PHARMACEUTICAL

PRODUCT PROMOTION
Prof. Sanghamitra Sharma
 Marketing Communication
• For a communication to be effective, it must:
• Gain the attention of the receiver
• Be understood by both the receiver and the sender in a manner to
maintain interest
• Stimulate the needs (desires) of the receiver
• Suggest an appropriate method (action) of satisfying those needs

It works on the principle of AIDA.

Source: Pharmaceutical Marketing In India 25th Edition

 Promotion

Source:newsmorr.com
 Barriers to Communication
• Multiple Transmitters
• Selective Perception
• Noise
• Inadequate feedback

Source: Pharmaceutical Marketing In India 25th Edition

 Sources of Marketing Communication in
Pharmaceutical
• Company
• Medical Representative
• Media
• Trade channels

Source: Pharmaceutical Marketing In India 25th Edition

 Gateways to Communication
• Source: The credibility of source, expertise, likeability is essential
• Message: Gaining and retaining attention is the key
• Destination or Receiver: Know your audience and understand the
attention and perception
• Feedback: To understand the prescribing behavior

Source: Pharmaceutical Marketing In India 25th Edition

 Promotional decisions to be based on
• Identifying target markets and audiences
• Determining objectives and tasks
• Preparing a promotion budget
• Selecting the promotional mix
• Evaluating and implementing the promotional strategy
• Feedback

Source: Pharmaceutical Marketing In India 25th Edition

 Elements of Promotional Mix
• Personal Selling: Medical representatives detailing company’s products
to doctors, with help of I-pad visual aids, physical visual-aids, leave-
behind-literatures, product monographs, samples, gifts etc.
• Advertisements: Preparation of visual-aids, leave-behind-literatures,
product monographs to help the medical rep in their detailing.
Advertisement in medical journals, preparing advertising materials for
medical symposia, preparing mailers for doctors, stockists and dealers.
Print and commercials for radio and television for OTC products.
• Sales Promotion: Deciding special bonus offers, free goods and gifts to
trade. Deciding on physicians’ sample and gifts etc.

Source: Pharmaceutical Marketing In India 25th Edition

 Elements of Promotional Mix
• Publicity: Organizing medical symposia, seminars, trade exhibitions,
participation in medical conference, etc.

Source: Pharmaceutical Marketing In India 25th Edition

 Pull System Working in Chronic Therapy Segment Push System Working in Acute Therapy Segment

Sources :https://www.rroij.com/open-access/launching-of-new-pharmaceutical-product-
and-promotional-challenges-.php?aid=68020
 Deciding on Promotional Budget
Few thumb rule to be considered:
• The level of incremental sales
• Minimum level of promotion required, is considering the intensity of
competition of promotional activities with all other elements of
marketing to maximize the impact and performance

Source: Pharmaceutical Marketing In India 25th Edition

 Deciding on Promotional Budget
Some common methods:
• Percent of sales method
• Fixed-sum per unit method
• Affordable funds methods
• Competitive parity method
• Objective and task method

Source: Pharmaceutical Marketing In India 25th Edition

 Principles of Medical Advertising

Source: Pharmaceutical Marketing In India 25th Edition

 Various other means of Marketing

• Digital Marketing : Websites, E-mail, SMS, Search engine

marketing, Online forum, apps, blogs, webinars, doctor learning
platforms, social media marketing, messaging platforms etc.,
• It gives them to option to use both approaches of one to one and
one-to-many ways to connect with stakeholders.
• It will a world of Phygital.

Source: Pharmaceutical Marketing In India 25th Edition

 Perception of Industry on Digital Marketing

• Digital promotion has become a big part of the promotional

budget and pharmaceutical companies (both Indian and MNCs)
will be dedicating budgets for digital promotion. The digital
spends on product promotion which was negligible before the
pandemic will now increase to 30% of overall marketing spend.

Source:  http://ijpronline.com/ViewIssue.aspx?Volume=28&Issue=65
 Perception of Industry on Digital
Platforms
Why will they prefer a Virtual Launch?

Source:  http://ijpronline.com/ViewIssue.aspx?Volume=28&Issue=65
 Perception of Industry on Digital
Platforms
• Long-term changes envisioned by the respondents in the
business landscape in the post-Covid-19 world: Almost two-thirds
of respondents opined that digital platform will be preferred by
the industry in the future and there will be an increase in digital
touchpoints. Digital platforms would be used for internal
meetings within organizations as well as external meetings with
healthcare providers and other stakeholders.

Source:  http://ijpronline.com/ViewIssue.aspx?Volume=28&Issue=65
 Perception of Industry on Digital
Platforms
• Whatsapp, Social Media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube,
Instagram, Video conferencing tools such as Zoom, reaching out
through websites, ecommerce platforms, platforms such as
Remedo as a convenient model to connect with patients.

Source:  http://ijpronline.com/ViewIssue.aspx?Volume=28&Issue=65
 Muti channel and Omni channel
Marketing

Source:revechat
 Feedback
• https://forms.gle/FLp1zaooqif4vDME8
• https://forms.gle/ivKQFTkUi6oBsJHP6

Source:revechat
Case Study
• You are launching another brand of metformin (Diabetes Molecule).
• Create marketing communication, promotional budget and decide
price of this brand.
• You can make assumption regarding the company size, market position
and finances.