work, we observe a commitment to the chain of command. This commitment was despite temperamental differences, and different viewpoints on issues. Hence, it is evident the Pandava brothers operated as a team because they had a basic commitment to stay together.

The times are different today. Hence, team building is a great challenge.

Team2play

For team members to build a rapport, team play is vital. We can't get 5 guys and issue an edict that they are a team, and hence they need to co-operate and perform as a team. There are vital elements that create a team.

a) Team members should have individual goals intertwined with the bigger common goal.
b) Team members should communicate.
c) Team members should be very busy with individual and joint activities, events and programs so that there is no time for ego tussles.

Team members should play together to bond! When teams perform and get their well-deserved incentive holiday cum training program together, therein lies a great opportunity for rapport building. It is during such working vacations that certain traits of people get exposed. This in turn raises mutual understanding. Companies like Tetra Pak invest on team building exercises like joint rafting, raft building and short trekking expeditions of the team. Play together, pray together, and stay together!!

Teams and effective working operates on mutualism and win-win relationships

A danger in team work is I SCRATCH YOUR BACK AND YOU SCRATCH MY BACK type of relationships. Such transactions create a rift between organizational objectives and team interests. Organizations suffer due to such relationships. Systems that encourage transparency of data and independent auditing or checking systems can counter such relationships.

Earlier, a MR would be the knight in his territory. Pharma companies would depend on his attitude for success or failure. Today, communication systems forcefully create teams, team play and networks. The MR has to play with the team or get isolated. For eg., companies would get to know the stockist's (wholeseller) closing stock only at the end of the month based on the inputs provided by the MR. Today, there are top pharma companies who get this vital data at the press of the button on a daily basis (since data is updated on a daily basis over internet). Videoconferencing in companies like Pfizer has taken team building and communication to a new level. Mobile phone is used for important broadcasts, for eg., during the merger of Wyeth and Pfizer, 300 odd Pfizer sales reps listened to the MD's talk on mobile at real time (all together at once). So communication systems have rendered the MR a team player rather than a solitary reaper in the market.

Unionism

A bane of pharma marketing is unionism by MRs. Most of the time, unionism does not help either the pharma marketing organization or the careers of MRs. Effective team play with the help of advanced communication systems is a robust barrier to unionism.

Unionism takes roots for two main reasons:

a) collective bargaining power
b) security

Team work based on advanced communication systems, transparency, and data gathering, can put an end to the unionism trend. It will certainly help isolate the strongly union minded personnel.

When reward systems (for incentives and commission) are in place and given based on performance, transparency, communication, team play, and robust data gathering - influence of prejudice decreases. Facts and data get the front seat. This makes people work for rewards. And in turn the trend of unionism is bucked.

Punishments and rewards

It is human nature among the powerful to punish wrongdoings. Powerful people take delight in handing out punishments! And unfortunately, on the other hand, good works are taken for granted. Special recognitions and rewards are not put in to the system for strengthening desired behavioral outcomes. The emphasis is only on punishing unwanted behaviors. The net result is insecurity seeps in and unionism gets strengthened.

When team work and team play is on a steady note based on robust data gathering, systems, communication, and transparency - business outcomes are positive. This bucks any trend of unionism.

The answer to many a pharma marketing challenge is building teams. This is imperative in the context of modern communication and data gathering systems.

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Pray together, stay together

I GOT THE ABOVE IMAGE FROM HERE.

The above picture is that of the famous temple at Tirumalai dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara. Business people in India share their profits with this temple and invoke the Lord's blessings to improve business results.

Ask any investor, entrepreneur or business honcho, about what is on his/her mind, there will be one common answer: "WE ARE IN SEARCH OF THAT ONE BIG IDEA THAT WILL TRANSFORM BUSINESS RESULTS". All business wizards are perennially in search of that one big thing that will increase the scale of their business manifold. It may be a technology, a new market (like say entering the regulated North American market with a 180 day exclusivity for new generic marketing) or a new class of drugs (like the cephalosporin range of antibiotics) that will revolutionize buyer/prescribing behavior ... The intense search for the next big opportunity is what drives businesses.

