While “in-your-face” and “buy-it-now” sales approaches work well for low-investment or disposable items (think PedEgg®, Zorbeez™, and EmeryCat®), they are not as effective in pharmaceutical marketing.
And, as I’ve mentioned previously, telling people what to do can result in push-back, or worse, cause them to do the exact opposite.
Our approach has always been to bring our target audiences on a journey with a brand. We build a brand story that not only resonates, but also engages our audiences in a way that makes them feel they are part of the story; so it’s relatable to them.
A recent study by Moyer-Gusé and Nabi,1 about how making emotional connections through television programs can create awareness and change across health and social issues, confirms that we’re on the right track.
Tuning in emotionally
College students watched either a non-narrative video from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (NCPTP) or an episode from the TV series The OC, when Ryan discovers that his teenage girlfriend Theresa is pregnant. The program was narrated through Theresa’s perspective.
After watching the NCPTP video, both male and female students said they would not increase their safe-sex intentions. Interestingly, while males were reactant (resistant) to The OC episode, females dramatically increased their safe-sex intentions. Identifying with Theresa, female viewers vicariously adopted her perspectives, thoughts, and feelings1 — exactly what we strive to achieve when we’re building a brand story.
It all boils down to how we engage target audiences and the way we talk to them. This is important not only when we’re selling a brand, but also when we’re trying to influence desired behavior changes, such as patients following instructions and being adherent.
In addition to how you construct an emotional bridge to target audiences, marketers may need to relook at how they close a sale with physicians and their “call to action” to try to motivate patients to respond or change their behavior. I’ll be focusing on that next.
Reference: 1. Moyer-Gusé E, Nabi RL. Explaining the effects of narrative in an entertainment television program: overcoming resistance to persuasion. Human Comm Res. 2010;36(1):26-52.
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Ken is a great deal more than just the president of a medical communications company. He is something of a hybrid. He’s part marketing manager, part creative director, and part copywriter. To the chagrin of his peers—but to the delight of his clients—Ken is a consummate perfectionist. As a former creative director for a high-end consumer agency, he challenged his creative teams to go beyond the mundane to produce work with real creative impact, something he’s just as fervent about today. From producing and directing TV commercials, to launching DTC and Rx-to-OTC switches, Ken brings his clients a world of experience in OTC pharmaceuticals as well as business, lifestyle, and high-end consumer products and services. Whether huddled with clients behind a mirror in a market research center in Houston, facilitating a strategic workshop in Madrid, or developing a global campaign either in the New Jersey or California office, Ken is always fully engaged, bringing “bestness” to all areas of his hectic but full life.
