EphMRA Pharmaceutical Marketing Conference 2015
23-25 June 2015
Amsterdam
Carolyn Chamberlain, Head of Qualitative Healthcare at Millward Brown talks about 10 ways to build a powerful brand taking insights from this year’s winners in the BrandZ Top 100 most valuable global brands 2015.
http://www.ephmra.org/event/2015-Pharmaceutical-Market-Research-Conference---23-25-June-2015-Amsterdam
4. Focus on the brand experience
what are your consumers thinking, feeling, doing?
6
RENEW and
IMPROVE
the BRAND
EXPERIENCE
RELY
CUSTOMER
INSIGHTS
7
ON
Innovate and delight:
Just as consumer brands need to innovate and delight their customers healthcare brands should do the same. In our restricted, evidence-based world, innovation is highly prized, and in some cases is a condition of market entry. However, to truly delight our customers, we need to pick the “right” innovations, focusing on parameters that are important. This may mean not only specific clinical outcomes, but other tangible benefits over competitors such as improved compliance due to convenient dosing
Be meaningfully different
In healthcare there is no room for “me too” products. Yes, they may meet the regulatory hurdles of efficacy and safety, but in order to become successful brands they also need to be available to prescribe – so need to address the third hurdle: reimbursement. A simple way to be included on the formulary is to demonstrate a meaningful HE difference from the alternatives.
Stand for a purpose
Successful consumer brands stand for a purpose – something that has a positive impact on the lives of customers. In healthcare, this may mean not only delivering a clinical benefit, but a measurable effect on quality of life or demonstrating exemplary customer service.
Walk the Talk
Ensuring consistency in getting behind the brand purpose is essential for credibility and encompasses all employees at all customer touchpoints from the sales rep to the product support & logistics staff
Build and maintain trust
Consistency is key, whether over the lifetime of a therapy area franchise or the lifetime of a single brand. Being honest, dealing promptly and appropriately with any problems that do arise and demonstrating care and concern for customers will help trust to accrue over time
Renew and improve the brand experience
At every customer touchpoint there is an opportunity to reinforce the brand values, from initial product information through to patient support. The brand experience builds loyalty over time, differentiates us from our competitors and “delights” our customers!
Rely on customer insights
Those healthcare brands who connect with customers on multiple levels, from basic needs to emotional actualisation, can truly understand them and ensure that our product offering is aligned with their rational and emotional requirements and desires
8. Think holistically
Integration, organisationally and in terms of communication can reinforce the brand, particularly in today’s digital world where our customers are exposed to multi-channel product communications. But in healthcare, holistic thinking can go beyond the product itself to deliver a holistic product package of services from product support to presence within, and contributions to, online physician and patient communities
9. Get noticed
Our customers no longer rely only on the sales rep to obtain information about our products – Google is the go-to reference within every doctor’s office. In our “joined up” world, we need to communicate our brand values via multi-channel communications to reinforce our message
Keep changing – but not for change’s sake!
Consumer brand loyalty can be enhanced by new product iterations to keep things “fresh” – but only if the changes really do offer something new. In healthcare, the timescales involved are very different, but the principle still remains - branding is a process with no end. It moves as fast as customers change – in the best cases even faster. The healthcare industry should always be chasing the future!