The world is changing

The new and old media are having a synergistic effect on change in society. The world is integrated by communication technologies like never before. Thoughts are exchanged at lightning speed on the digital media, the web is empowering society and creating an information society, creative minds are finding fodder on the net to generate new insights and ideas, and the net effect is that it is a huge networked and communicative world. A world deep in messaging through the old and new media avenues.

This changing world is not only witnessing messaging like never before, the changing world is also moving capital from one part to another part of the world due to mutual appreciation of opportunities. A tragicomic example of this is how Koda the ex-CM of Jharkhand as part of the GREAT JHARKHAND ROBBERY invested in Liberian mines. Jharkhand is one the most backward states of India. Monies have moved from this state to finance purchasing of mines in Liberia!! Most Indians would have heard the word LIBERIA for the first time, thanks to Koda!! Just as Bofors has become a part of the Indian vocabulary, Liberia will also become a part of the common man's lexicon in India! All this information revolution is thanks to the modern digital media who are carrying messages at real time.

So where is the next big idea?

Now coming back to the haunting questions - WHERE IS THE NEXT BIG THING HAPPENING? WHAT IS THE NEXT BIG THING?! Is the answer to the above questions lying in rDNA technology based products, business of alternative healthcare products, OTC healthcare market in India, new patents, better intellectual property?? ... JUST WHERE IS THE NEXT BIG THING?

There was a time when science and technology was mystical. It was believed that science and technology is the preserve of high IQ people to appreciate, apply, and use SCI-TECH. Today thanks to the information highway, knowledge is available at the press of the button. The internet is becoming more robust and user friendly day-by-day. Information and insights are not hard to come by. So access to science and technology has improved.

WILL PATENT PROTECTION BRING IN THE NEXT BIG THING? Yes and no. Yes - because patented products will bring in some measure of monopoly product markets. But this is the era of patents. Many business and nonbusiness organizations are getting in to the patent game and becoming patent savvy. Having a patent protected market in the current world driven by messaging and product options is not a remedy for providing the next big thing. Patents will only be qualifiers in the game.

The next big thing will be based on the network

It is becoming a highly wired world. Digital, mobile, old media, human and every other type of network is busy criss-crossing messages.

THE NEXT BIG THING WILL BELONG TO and COME FROM THE NETWORKER AND TEAMPLAYER

When ideas, capital, information, and production systems become increasingly available, success in marketing of pharma and healthcare goods will go towards that network or team, which is best at building trust. In a world full of fickleness in terms of messaging, prescribing patterns, buying behaviours, and doubts in the minds of patients, the future belongs to teams who build trust. Companies with the best of teams - in marketing, product innovation, product manufacture, quality initiatives, and communication will win in the market place. Products or ideas or money alone will not guarantee success. There is more and more money in the pharma and healthcare market than there was in the 1970s and 1980s. There is more understanding of the pharma and healthcare market today. In fact, there is a pharma production glut. So the differentiator will come from networks and teamplay, which will make the difference in the marketplace.

Will Pfizer or any other MNC win in tomorrow's marketplace because of its products or intellectual property? Nay, tomorrow's market dominance will belong to the company with the best of teams and networking ability. Messaging, networking and teamplay will make the difference. Today, Pfizer's woes will not be solved by acquiring capacity, scale and mere financial muscle. Today, Pfizer will not rise through acquisitions, it will improve the financial picture only in the short run. New products alone will not redefine the marketing future of companies. Those who network better and build better teams will win in the marketplace. Without emphasis on teamplay and networking, only whistleblowers will gain in the market!!

Henry Ford put it very nicely:

Coming together is beginning,
Keeping together is progress,
Working together is success.

