Marketing Management

Case study 5 - Metabical 2

MSc in Marketing
Salome Sakhvadze
10.11.2018

Metabical: Positioning and Communications Strategy for a New

Weight-Loss Drug
Problem Statement
Cambridge Sciences Pharmaceuticals (CSP) is one of the most successful international
healthcare companies. CSP focused on developing, manufacturing and marketing medicaments
that treated different metabolic-related issues and other health problems. After ten years of
testing and spending $400 million dollars in research and development, in April 2008 the CSP’s
newest prescription drug - Metabical became the first weight-loss drug that received Food and
Drug Administration approval.
At the beginning of 2009, the company had to launch a new product-Metabical on the market.
Barbara Printup, Senior director of marketing for CSP, had 9 months to make crucial launch-
strategy decisions.
The main problem was that Printup had to develop a positioning strategy and marketing
communication strategy based on the market analyses surveyed by CSP. Developed strategies
should have had a long-term impact on sales so as to recover CSP preliminary investment of
$400 million in 10 years. Printup is well aware that in order to recover this investment, the drug
needs not only an effective launch, but also a long-term and stable demand. To develop a
successful positioning strategy and marketing communication plan, she had to analyze and
answer the following questions:
• “Who was an ideal target consumer?”
• “How would each participant in the decision-making process address?”
• “How could this participant’s best be reached?”
• “What was the appropriate message to convey to each one of them?”
• “What was the role of the support program?”
• “What was the optimal rollout schedule for key marketing communication activities?”

Recommendation
As I mentioned above, there are many questions which should be analyzed by Printup. In the
case of positioning statement, Printup should analyze what is a unique proposition by Metabical
and what are points of difference of Metabical. Who is a target audience? What kind of benefits
does Metabical have? What are the benefits that Metabical has and its competitors don’t? If we
look at Exhibit 3 which shows us psychographic reports for the female segment and if we
compare all of them to each other, more acceptable segment for Metabical are overweight
individuals, who are college educated people, with a high salary – who earns $80000 and above.
Why? Because they understand the importance of good nutrition and exercise. They want to lose
weight and to be healthy. Metabical can help them achieve and maintain their goals. As it is
mentioned in the case study, Metabical is a weight loss pill with a support program that will help
users develop a working habit. This may enable them to lose and maintain weight even after
completion of the pill intake. It works better with BMI between 25-30. Metabical allows a
consumer to lose the last 20 pounds and restore their self-esteem. Also, if we compare Metabical
to the competitors, it works in a low-dose formulation which reduces stress on liver or heart,
unlike other products. Additionally, the medicament contains a controlled-released feature that
reduces the pill intake to only 1 per day and side effects may occur only when a high level of fat
and calories are consumed. Main benefits are: the composition of Metabical, the possible
outcome and Metabical is considered the safest drug on the market. If we sum up all of these, the
unique proposition for Metabical are: its composition, final results (that I mentioned already) and
the consideration that Metabical is the safest drug on the market and it works best with BMI
between 25-30. Main differentiating factors are the following: It works in low dose formulation
which reduces stress on liver and heart, pill intake to only 1 per day and less chance of side
effects. Based on the mentioned points, the positioning statement should be created by Printup.
For example: “Metabical which gives the dramatic weight-loss drugs (15-26 pounds) easily
without side effects and helps you to make a healthy life”
Regarding the marketing communication strategy, it is important to focus on both the end
consumer (the patient) and the health care providers who would be prescribing the medication
(Usually patients need a little more help and belief in another weight loss solution. They go to
health care providers to seek for motivation and advice. CSP should be there at the right time)
and give them information about unique and differentiate points of Metabical. The objectives of
communication are: 1) To increase the patient’s knowledge about the benefits of Metabical pills
2) To give information about support programs which are very important for users, because
when they lose weight they want to maintain it. Also, healthier lifestyle is important for them
(especially for Metabical target audience. Support program will teach them lifestyle skills for
healthy weight maintenance after the initial weight loss achieved) 3) To communicate clearly
that Metabical acts best for people whose BMI’s lie between 25-30 4) To communicate that
Metabical will help achieve long-term results. Based on these, communication style should be
positive and informative, and the perceptions of consumers should be that the company cares for
them. From the given messages, based on the positioning statement, in case of DTC
communication strategy third message “Those extra 20 pounds could be killing you” is more
acceptable because our target is truly concerned about their health and also this message calls to
act now. However, it will not be bad if the company will work on this message to create a more
positive one. In case of Medical Practitioners, the message should be this one “Empower your
patients to loose excess weight, change their unhealthy habits and achieve long-term success…”.
This is a perfect solution that the patients are looking for.
In conclusion, based on the positioning statement (unique propositions by Metabical and Points
of differentiation of Metabical) and given marketing communication messages (for DTC and
Medical Practitioners) Printup can create communication plan and communication timeline. She
has to focus heavily on both the patients and the healthcare providers. In the case of Metabical,
marketing communication strategy should be divided into three directions: Advertising (for
DTC), Promotions and Public relations and sales force. In case of Promotions and Public
relations- the main audience should be leaders in the medical community. Either, it will be
roundtable discussion or medical research symposium, the company should announce and give
information to the audience about the Metabical effects, its composition and about every detail
which are important to be known by the professionals. The sales force will be able to
successfully push Metabical with medical offices: Healthcare providers, medical personnel and
researchers.