The customer is the one who buys a product from us. In pharmaceutical selling, the customer is not always the end user, but it can be a distributor or an intermediary (pharmacy). We have often heard that pharma marketing has to shift from Product to Customer. What does this mean?
This means that our job is to understand what our customers need and how they use products. We have to know their needs and wants, so we can provide them with solutions. This will help us develop new products and services that meet the needs and wants of our customers. Only then will customers engage with our brands and companies.
In increasingly crowded drug markets like India, a strong clinical profile for the product is no longer enough to ensure a distinctive launch. Products cease to become differentiators. To be successful, pharma companies need to launch not only products but also experiences.
Yet, pharma business leaders are still hesitant to shift from product-centricity to customer-centricity - how do we enable this?
First published in MedicinMan on 6th November 2022