Pharma Marketing Blog

Where Next for Pharma?

At last weeks Eyeforpharma European Marketing Strategy meeting the key message was that the current sales and marketing model is dead, so where next for pharma?   The challenge that we now have is that prescribers are no longer influenced by the traditional cascade model and whilst payers have held the prescribing purse for a long time, they are not the only group influencing prescribers.  Prescribers have access to much more information from on-line sources and social and professional networks.   They are also influenced by clinical leads who are looking for improved patient outcomes, patients feedback.  In many cases a pharm company may need to talk to 10 different people to support a prescribing decision.

Of course the industry has known this for a while, so what I am saying is nothing new, yet so many pharma companies are still sitting back and continuing to use the traditional sales and marketing model that has served them well in the past. However, the NHS has changed – really it has. While pharma has been basking on its luxury yacht, the NHS oil tanker has been slowly manoeuvring off-course and is now going in a different direction.  The traditional one-size- fits all approach to the NHS no longer works.  Sales and marketing strategies need to be patient centric, flexible and adaptable to meet local needs and outcomes.   Companies need to fully understand the healthcare needs of each PCT and be able to show how their product and services can effectively meet these needs. PCB managers will want to talk to you if you can show how your product can improve health outcomes, achieve their targets and prevent a patient from being hospitalised.

Time for change……………

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The Pharmaceutical Advisor’s Blog

I recently had a conversation about Bloggers with a number of product managers. Whilst they had some concerns about patient Bloggers, most seemed oblivious to healthcare professionals developing Blogs and the potential influence they may have.

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Getting a Second Life

As we head towards the end of the second week in January our New Year’s resolutions are probably already broken, I wonder how many people are thinking there has got to be more to life. For those of you who fancy a bit of escapism there is always Second Life, an online virtual world with over 10 million residents. Participants can chose exactly who they would like to be, where they live and how they live their life. Using their assumed identify – second life, the person can if they so wish look fabulous, be successful, be a landowner, create friendships, network and much more.

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e-Marketing New Year Resolutions Worth Keeping

It is that time of year again when we are all back at our desks full of enthusiasm (well some of us are) and ready to take on the challenges of 2008. The biggest challenge facing the UK pharmaceutical industry is probably how best to develop our sales and marketing strategies to show a good ROI in an ever changing NHS environment.

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All Change – The End of an Era

So that is it, after 26 years of publishing weekly magazines for GPs and hospital doctors, Elsevier is closing down two of its iconic brands, Doctor and Hospital Doctor, in the New Year. The reason they give for the closure is simply due to a lack of advertising revenue, and while their competitor brands have been quick to suggest the closure is some sort for failure by the publishers, we must not forget that the company has only recently launched www.doctorportal.co.uk which will continue to be the beacon for the brands. So, rather being seen as a failure, perhaps the publishers at Elsevier should be applauded for responding quickly to on-line market forces.

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