Correspondence: Richard B. Vanderveer, GfK V2, 587 Skippack Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, USA. Tel: +1 215 283 3200 x303; Fax: +1 215 283 3201; e-mail: rvanderveer@gfkv2.com Web: www.gfkv2.com

¹is Chief Executive Officer of GfK V2, one of the world's foremost pharmaceutical marketing research agencies. A consumer and industrial psychologist, his career in the pharmaceutical industry, spanning the last 35-plus years, has earned him recognition as a leading industry expert in the development of product positioning, promotional platforms and physician segmentation. He has conducted research and consulted on all major therapeutic categories, healthcare markets and product areas. He has pioneered such approaches as physician micromarketing, Information Architecture and Strategic Account Management, which serve as vehicles to help clients sell prescription pharmaceutical agents more cost effectively. He is also Group CEO of the GfK US Healthcare Companies (www.gfkushc.com), the largest provider of custom healthcare marketing research in the United States.

²is Executive Vice President at GfK V2 and has a 13-year background in the pharmaceutical marketing research industry. He is skilled in a broad range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies and has conducted domestic and international research studies across a wide spectrum of therapeutic areas, particularly virology (HIV and Hepatitis C), cardiology and diseases of the central nervous system.

Abstract

Establishing the pharmaceutical brand position — the advantageous location a product owns in the minds of physicians — is arguably among the most challenging components of marketing campaign development. Identifying and owning this coveted intellectual 'real estate' is a key determinant of success or failure, especially in today's hypercompetitive environment. Current marketing research methodologies employed to ascertain the ideal brand position are, however, inefficient and ultimately may not permit the development of truly 'aspirational' positioning themes. This is simply because in the course of positioning statement development, study respondents (physicians) are exposed to fully formed messages that mingle clinical and emotional benefits with 'aspirational' claims, often incorporating idealistic utilization demands (eg, use us first-line). The essential problem with exposing physicians to complete positioning statements is that they are unable to unravel, and thus understand and appreciate, the meaning of these complex accumulations of ideas and often reject them simply based on the 'weakest link' principle. This paper proposes an alternative, eminently simple approach called 'Customer-Driven Positioning', which more closely reflects the process by which physicians truly want to engage and learn about a new pharmaceutical product. The paper will illustrate where this process should be employed in relation to other qualitative and quantitative research techniques used in promotions development.