Why I love working in DTC marketing
Dec/23/2006 11:27 Filed in: DTC
Environment
Another year is about to enter the books as history and I believe that that that the future of DTC advertising is needed more now than ever. I believe that there is value in DTC advertising. It allows me to make better and more informed choices when it comes to my healthcare so that I don't always have to rely on my physician. I can work with her to chose the medication that I believe will be best for me.
I love the challenge of DTC marketing in an era when more and more boomers are reaching ages when they are going to require more Rx's to help them maintain a better quality of life. Even when I was marketing Cialis I believe, as I still do, that it's the best treatment for ED on the market. Although lifestyle drugs have gotten somewhat a bad rap in the press they play a role in bringing people closer together. I remember ,during some qualitative research with women (partners of ED suffers), how one person in particular made me realize the importance of what we do. Her husband had ED due to diabetes and they had not had intimate relations for over a year. After dealing with some internal issues (i.e. "it's my fault") she finally talked him into going to see their doctor and ask for Viagra. She planned a special weekend away and rented a cabin in the woods and had arranged for relatives to take care of their children. When her husband came back from the doctor he came back empty handed because he was too embarrassed to ask their physician for an Rx for Viagra. When she told this story there was pain in her voice and you could clearly see that the lack of intimacy was having an effect on her and their marriage. That is when I learned that ED is not just a mans condition but a couples condition and I wanted to do as much as possible to reach these people to try and communicate this along with steps they could take to address this issue together.
DTC marketing at its best can provide answers to both the physical and emotional aspects of health problems. At its worst it can be intrusive and overly promotional but I believe that most DTC marketers can find that balance. DTC marketers have to believe in what they do and what they are selling. You can't take someone who used to work for Coke and put them in a DTC marketing position and expect them to excel, at least that is what I believe. When you ask yourself "what am I selling?" the answer should always be "hope and health". We're not selling purple pills or blue tablets..we're selling a better quality of life and that is what America's pharmaceutical companies need to communicate to the public.
There will be no doubt that changes are in store for DTC as we approach another year. We have a new head of the FDA who must take an agency under siege and prioritize issues facing the public with a newly elected skeptical Congress and House. Vioxx litigation continues in the news and the recent series of story on Lilly's Zyprexa are all sure to keep the media spotlight on the pharmaceutical industry. Maybe I am an idealist but I will continue to believe that DTC marketing is an essential strategy for reaching consumers. I will continue to develop DTC programs that provides answers and as I develop and implement these program I will do so just as if my patients were looking over my shoulder because in the end it's all about them not us..
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