Teamwork is a complex subject. It implies coming together of people with diverse temperaments, different skill sets, from different disciplines, and attitudes who need to be integrated to create outputs in line with the set objectives. The Pfizer's whistleblower case is a classic example of bad teamwork, which has landed the company in a huge quandry. Obviously, teamwork is not easy!!

Traditionally, pharma is bad at teamwork. The traditional emphasis in pharma companies is on individuals - their behaviour and achievements. Not on teams!! This is very much different from engineering companies where it is teamplay that works.

Pharmaceutical industry, today, is losing its mystical status. Earlier, pharma companies were insulated - there was a science and technology barrier that deterred investors from coming in to the field. Today, with the media providing all information and knowledge regarding pharma products, with the reality of a contemporary integrated communication world, the available production systems, rise of the empowered patient, and general commoditization, companies can generate required business results only through teamwork and networking. Gone will be the days, where the single super MR generates all the results. In fact, it is happening today too - actually the share of contribution of teamplay and networking is high in generating the business results. This will only increase as media develop and commoditization increases.

Teamplay and networking for trust building is the next level

To chart a higher growth and raise the company to a higher level, the next big thing will not come from technology alone, or from superior products, it will require organization wide marketing approaches involving messaging, networking and teamwork for trust building. Trust is the main reason for prescribing patterns and consumption of pharma goods. For this messaging, teamwork and networking are the keys.

Teamwork is a new science

Handling business processes that are dependant on individuals who co-ordinate with each other is a different ball game from messaging, teamwork and networking. Managing teams is a great science that requires a paradigm shift in thinking and management. There are issues related to accountability, credit sharing, bonuses, and incentives that need to be looked at differently. When companies gain scale, teams count. For eg., Dr. Reddy Labs, has a S team that independently provides scientific inputs to doctors. This S team softens the ground for medical representatives to enter the market arena and win Rx from doctors. So should the MR take all the credit? This is a simple example, which demonstrates that team science is a new way of thinking.

Tomorrow's new HI TECH product launches will not depend on MR activity alone. Let us imagine, that Biocon completes its oral insulin project successfully- can it afford to launch its first-time-in-the-world oral insulin brand just through MRs?!! It will require high team play to make it successful. Teams will be required to work at the retail level, institutional level, scientific communication level, CME level, web-communication level, mobile messaging level, clinical videoconferencing level ... Pfizer and many other companies are in a muddle exactly because they are doing things in the same old way. Steven Covey has said, IF YOU KEEP DOING THINGS THE SAME WAY, YOU WILL KEEP GETTING THE SAME RESULTS!!

Pharma companies are doing the same things, while the world is achanging. New media are in. Teamworking and networking are becoming the order of the day - while all pharma companies right from Pfizer are becoming more and more individual MR (or sales representative) centric, desperate and getting blown away by whistles!! Perhaps this factor has contributed to the failure of Exubera (inhalational insulin from Pfizer).

There is a brave new world of information & knowledge sharing out there. A new way of working is required. Teamworking and networking is the need of the hour.

While teamworking and networking is a science ...

It is no doubt teamworking and networking is a science -yet there are many things beyond science in managing teams and networking operations. That is where praying helps!! It is said, the family that prays together - stays together. Praying together too is an important dimension of teambuilding! It is done in many companies.

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Marketing effectiveness

When people are happy with the marketing it shows!! But the concept of marketing effectiveness is more complex than it appears. I got the above image from here.

In the imaginary conversation given below, a pharma and business consultant helps solve the pharma marketing effectiveness crisis in a company. Enjoy the conversation (and if you like this blogpost, please scroll down to read all other posts, do click on OLDER POSTS to read all other blogposts, feel free to recommend my blog to your acquaintances, thanks). The Indian pharma industry, as per IDMA Bulletin, 30th July, 2009, p.no.15, has a turnover of Rs. 90000 crores (including exports), and is growing at 15.5%, it is estimated to cross Rs. 1 lakh crores annual turnover, in 2010. So competition is gathering steam and more investors are entering this sector. Hence, pharma marketing effectiveness will certainly engage pharma marketers.

