out of box: pharma marketing

Dr D K Mehta / Vasu / MIS 2013 / Selvas

DTC: A Growth Driver trend renewed

Marketing's Role in Outstanding Performance

Of The Organization


The concept of DTC

• Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTC advertising) usually refers to the marketing of Pharmaceutical Products

• Forms of DTC advertising include TV, print, radio, mass and social media and un-conventional media such as seminars, workshops, counseling, camps, education etc


DTC is not OTC

• DTC– As an extension to Ethical

Promotion– Educational and Promotional

in nature– Sensitizing consumer(Patient)

about the problem and availability of solution

– Effective tool for the serious ailments too

– Works hand-in-hand with GP/CP promotion

– Social Media can be boon

• OTC– Deviation from the ethical

route – Selling in nature– Enticing consumer to buy

the product– Possible only for common

ailments such as cough, cold, constipation, pain, fever, sore-throat etc

– Works in isolation of Medical profession


Relevance of DTC to i-Generation

• Educated consumer (Patient)• Information seeking consumer• Price sensitive consumer• Connected and Networking


New media and the evolution of direct-to-consumer advertising

• Individuals are no longer limited to just the television or newspaper to obtain their entertainment, news, and information, but can access content via

– websites, – online video, – social networks, – mobile devices, and a variety of other ways.

• Consumers are especially shifting to new media sources for health and pharmaceutical information

– over 145 million U.S. adults looked up health information online in 2008 and over 327 million U.S. adults looked for health info in 2012


Possible Achievements of DTC

• Discussion and spread amongst peers

• Influence doctor prescription

• Encourage self medication• Direct Sale


Examples of DTC


The first direct-to-consumer print ad was for Merck & Co's Pneumovax, a pneumonia vaccine, which appeared

in Reader’s Digest in 1981


On May 13, 1983, Boots Pharmaceuticals (the US arm of a major British pharmaceutical company and pharmacy chain) launched the first TV ads for a prescription medicine in Florida for the prescription brand of Ibuprofen called Rufen


• The ads, featured CEO John D. Bryer, who delivered the message that Rufen was cheaper than Motrin. It was a price ad and made no efficacy claims and as such it did not include Package Insert information.

• The company also placed a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal, and in the print ad, the full package insert, the prescribing information, was included


Claritin (Loratidine) was approved in 1993, and DTC advertising was launched in 1995 by Schering-Plough


In 2005: Sepracor launched Lunesta (Hypnotic) on April 4 through consumer advertising over the next eight months. Sanofi-Aventis spent $88 million defending Zolpidem’s category

leadership


DTC in India

• Sun Pharma started patient education at their home after 1995, once achieved significant market share, followed by stagnancy

• Novo Nordics', the Insulin company reach out to the patients of Juvenile diabetes and offer heavy but start-up discount

• Cardiac stent and artificial joints making company depute representatives at the hospitals to counsel patient’s relatives


Opportunity for Vasu

• It’s more legal for us then any allopathic company including direct selling

• BAG, Dazzle, Glucova, Shyamala and Cutis range of products can promoted in camps and seminars

• Product leaflets can be targeted to specific end-user