Just coined a new term:
Pharmaceutical Marketing Tachyphylaxis.
It will be understood (and hopefully chuckled over) by anyone in the Pharmaceutical Industry, but just in case you don't know the term "tachyphylaxis," it means: A rapidly decreasing response to a drug following administration of the initial doses (American Heritage Dictionary). I.e., the lessening of an effect because of repeated exposure. Sound like what's happening with advertising and sales reps?
Physicians are probably the most overloaded segment of our society. Marketing is information dense and adds to the overload. Word of mouth (talking with their peers, experts, trusted advisors) is the only way to reduce the overload. The experts filter and distill information, giving it in concentrated, relevant doses that don't tachyphylax.
Did you know that about one third of physicians will not see sales reps? This includes pediatricians, who have to see reps because they need the samples, which artificially defllates the figure. It may be 2/3rds across other specialties!
Because of this, I'm about to make a blockbuster proposal to the presidents of the pharmaceutical firms. It may be the boldest proposal ever made in marketing. Stay tuned.
George Silverman
President,
Market Navigation, Inc.
http://www.mnav.com
Technorati Tags: Word-of-mouth marketing, Pharmaceutical Marketing
Comments