Mr. X is a gray haired seasoned pharma marketing and business consultant, and trainer. His office located on the 11th floor not only provided a panoramic view of the city below, it was a lofty crucible for many thought provoking consultancy viewpoints. This nippy November morning, Mr. X, the consultant, was awaiting the arrival of the proprietor of a medium size pharma firm. This proprietor Mr. Y was noted to be impatient and impulsive.

At about 8.45 am Mr. Y stormed in and without much ado and pleasantries, Mr. Y sank in to the deep sofa gulped down some orange juice offered by Mr. X.

Mr. Y looked sharply at Mr. X, the consultant, and gravely announced:"It is galling, Mr. X, my pharma firm's marketing is truly ineffective. How to make it effective?".

Mr. X:"Now, that is truly a solemn organizational challenge, Mr. Y, tell me, did some doctors' say that your marketing activities or team are ineffective?"

Mr. Y (looks confused):"Actually, it is not like that ..."

Mr. X (interrupts):" OK, then it is got to be the chemists, they are unhappy with your company's marketing effectiveness!"

Mr. Y (a little exasperated):" No way, our pharma company offers bonus offers that are highly competitive. Why, some of our products are 1 + 2! That means, if the chemist buys one box he gets 2 boxes free!! Moreover, with every new product launch we pay their trade association PIS (product information services) fees!! So they better not complain about our marketing effectiveness ..."

Mr. X (the shrewd consultant interrupts once again):"OK, I get it, then it is the marketing blokes who find their marketing inputs and programs ineffective, they are looking for salvation and are bothering you ... right?!"

Mr. Y (almost on top of his voice):"No, Mr. X, it is me!! Yes, it is me!!! I find our pharma company marketing ineffective!!"

Mr. X (pauses, and looks at Mr. Y in the eye):"Quick, don't hesitate, tell me fast, with out thinking too much, quickly reply - What is effective marketing according to you? Don't tell me what is ineffective marketing, I emphasize please tell me, what is 'effective marketing'?"

Mr. Y (hesitates and searches for words, a little taken aback with the sudden twist in the conversation):"It ... well, effective marketing should not be frustrating and demanding ... I mean it should not be a drain of marketing monies ... c'mon there is a limit to the amount of services to doctors and other marketing expenses right?!"

Mr. X:"Let us put it this way, Mr. Y, pharma marketing should be very profitable with a very satisfactory ROI (return - on - investment), the marketing operations should also ensure good sales, growth and availability ie., should be available at most chemist points even in remote areas, Right?!"

"So if you say go to an interior market like say, Mallapur in North Kanara, you want your product available and should be consumed."

Mr. Y:"Yep! You read my mind right..."

Mr. X (adds very fast):"You also want positive feed backs from doctors and chemists. Perchance you meet them in the market or in your social circles, they should appreciate your company products and marketing activities, programs and marketing events, right?!"

Mr. Y (almost delirious with joy):"Yep!! That is marketing! Marketing should give the company a high! It should make me happy!!"

Mr. X:"So you see the point, Mr. Y, pharma marketing effectiveness is a complex subject. It means different things to different constituencies or people."

The gist of the conversation that followed between Mr. X the seasoned consultant and Mr. Y the client is given below:

When pharma marketing operations are dismissed as ineffective, the judgment has only scratched the surface. It is very difficult to diagnose, define and precisely evaluate pharma marketing effectiveness. The marketing functioning is a result of strategic (direction of application of efforts and resources) choices. These choices are at the root of all effectiveness or ineffectiveness.

