Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - (Page 5) BRANDING relationship. In this environment of clutter and confusion, the role of brand needs to be reassessed. The brands that will succeed will be those that establish themselves on foundations that are simple, clear and consistent and that build on those foundations by fostering an honest and open dialogue. What you say and how you say it “Enjoy by”. “Use by”. The function of these calls to action is the same, both communicating the necessary piece of information: the date by which a product expires. However, the subtle difference of how they communicate this information is significant. We have two ways in which to communicate: language and design. Words and images. Words are common currency, and their value is going down faster than the FTSE 500. The microscopic attention we pay to the ‘look’ of a brand, to the science and subtleties of fonts, pantones, graphics and photography, compared with that afforded to the ‘voice’ of a brand, never ceases to astonish me. We need to inject greater care and precision into what our brands say, and how they say it. Think about the language your brand uses, your brand’s tone of voice. Does your brand speak in the first or third person? Does it toggle across both? Does it speak in a passive voice, or engage in active dialogue? Does it have one voice for one audience and a separate voice for another? Does it use words that ‘label’ the end-users of your brand, and mnemonics that serve to define them in terms of their condition? By speaking in more transparent terms, by using language that is more human and engaging, we are better able to establish a direct, meaningful and enduring relationship with customers and consumers. Let’s look, then, at sharper ways in which we can invite dialogue to help inform our brands. We have the opportunity to listen as never before. The rise of the blog has enabled a worldwide consumer-led debate on every subject you care to name, and healthcare conditions and medications are topping the charts. So, what are consumers saying about www.pharmexeceurope.com your brands? About their conditions? Why do they remain compliant with a given treatment? Why do they defect? On what basis do they endorse? Ultimately, what are you going to do about it? Procter & Gamble’s online forum Capessa is but one example of many companies who are launching community sites with the stated intent to open up dialogue and discussion. In this case, the discussion is specific to open dialogue, of honest and straightforward communication. As we need to work at any relationship, we need to work at our brands, ensuring consistency and relevance of our brand’s messages. Language should not be left to languish. Our world has become more cluttered and, invariably, that clutter brings a concomitant complexity and confusion over what is being said. Brands need to be simpler and more By speaking in more transparent terms … we are better able to establish a direct, meaningful and enduring relationship with customers and consumers. female consumers. The simple purpose of forums such as this is constancy of contact with customer and consumer alike and consistency in how this contact is managed. What this doesn’t mean is bombarding your customers and consumers by every means and method possible; what it does mean is a clear and consistent strategy for communicating with prescribers and patients at touchpoints that are meaningful, memorable and are aligned with, and reinforce, your brand’s values. specific in their intent, clearer and more consistent in their delivery. Dilution by gravitational pull to the lowest common denominator has never been the answer and never will be. Simply, to sum up a thousand words in thirty: say what you mean and mean what you say. Be clear in the content of your communications and consistent in their construct. And keep talking. The media may have changed, but the basic tenets of good branding remain the same. Communicate, communicate, communicate In business terms, a brand is the ultimate relationship. It is the relationship that builds preference, cements loyalty and maintains earnings. As with the strongest relationships, the strongest brands are fostered on fundamental principles of About the Author Rebecca Robins is global marketing director at Interbrand Wood Healthcare and co-author of the leading business book Brand Medicine. She is a member of Pharmaceutical Executive Europe’s Editorial Advisory Board, and can be contacted at rrobins@interbrandwood.com. 5 http://www.pharmexeceurope.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 Contents The Brand Exchange Focused and Flexible Making A Global Vision Work Leading the Way The OnlineConsumer Wired to the Future Co-ordinate Your Communications In the Public Interest Seek First to Understand Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - (Page 1) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - Contents (Page 2) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - Contents (Page 3) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - The Brand Exchange (Page 4) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - The Brand Exchange (Page 5) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - Focused and Flexible (Page 6) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - Focused and Flexible (Page 7) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - Making A Global Vision Work (Page 8) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - Making A Global Vision Work (Page 9) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - Leading the Way (Page 10) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - Leading the Way (Page 11) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - The OnlineConsumer (Page 12) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - The OnlineConsumer (Page 13) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - Wired to the Future (Page 14) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - Co-ordinate Your Communications (Page 15) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - Co-ordinate Your Communications (Page 16) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - In the Public Interest (Page 17) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - In the Public Interest (Page 18) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - Seek First to Understand (Page 19) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - October 2007 - Seek First to Understand (Page 20)
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