Branding is such an important aspect of business
that even apparently boring products such as pharmaceutical products,
drugs and medicines become interesting and exciting.
Pharmaceutical industry branding is immature
compared with the consumer and business-to-business segments—but that
is largely by choice. For decades, a pharmaceutical company’s brand
success formula was simple: discover a drug that was needed, introduce
it to the doctor via a sales rep, and watch the prescriptions get
filled. What is more, the products themselves, secured under a decade
of patented protection, were almost guaranteed to generate large
profits. Integrated brand strategies were unheard of and unimportant. A
scientist—whose role was discovery and development, not
marketing—directed the corporation.
Gone are the days when companies used to release
products with out much thought to branding, especially pharmaceutical
branding. Now pharmaceutical companies are are starting to work on
developing the pharmaceutical brand even before the product is fully
tested and ready for production.
Pharmaceutical branding is an important way of
creating awareness among the public to the potential benefits of drugs
and medicines. The marketing process and branding give the public ready
knowledge of what the product is about and thereby induces them to buy
that particular product from among many other similar products in the
market.
As more and more pharmaceutical companies start
realizing the importance and the power of brands. So how do companies
brand their products to stay ahead of the competition? To start with a
good name is important. In fact a great name is very important! A great
name can increase the value of a product brand and in turn the revenue,
where as a poorly chosen name can lead to disaster for the product.
Marketing teams are spending more and more
resources on getting the name of the pharmaceutical product right.
However naming a drug or medicine is not the same as naming an
electronic consumer product. Careful thought and consideration to all
important factors is required for a pharmaceutical product.
If the product is going to be sold internationally
then the name should not be wrong when translated into the local
languages.
The second most important part of pharmaceutical
branding is the product logo design. The logo has to be in tune with
the target market with the exact font and colors. Iconic pharmaceutical
logo design or illustrative logo design can create a great impact on
the consumers.
Then comes packaging. The packaging of pills and
other pharmaceutical products is very important. Like the name, the
packaging and pill can't look like other products that may sit on a
nearby shelf.
Also psychological issues are carefully examined.
Take the pill shape and color. If a pill is large, and might seem
difficult to swallow, dark colors such as black will be avoided because
they make it seem even larger. If the pill has high toxicity levels,
then a "hot" color such as red is avoided because it subliminally gives
off a feeling of threat, experts say.
Pharmaceutical branding also heavily depends on
the marketing and promotional materials. Every thing from brochures to
the product leaflet has to be crafted to reflect the brand and appeal
to the target market. Pharmaceutical products for children should have
bright colored cut outs and packaging to appeal to children.
Source: http://www.logodesignworks.com/articles/brand_articles/
win_in_world_of_pharmaceutical_branding.htm
About The Author
Jeff Marsh is the Chief Designer with Logo Design
Works, a Florida based Logo Design and Branding Company. Jeff has more
than 7 years experience in branding and design and has worked with many
high profile clients such as Auto2Auto, TatAd, Simpson University,
Prophets University and others.
Jeff can be contacted via email at articles@logodesignworks.com
or on their toll free number at +1 866 910 5646
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