For instance, it was a strategic choice by Pfizer managers to take up off-label product promotion to doctors and provide "kickbacks" to doctors. After whistleblowers brought this to the attention of lawmakers in USA, Pfizer had to cough up 2.3 billion USD as criminal fine. So the alleged 'ineffectiveness' of the marketing controllers in Pfizer in restraining the whistleblowers is not really operational ineffectiveness, it is a fault of a strategic choice in permitting off-label product promotion and kickbacks to doctors. So, should observers conclude that Pfizer is an ineffective marketer? You see, there is a lot of complexity in assessing pharma marketing effectiveness.

When rofecoxib (Vioxx from Merck) was launched there was great excitement as it was powerfully Cox 2 selective. Apparently, it was safer than diclofenac in terms of gastrointestinal side effects, and more powerful as a pain reliever. However, the cardiovascular adverse events of rofecoxib cast a dark shadow on the market performance of rofecoxib, and it was withdrawn from the market. In turn, this boosted the fortunes of diclofenac - today, Voveran (diclofenac from Novartis) is one of the top three pharma products in the Indian retail pharma market. So should we conclude that the effectiveness of Voveran marketing is very high? Or should we conclude that Vioxx is a classic case of marketing ineffectiveness?

Marketing effectiveness is not just about business results ie., sales, market share and profits. For instance, today, Pfizer is a great marketer in India - it's anticough Corex (which is highly abused by Corex addicts) is the numero uno pharma product in retail Indian pharma market. Internationally, Pfizer is the no. 1 drug maker - its worldwide annual R & D budget in dollar terms is said to be more than the total Indian retail pharma market (ie., more than Rs. 38000 crores) - yet it is a company that has paid 2.3 billion USD as total criminal fine to the Govt. of USA for fraudulent marketing. Novartis on the other hand, in India, has Voveran (diclofenac), which is invariably the no. 2 or no. 3 pharma brand in the Indian retail pharma market. Besides a valid, principle based legal battle on the marketing of Glivec, Novartis has a very clean and professional image in pharma India. It is not the #1 pharma company, yet it is a highly respected and valued pharma company. So whom will you assess as a more effective pharma marketer?, asked Mr. X, the consultant, to Mr. Y, the client. Obviously, Novartis can be rated as a more effective pharma marketer as Novartis has an excellent corporate and brand equity among pharma MNCs in India. So the point is that marketing effectiveness is not a simple assessment in terms of sales, market share and profits. There is much more to marketing effectiveness.

Marketing effectiveness is linked to values, culture, philosophy, processes and outcomes. Marketing effectiveness is linked to three types of variables: causal, intervening and end result.

The causal (cause and effect) variables that influence marketing effectiveness are -

a) Organizational structure - no. of employees, the reporting patterns, the employment assessment systems, training systems, and culture. Pfizer, has highly acclaimed training processes and this has strengthened its messaging activities to doctors.

b) Technology also redefines marketing effectiveness - For eg., a biotech company operating in a less crowded segment, has a marketing edge that adds to the marketing effectiveness.

Another example would be of a company down in South India, which has adopted and pioneered aseptic packaging technology (Tetra Pak technology) and has created a new category of products for prescribers (ie., the electrolyte energy drink category) to improve patient well-being. The Tetra Pak based technology has given a shot in the marketing arm - it has improved marketing effectiveness of this company. Technology certainly redefines marketing effectiveness.

c) Corporate vision, culture, philosophy, and leadership style and practices are all well known to influence marketing activities and hence effectiveness.

There are also intervening variables that influence marketing effectiveness:

These variables are linked to the organizational climate, and the internal state of the organization. The intervening variables of an organization refers to the morale and motivation of employees, the decision making processes, problem solving attitude, skills and competencies, and commitment to objectives. Perhaps it will not be an exaggeration to state that if the intervening variables are weak, then it gives rise to frustration in employees, massive acts of omission and commission, corruption and whistleblowing. Hence, operational working are very vital and they dramatically affect marketing effectiveness.

