The Promotional Mix The Rational Marketer’s Approach to Target Identification Target selection is becoming increasingly complex for today’s pharmaceutical marketer. Not that long ago, the world was much simpler. Mark S. Perlotto Executive VP, Chief Marketing Officer Physicians, pharmacists, nurses, physician assistants, managed care organizations, employers, insurance companies, wholesalers, patients, caregivers of patients, consumers — who is the right target? What is the priority in reaching them? Target selection is becoming increasingly complex for today’s pharmaceutical marketer. Not that long ago, the world was much simpler. Doctors made the decision for the patient, and so it was the medical professional who had to be convinced of the product’s therapeutic benefit; pharmacists had to understand the product and be convinced that physicians would write prescriptions before it would be available on the pharmacy shelves; the rest fell into place with a reasonable degree of orderliness. A Plethora of Targets and Tactics But here we are in 2005 where things are not so simple. Patients ask their caregivers for specific medications. Physician extenders (NPs and PAs) are functioning as primary-care providers because managed care has determined that they are more cost effective than primary-care physicians (PCPs). PCPs are less likely to refer to specialists because managed-care plans put disincentives in place to discourage referrals. Large employers influence hospital selection for their employees based on hospital performance criteria. And now wholesalers are refusing to carry certain medications because they cannot reach “favorable” terms with the manufacturer. To make matters more confusing, marketers have an ever-expanding choice of tactical options available to them to communicate with product influencers — whoever they may be. Beyond traditional means such as journals, prescription pads, direct mail, salesforces, conventions, symposia, and dinner meetings, the last 15 years have ushered in the age of DTC advertising, the Internet, push e-mail, and Webcasting to name just a few. Along with all the options available to today’s marketer, there are those who seek to influence the marketer’s decisions as to what’s best for their brand — from the space rep to the boss who really wants to have a DTC campaign on his or her record of accomplishments. Be True to the Brand With all this outside influence — all the tactical options available and the diversity of potential target audiences — how does the rational marketer decide the right path for the brand (and correspondingly, his or her path to success)? It is unlikely that a marketer can satisfy all stakeholders, use all options, and influence all potential targets. So what’s a marketer to do? In the eyes of others, the marketer is the brand. As the “owner” of the brand’s success, a marketer’s personal success or failure is tied directly to that of the brand. The answer is simple enough: First and foremost, without question, the marketer must be true to the best interests of his or her brand — regardless of the influences. The first and most critical step in successfully marketing any product is identifying the right target audience(s).Getting there despite those influences, however, takes some discipline and a plan of action. To make those tough decisions, there are five key strategic steps a marketer should follow: 1Assess the current product situation with an objective eye — Understand exactly how your brand and your competition’s brands, and the supporting data for each, are perceived by each potential target customer. 2Evaluate previous successes with your current audience target — Is there potential to further penetrate your primary audience or do you need to look elsewhere to sustain your brand’s growth? 3Identify alternative points of potential influence — Objectively assess which audiences have the greatest potential to deliver growth for your brand based on their direct business generating potential. 4Understand the differing priorities of each potential target audience — By their very nature, different audiences often have different priorities for selecting one brand over another. Can your brand somehow uniquely address their priorities and thereby gain preference over the competition? 5 Adjust your message to each audience to match their individual priorities — Often the degree to which your brand can address the audience’s specific need is directly linked to creating preference for your brand. What’s good for the goose is not good for the gander in most instances. By following these guidelines, marketers can be confident that they are making strategic target selections that are in the best interests of driving the success of their brands. Adair-Greene Healthcare Communications, Atlanta, is a full-service healthcare advertising and communications company. For more information, visit aghealthcare.com. March 2005 VIEW on Advertising

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