Agency Services Branding With Both Sides of the Brain: The Integration of Science and Promotion in Pharmaceutical Marketing Brands connect with both sides of the brain equally well by simultaneously appealing to rational motivators and answering emotional needs. Larry Iaquinto President and Chief Operations Officer Interlink Healthcare Communications Just as the brain relies on established neural connections to solve a problem, the process of effective branding relies on a system of carefully coordinated skill sets working in sync and adapting to changing conditions. It follows logically that if these skills are tightly linked, they can be more effectively deployed against brand objectives and can lead to greater overall success for the brand. Successful branding, then, is a kind of right brain, left brain phenomenon. Let the rational, more scientific side fall behind, and marketers risk losing medical relevance or legitimacy. In the same vein, if the emotional side is ignored, they risk creating a lackluster brand. Ideally, brands — yes, even pharmaceutical brands — connect with both sides of the brain equally well by simultaneously appealing to rational motivators and answering emotional needs. An advertising agency that has “hard-wired” connections between science and promotion has inherent advantages over the traditional agency model. Today, brand managers are looking for efficiencies in medical education and promotion that provide synergy and strengthen the brand at all stages of the brand’s life cycle. Promotional and educational efforts should be designed to support and complement one another. Linking these disciplines creates harmony between otherwise competing, or even opposing, forces. A single agency that unites these disciplines explores a 360-degree view of the brand. As such, the agency can operate as an extension of the brand team, allowing for a true strategic partnership to exist. Smart Thinking In keeping with the brain analogy, nothing replaces smart thinking. A strong brand can always be traced back to a strong strategy. Identifying what you want your brand to be and illuminating the path to get there is essential to getting the brand started in the right direction. Without insightful strategic thinking by all members of an agency team, no amount of work is likely to achieve your brand objectives. Creativity Another pivotal agency discipline is creativity. Brand teams rely on the agency’s copywriters and art directors for idea generation and execution, so the best creative teams are seamlessly woven into the fabric of the agency. Creative teams are known for their talent, but to be truly effective, they also need to have a deep understanding of the market, the brand, and the strategy. Medical Expertise Finally, agencies that successfully link science and promotion require a real commitment to medical expertise. An agency should have medical experts on staff as part of the day-to-day team to ensure that everything created for the brand is scientifically accurate, medically relevant, and compelling to the audience, an audience they are personally connected with and know intimately. A full-service agency with combined expertise in medical education and promotion is capable of contributing more to the brand’s early development. For example, publication planning can help shape opinions and lay the groundwork for brand-specific messages at launch. Other medical-education efforts can emphasize the medical needs that the brand will eventually address. This work can be conducted with, and even contribute to, early development of the brand logo, colors, and other branding elements before launch. Unique aspects of the product, such as mechanism of action, can be developed into effective tools that help differentiate the product in a nonbranded fashion. Video animation and/or still images can be designed in such a way that they create a seamless connection to the eventual branding at launch. Maximize Opportunities Ultimately, aligning science and promotion is a way to maximize opportunities at every stage of a brand’s life. Working with agencies that act as a single-minded entity offer the best chance to create enduring links between your message, your strategy, your customers, and your brand. Interlink Healthcare Communications, Lawrenceville, N.J., is a full-service healthcare communications company with integrated medical-education capabilities. Interlink is part of the Lowe Healthcare Worldwide network, a division of the Interpublic Group of Companies. For more information, visit interlinkhc.com. September 2004 VIEW on Marketing

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