Lastly, there are end result (output) variables that influence marketing effectiveness:

The output variables are the outputs of the organizational marketing efforts, like perceived quality of the product, sales, profits, market share, costs, conflicts, absenteeism etc.

Thus, we observe, the three sets of variables - causal, intervening, and output all are interconnected and influence marketing outcomes and marketing effectiveness.

Mr. X (the consultant):"So, Mr. Y, in the final analysis, we ought to analyze marketing effectiveness from the point of view of the constituency (ie., the chemist's angle, or doctor's angle, or field personnel's point of view, shareholder's angle or from the viewpoint of the top management). Moreover, effectiveness of pharma marketing is an inclusive subject, it has many dimensions not just ROI (return on investment), sales, market share, or profits. Just think of Pfizer and Novartis. They are very interesting case studies, now tell me, Mr. Y, in the current scenario, which company is more 'marketing effective' Pfizer or Novartis?"

Mr. X (continues):"I think we have had a very long conversation, what I suggest is to see the angle of pharma marketing effectiveness of your company more wholistically, and then let us take our discussion forwards. In our next engagement, we will see where things can be 'tweaked' for the better to ensure that overall marketing effectiveness is better in your pharma company".

Mr. X (thoughtfully adds):"For eg., if I am not mistaken, you have a good product portfolio of chemical based pharma formulations like antibiotics and NSAIDs. However, we are aware, that rDNA technology based products, and wellness based products are the sunrise sectors in healthcare biz. Furthermore, we need to analyze disease and demographic trends, for instance, off hand I can suggest that the onco gyne segment will see more action. Gyn cancers are ever increasing - with women living for 30 to 40 years after menopause, the risk of developing gyn cancer is so much, nearly half of all women are likely to face it. As far as gyn cancers are concerned, anticancer dietary supplements can help, and this is a wellness market opportunity. May be you can have products and services to address this segment?! This in turn, will improve marketing effectiveness.

The concept of marketing effectiveness is not just about market spend on promo inputs and on the field force, there are more issues to it."

Mr. Y: "Thanks a lot for this 'breakfast food for thought' conversation. I am sure I have got some good insights and ideas for improving pharma marketing effectiveness. And here is my consultancy fees payment, hope you don't mind me writing the cheque ... "

Tom and Jerry Pharma Marketing

I GOT THE ABOVE IMAGE FROM HERE.

It is really getting hot ... here in pharma marketing. There were those golden days where pharma companies used to invent a nice drug, appoint medical representatives (MRs) who would go to clinics, the doctors would welcome their presence. In these clinics the MRs would provide a detailing talk with the help of communication aids, give literatures of the clinical data, some samples for the doctor to try out the medication on suitable patients, and this exercise would create prescriptions to ensure sales of the pharma product. As a form of thanksgiving, MRs would provide doctors with small clinically relevant gifts. They were the warm sunny days of pharma marketing.

Slowly however, things got a little more complex with time ... doctors would indirectly require more inducements for prescriptions, and MRs would provide them, to increase sales and earn more incentives.

With time, more companies entered in to the lucrative pharma business and the rat race got more fierce. Doctors would get pampered with cash, gifts, sponsorships to medical conferences and other things and the pharma marketing game became a lot more fiercer. The warm sunny days of pharma marketing gave way to hectic stress filled days of hot oven pharma marketing.

Sales and marketing pressure became the order of the day in pharma companies. Earlier, it was a patronizing atmosphere in pharma companies and at clinics. Managers would patronize their MRs, doctors would patronize MRs and so on. Today, it is a game of pressure tactics, negotiations, inducements and just about everything to generate prescriptions, and sales.

Pfizer: in an unenviable position

The above pharma marketing picture is reflected in La-affaire-Pfizer. Just imagine the predicament of Pfizer. On one hand, there is a huge pressure to maintain the topline and bottomline. On the other hand, the new drug R & D pipeline shows no promise of a blockbuster drug and the pharma market gets commoditized with severe competitive pressures.

