How You can Learn From Pharmaceutical Branding

Christine Buske Written by Christine Buske
on October 14th, 2008 / 2 Comments / Print this

Although Yaro wrote about “selling benefits, not features” a while ago, his post is still among the most popular ones on Small Business Branding. For good reason: this is a strategy that has proven to be successful for millions of business owners.

When I first started implementing this same strategy for my clients, I tried to use the pharmaceutical industry as an example. Without a doubt, pharmaceuticals have you brand their products based on the benefits. Their benefits are basically their features. After all, few companies are using their product packaging as a branding-tool. Most of them have to rely on problem-solving based branding strategies.

Only a handful of doctors and scientists know, and care about, what is actually in the drug (features), what consumers care about is the result (benefits). Thanks to smart marketing, we all know how Cialis will change your life, and how aspirin can save your day. Most, but not all, pharmaceutical companies serve as a poster child for smart branding. They either sell benefits (Bayer Aspirin), or create inexplicable curiosity (Yasmin) without giving away any details. Both strategies work quite well, especially within the tight regulations that govern these campaigns.

Next time you are thinking of a marketing strategy, turn on your TV and look at a few pharma ads. It might help you think about your own product’s benefits, instead of focusing on its features.

About Christine Buske

Christine Buske

Christine Buske is a freelance (copy) writer. Thanks to her background in science and economics (H.B.Sc in Biotechnology and Economics) she has gravitated towards Health, Science and Business publications, and specializes in health care and pharmaceutical branding. She has worked with small clinics and community health care providers, such as dentists, to effectively secure their position in the market.

Christine writes a business blog on her site: www.WildTyping.com.

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2 Comments to “How You can Learn From Pharmaceutical Branding”

  • Ed Roach
    October 15th, 2008
    6:23 pm

    Christine,

    Selling the benefits goes way back to Marketing 101. It can be accomplished by pretending you are the customer and asking yourself one simple question-

    “What’s in it for me?”

    Those five words are all you’ve got to know. If you don’t address this question, you’re wasting the customer’s time.

    Ed

  • Lyal Avery
    October 26th, 2008
    12:24 am

    Selling the sizzle, not the steak.. a beginning marketer’s mantra.

    My big complaint with drug companies is the misdirecting campaigns they have (such as for Yasmin). As a consumer, I like to know exactly what I’m being pitched on. This has been popping up more and more… As a marketer, I think it’s far more effective to speak to benefits rather than increasing “intrigue”.

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