Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19760
Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.
Publication type: Magazine
Wright M
1-800: is anyone listening? A prescription for effective pharmaceutical database marketing
Strategy 1997 Jan 20
www.strategyonline.ca/1997/01/20/19393-19970120/#ixzz1jOv04eau
Full text:
Pick up almost any consumer product or read a magazine ad, and you’ll likely see a 1-800 customer service number, in case you have a comment, a complaint or simply want more information about a product.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers are among those companies that have attempted to capitalize on the power of the 1-800 customer service line. Unfortunately, it appears that few have maximized this marketing tool to its full potential.
Today’s consumers seek more information about the products they buy than ever before. Because current government regulations prevent branded consumer advertising of prescription products, pharmaceutical companies must settle for advertising about disease conditions and the options available to consumers through their physicians. Then, once the patient sees the doctor, the company’s product will be prescribed.
But is the patient sufficiently well-informed to initiate a discussion with the physician and understand the treatment options? Is the physician sufficiently well-informed to create the desired outcome of the advertising – a prescription for the company’s product?
A secondary objective of such consumer advertising is often to motivate sufferers to call a 1-800 number listed in the ad. The call centres that manage these 1-800 lines are typically staffed either by order-takers or by medical services personnel who simply take down a name and address, ask a few cursory questions and then proceed to send out a generic pamphlet that doesn’t differentiate the sponsor from its competitors.
Needless to say, consumer advertising that incorporates such tactics is generally ineffective at increasing prescription levels at all.
The primary mistake that pharmaceutical companies make is failing to realize that a 1-800 number is more than a one-way communications channel – it is a tool that can provide knowledge about the sufferers who might potentially take a product. Asking callers a series of questions will help build a profile of these consumers. Segmenting them into distinct categories, based on these profiles, will in turn help maximize the relevance and effectiveness of future communications.
The information captured and housed in a database should not only include the name and address of the caller, but should also indicate whether the caller is currently treating the condition, what medication is being used, what concerns the sufferer has and what kind of information the caller is seeking.
The database can also segment callers by symptoms, demographic or lifestyle information and treatment history.
Once the detailed information is compiled and analyzed, pharmaceutical companies can then customize brochures and supporting materials to respond to the specific needs of each segment, thereby utilizing their marketing dollars more effectively while creating a stronger relationship with the consumer. Potential users of a product will receive tailored communications that speak to their concerns and contain information that they have requested.
In addition, the pharmaceutical manufacturer can help prepare the consumer for a consultation with the doctor by providing him or her with appropriate information.
A fully functional database can also be used for a wide range of marketing initiatives, such as direct mail campaigns, outbound telemarketing, consumer research, new product launches and retention programs.
Most important, it can be used to help patients follow through with their treatment. Patient compliance is a major issue with pharmaceutical companies, given that 20-40% of patients stop taking their medication prematurely, while another 20-40% don’t follow their physician’s instructions. A 1-800 line for patients using a particular medication can enable them to speak directly to health care specialists capable of answering any and all drug-specific questions.
Providing access to a 1-800 line and to customized information is a sign of responsibility and accountability on the part of pharmaceutical companies. Effective management of the line can only serve to heighten trust and improve the profitability of companies and their products.
The 1-800 number, if utilized to its full potential, can supply marketers with the information necessary to build successful database programs. Comprehensive category and patient profiles enable pharmaceutical firms to employ targeted, relevant and effective marketing strategies and tactics.
Sticking with the status quo when it comes to 1-800 numbers is sure to have precisely the opposite effects: non-compliance, switching of prescriptions and a greater mistrust of products and their claims.