Now, if Pfizer does not shore up sales, it will lose its pole position in the global pharma firmament. There is, after all, a lot at stake - shareholder value, share price value, profits, sales, its position as the numero uno pharma company, its reputation, and so on.

In this backdrop, Pfizer did the most logical thing - upped its sales generating tactics. Pfizer focused on strengthening its sales of promising products (like Bextra the withdrawn valdecoxib brand,Geodon (antipsychotic - ziprasidone HCl), Zycox (linezolid) and Lyrica (pregabalin)), and Pfizer even went in to off-label promotion and special services to doctors (kickbacks), which were risky from the legal point of things.

However, Pfizer did it with courage because it still had a mindset of operating in a patronizing atmosphere. BUT LITTLE DID PFIZER REALIZE, THE RULES OF THE GAME HAD CHANGED ...

Whistleblowers took advantage

Whistleblowing is an interesting phenomenon. Whistleblowers are persons who raise concerns about wrongdoings in an organization. Normally, whistleblowers are part of the organization. Whistleblowers voice their concern internally or externally and may take their complaints to legal authorities of the wrongdoings in the organization. If whistleblowers are proved right, the organization pays for it - in terms of criminal fees and also sees its reputation fall. Whistleblowers are not only pharmaceutical personnel, the tobacco industry too has seen a famous whistleblower (Jeffery Wigand). There are governmental and nongovernmental whistleblowers (many of them Indian) too.

This is exactly what happened in La-affaire-Pfizer. Due to wrongdoings of Pfizer in its marketing activities, 6 whistleblowers were paid by Govt. of USA a total of 102 million USD. John Kopchinski got the lion's share of 51.5 milion USD. The other whistleblowers who earned millions include Stefan Kruszewski (29 million USD), Ronald Rainero (9.3 million USD), Glenn DeMott (7.4 million USD), Dana Spencer (2.7 million USD), and Blair Collins (23.54 million USD). Pfizer's marketing activities has been dubbed fraudulent marketing. Pfizer's financial damage due to this event is 2.3 billion USD to resolve the criminal and civil healthcare liability. Of course, it has also damaged Pfizer's reputation too. That is incalculable.

WHAT DOES THIS INDICATE?

Pharma marketing is entering in to a new era of a cat and mouse game. IT IS THE ERA OF TOM AND JERRY MARKETING. Pfizer's historic fine of 2.3 billion USD is a watershed event in the history of pharma marketing. It is a major wake-up call to pharma marketers. Gone are the patronizing days in pharma marketing. There is nothing funny about TOM AND JERRY MARKETING. It is in fact painful to the pharma marketer.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that we may even start having doctors acting as whistleblowers, and others who want to point out wrong doings and make a fast buck (AFTER ALL WHO IS PERFECT? IT IS EASY TO POINT OUT WRONG DOINGS AND PUNISH, BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO TAKE RISKS TO ACHIEVE AN OBJECTIVE.).

Risks in pharma marketing

The whistleblowing event mirrors the minefields in pharma marketing. Step on a legal mine, even accidentally, and BOOM it goes on the face of the pharma marketer. It is time to put processes above targets. The race for numbers is fraught with risks. Processes in marketing should be robust and bullet proofed. Nos. can wait, there is no point in being No. 1 in the pharma market if you have to cough up billions of dollars AS FINE and get your reputation tainted. In business, reputation is paramount. Goodwill of a concern, if lost, causes incalculable damage. Today, in trader language, Pfizer is only a sophisticated PCD (propaganda cum distribution) company. In India, we have plenty of PCD companies. They cater to every whim and fancy of doctors to gain prescriptions and sales. So it is time to work out processes in pharma marketing that will bullet proof the organization from the legal mine fields.

