Amgen continues great placement of DTC

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Parade Magazine has a circulation of 32 million and readership of 71 million with 52% of readers female. So when Parade, this weekend, issued a special section called Inspiration on "Living With Cancer" my belief is that it is going to be read by a LOT of people. Once again Amgen's Neulasta is the sole sponsor both online and offline in print. Someone at Amgen is sure paying attention to detail because they are taking advantage of targeted opportunities to do some great advertising. Read More...
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Gardasil goes for emotional connection

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About time ! That's my reaction to the new Gardasil print ad that I came across this week. A great black and white picture of a mother and daughter with the caption "I chose to get my daughter vaccinated because no matter how old she gets, she'll always be my little girl". It then goes on "I'll do everything I can to help protect her. Hey, I'm her mother and that's my job". Finally a drug ad with lot's of emotion to make a connection to the audience. Is ANY mother out there does not at least consider this ad than they are don't have a young daughter. Read More...
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Amgen DTC outflanks others

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If you had a chance to watch Stand Up to Cancer last week you noticed the Amgen logo on the backdrop as the sole pharmaceutical sponsor. This week Time Magazine had an in depth article on the war against cancer and the sole advertiser was again, Amgen. Great tactical placement and a great way to own the share of mind for two very important media events with lots of exposure. Read More...
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Online ad spending can provide a better ROI than TV

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"For the right opportunity, the [online] space offers fresh ways to commercialize new and existing brands, target specific audiences on needs more cost effectively." This quote from the Chief Marketing Officer of Kelloggs was in response to his determination that online ad spending provided a better ROI than TV. While of course there are major differences between cereal and prescription drugs there are some lessons to be learned here. Read More...
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New Lipitor campaign is spot on

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That clink you heard was the clutch giving way with the new Paradigm shift. The new Lipitor campaign is excellent and spot on for an audience that is confused about all the news around high cholesterol and medications that may or may not work. Add to that the recent death from Tim Russert and a lot of people are asking their physicians what medication is right for them and which medication is best to prevent CV problems. More often than not that medication is going to be Lipitor. Read More...
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Packaging as a brand touchpoint overlooked

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There has been a lot of talk about branding within pharma products but a lot of branding touch points are often overlooked by marketers. A perfect example are starter kits which are usually given away as samples. Why not use starter kits as a first Rx and enhance the packaging to get closer to customers? Read More...
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Unbranded DTC advertising

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Direct-to-consumer drug advertising dropped nearly 30% in the first quarter of this year but now scrutiny may turn to unbranded ads according to an article this morning in the Wall Street Journal. "One night during the Olympic Games, NBC host Bob Costas noted that the 3 a.m. rerun of the primetime broadcast was sponsored by the maker of Ambien. "No lie," he said. "There's irony there somewhere." While the Ambien Rooster ad is a great approach for out of the box DTC advertising some other unbranded ads are simply an "end run" while the brand gets negative publicity.

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Cialis daily dosing DTC breaks

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Cialis just went from 36 hours to respond to partner when the moment is right to 126 hours (hours in a week) with daily dosing. In todays time pressed world this is going to be a great benefit for men who may not have the clinical definition of ED but look to the little yellow pill to provide them the confidence when they and their partner do have time for intimacy. Read More...
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Forget mobile internet optimization for now

There has been a lot of buzz about the new iPhone and faster Internet mobile connections, but even with these faster connections only 15.6% of US mobile phone user have Internet access. What does this mean for DTC marketers? Don't have to worry about mobile marketing yet unless your target audience is online.


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Can DTC be effective enough to overcome environmental barriers?

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There are some great DTC campaigns running right now, Neulasta (I'm Ready), Cymbalta (depression hurts), Detrol (its time to have the Detrol discussion), Cialis (interruptions), Enbrel (you could do more) but one has to wonder if great DTC campaigns are enough to increase business when there are so many environmental factors that can delay or stall treatment?

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Cymbalta hits emotions...

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I continue to applaud the Cymbalta DTC spots that are currently running. A lot of creative people forget that emotion is a powerful motivator and the Cymbalta spots, with the music in the background, clearly show how depression can effect the patient and those around her/him. In my opinion this is THE best DTC spot on the air right now but then I would not expected anything less from a great Cymbalta DTC team led by an outstanding consumer marketing Director.
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Enbrel.com provides answers and tools

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Amgen is starting a new wave of DTC for Enbrel and the new spots are only the beginning of a great DTC campaign that includes a redone and greatly improved website. This is a great pharma product website and a new campaign that should ensure that Enbrel’s sales remain strong and provide a health solution to patients suffering from a variety of conditions. Slowly Amgen is becoming a very good DTC marketer and the big DTC pharma powerhouses could learn a lesson from Enbrel campaign and website. Read More...
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When DTC is not a good idea

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Look at any Web analytic log for a pharma product and you’re sure to see that one of the most viewed pages are the side effects and safety warnings. People want to know the risk/benefit of taking pharmaceutical products and can judge for themselves if they want to ask for new drug. One therefore, has to wonder why in the world Shire would launch DTC print ads for Vyvanse targeting the adult ADHD market. The warnings are enough to scare anyone away and is certainly not worth the risks in this authors opinion. Read More...
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Some of the best of DTC ads

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While I believe that a lot of DTC ads could be improved there are some DTC ads that I feel are very good. Here is a list of some the DTC ads that I believe are some of the best on air right now and are sure to continue to drive new Rx’s as well as educate and inform customers which, at it’s best, is what DTC ads should be all about. Read More...
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DTC "defunkafied"

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I don’t think there was ever an industry that is going through such a funk as the pharma and health industries. This week we learned that in fact exercise does not help people who are depressed and that there actually maybe something to the Atkins diet after all. Is it any wonder that consumers are confused about what they should do to take better care of themselves and what medications are actually safe with the least amount of side effects? Read More...
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Menactra DTC: Get the word out?

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TV is great for building awareness of new treatment options and the new DTC for Menactra does a great job in communicating meningitis risks to parents. Meningococcal meningitis strikes just 1,400 to 2,800 Americans a year -- but with terrifying speed and consequences. Roughly 10% of victims die, often hours after symptoms set in. About 15% of those who survive are left with brain damage, hearing loss or amputations; gangrene sets in rapidly if the disease disrupts blood flow to the limbs. Many victims are adolescents and college kids living away from home for the first time. The use of this product is going to come down to risks vs. possible outcomes but some may say this product is worth the risk. Read More...
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Reminder: Fair balance applies to the Web too

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Having the Detrol discussion with your doctor

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Yesterday I saw a great DTC ad for Detrol LA. The ad opens with a women in her physicians waiting room and rushing to the bathroom while the voice over talks about “having the Detrol discussion with your doctor” As the women reads the Detrol material she confidently says to her doctor “I’m ready to have the Detrol discussion”. What I like about this spot is that it addresses the moment of truth when the patient meets with her physician and gives an example of just how easy it is to ask for Detrol. Read More...
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DTC budgets: How low can they go?

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Well as this author reported many times this year DTC budgets are in fact decreasing according to various media reports. Those of us in the industry knew this was coming as the changes to the pharma business model were as sutle as 100 car freight train traveling at 80 MPH. Read More...
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Pfizer's back door approach

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So what do you do when your brand is being talked about negatively in the press and on social media sites? Well first you hold a round table that only has one side and then you launch a back approach to advertising with general disease information that leads people to your brand. This back door marketing approach has no respect for people’s intelligence and stinks. Rather than address the issues head on Pfizer has chosen to ignore it with double talk. Read More...
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