Another Pharma Awards Conference

Feb/23/2007 07:07 Filed in: Pharma Business
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Someone once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different outcomes. I think that could be applied to the magazine for DTC called DTC Perspectives. This week in the mail I received a flyer about their upcoming DTV National in Washington DC. Although there are some good speakers on the agenda again we have presentations from other DTC marketers about their successful campaigns blah blah blah. Rather than listen to these boring presentations how about inviting people who stir the soul and invite innovation. People like Steve Jobs or Seth Godin. It's time to think about new ways to reach consumers not recycle old "been there done that" stories.


What makes matters worse is that during the DTC conference there is once again an awards dinner. "Let's pat ourselves on the back for a job we feel we did well". This at a time when ED ads are running on "G" rated TV shows and the industry as a whole is coming more and more under the microscope. Where are the innovators? Where are the people who believe that what we do if for our patients not for the bottom line?

I recently heard about a major drug company who is wants to speed approval of a new drug because the potential for off label use is great and could lead to a windfall in sales dollars. This, unfortunately is what drives people at pharma; the pursuit of the almighty sales dollar at any cost to keep the street happy and ensure that the CEO gets his millions of dollars in bonuses. And in the back are the DTC marketers who use the same old marketing programs to reach people with the delusion that someone seeing a Cialis commercial is actually going to make them overcome all their internal barriers to seeking treatment. That people who see an Enbrel commercial are not going to zero in on "the potential fatal side effects" and block the brand message.

Maybe the Democratic Congress is right..maybe the industry can't regulate itself and needs to be "big brothered" by the FDA. I do know that it's time for DTC Perspectives to stop patting people on the back for mediocrity and talk about the issues that people want to keep in the closet.
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