Pfizer: the master marketer

Pfizer's corporate USP is their marketing ability. If one goes to the crux of Pfizer's controversial marketing tactics one realizes that they once again proved that they (Pfizer) are masters of marketing. All along in their controversial marketing activities, Pfizer positioned Bextra for acute pain, surgical pain, and other unapproved uses, created sales materials and messages, to promote Bextra for these uses, commissioned market research to test its sales materials, confirmed these unapproved messages and allowed the promotion of Bextra for these purposes to continue. So what this indicates is that all the kickbacks and other activities were done to strengthen MESSAGING. Exactly, this is what brings in business. Messaging. This is what Pfizer the master marketer did. It focused on messaging (kickbacks, gifts etc were used to create the platform for messaging). That is the mastery of Pfizer. Its power in the market is not from its gifts, or kickbacks - IT COMES FROM ITS POWER OF MESSAGING. Master marketers are great at messaging. Pity, the messaging tactics backfired for Pfizer in this case.

Pfizer is not really to blame

Pfizer has acted as a professional marketer. One has to realize that in pharma business, pharma marketers message to informed target customers ie., doctors. It is different from consumer marketing, where messaging is done to ignorant customers. Doctors, on the other hand are educated and informed customers. They have the ability to discern, and they are at a liberty to reject messages. Of course, Pfizer the master marketer should take some rap for overzealous marketing, but not so much.

In the case of kickbacks, once again there is no purpose in merely rapping the provider of kickbacks. In fact, the taker of the kickbacks is at greater fault. If Pfizer is guilty of providing kickbacks to doctors, then why are the concerned doctors not booked for taking the kickbacks? Why is the PHARMA MARKETER PILLORIED? The doctor is equally guilty. The doctor who takes kickbacks is no angel!!

This point needs to be addressed in an emergency mode. Doctors guilty of taking kickbacks should be brought to book. They are the ones who patronize kickbacks from pharma companies. If a Govt. official takes a bribe, the Govt. official is arrested. Not the giver of the bribe. In the same way, the doctor who gets pecuniary and other benefits from pharma companies is more guilty of a crime against his patients than the pharma company.

A case for legal off-label product promotion

This is the age of internet and consumer led conversations. The law against off-label pharma product promotion is stone age, preinternet. It is an outdated thought to disallow off-label pharma product promotion. Suitable changes in the system ought to be made to permit valid off-label pharma product promotion. Regulation is fine. But over-regulation is stifling. If fear stalks marketing activities, creativity will be suffocated. When creative business is not permitted, progress is halted. Society suffers. In this web 2.0 era where a nobody like me can comment freely through this blog on La-affaire-Pfizer, a valid off-label pharma product promotion should be permitted, in the best interests of the modern day information society.

There are many aspects to La-affaire-Pfizer. It is easy to call it Pfizergate. It is nice to watch a formidable Goliath take a beating. But this event of La-affaire-Pfizer has many more ramifications to the PHARMA MARKETER COMMUNITY. ALL PHARMA MARKETERS SHOULD JOIN HANDS COMMUNICATE, COLLABORATE, AND RAISE VALID POINTS THAT WILL IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT OF PHARMA MARKETING. It is not good to market pharma products with an eye on one's back. There is no fun in pharma marketing if you are policed and in a cat and mouse game. Tom and Jerry is funny to watch, but in marketing it is no fun. Tom and Jerry marketing is most painful.

If Pfizer is trying to muzzle all conversations about La-affaire-Pfizer, thinking it is negative press, well then, it is doing more harm than good. Pfizer should use this event to stir up open debates on the state of pharma marketing today. Pfizer should get on with life, join hands & unite all pharma marketers to create a more open, trusting and transparent pharma marketing field. La-affaire-Pfizer is an invitation event for pharma marketers to join hands, address common issues, and strengthen themselves. No point, sweeping issues under the carpet.

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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!!

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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).

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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!