Pharmaceutical Technologist - May 2008 - (Page 19)

Pharma and mobile phones marketing. As with the rest of the mobile market, messaging applications have undergone massive developments — particularly in text input technology. Most notably, the development of predictive text has rapidly increased input speeds. For example, predictive text input, along with word completion and handwriting recognition technology, has made sending messages far simpler and quicker. Additionally, text speak, where words are abbreviated or shortened using numbers, has become a language in its own right. More than 600 billion text messages were sent in the first quarter of 2007 worldwide5 — an astonishing number based on a worldwide population of fewer than 7 billion. In November 2007, the Mobile Data Association reported that 4000 texts (or short message service [SMS]) are sent every second in the UK. As a result, mobile marketing is one of the major growth areas in the mobile industry, and is rapidly becoming an integral part of the marketing mix. However, a report commissioned by Airwide Solutions earlier this year highlighted that 55% of companies were unsure how to reach specific target audiences via mobile campaigns.6 Many pharmaceutical companies fall into this statistic. The mobile channel represents one of the most personal and targeted ways of communicating. Unlike other media, a mobile device is potentially carried around constantly, allowing consumers to be targeted at key times of the day at different locations. limited. If a customer needs assistance they must either call or email a call centre, which can be time consuming, or they must resort to using the internet, which could provide inaccurate information. Text messaging provides another means for customers to contact companies and it offers a more direct channel for both parties. Mobile marketing in Europe Mobile marketing has been used effectively by brands (companies) in various other industry sectors, such as financial services, local government and retail. In North America, mobile messaging has begun to make an appearance as part of pharmaceutical marketing campaigns. For patients, phones can deliver alerts to take drugs on schedule, remind them to adhere to exercise and diet regimens or to attend scheduled appointments. This service could easily be applied in Europe. The type of campaigns that could work effectively include: ● Ask the doctor — companies could run a campaign where customers ask the doctor a question regarding over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. An SMS could be sent asking how many times a day medication should be taken, what the correct dosage should be or to enquire about drug ingredients in case of allergies. This could be used by drugs companies on packaging and could be implemented by the local health service, allowing patients to contact their doctor’s surgery directly. Reminders — messages could be sent to remind patients of appointments and times to take medications. They could also be sent to participants of clinical trials to remind people of the correct times to take their drugs. ● People take their mobile phones with them wherever they go, so it is much more convenient to send an SMS than to log onto a website and more cost-effective than making a phone call. ● Invitations — companies can invite customers to receive alerts. Customers can then text in to be added to the database for free marketing messages concerning OTC products. Targeted messages can be sent to invite customers to Reaching customers Marketing in the pharmaceutical industry is currently limited to traditional methods, such as print, television broadcasting and online advertisements. Mobile marketing is becoming a fundamental part of marketing, as a key tool to run alongside other media. Any interaction with a mobile is recorded and results can be monitored effectively, even to the point of knowing where someone interacted with a campaign. Customer care in the pharmaceutical industry is very On the go ● ● ● ● European physicians are trailing behind their US counterparts in the use of mobile technology. Marketing in the pharmaceutical industry is limited to print, television broadcast and the internet, but the mobile channel represents one of the most personal and targeted methods of communicating with customers. Pharma could use mobile technology to send reminders to patients to take their medication or to attend doctor’s appointments. Many companies have already taken advantage of the technology, including using it to fight counterfeit products and to send out marketing messages. Image: Dialogue Communicat ions www.ptemagazine.com 19 http://www.ptemagazine.com

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Pharmaceutical Technologist - May 2008 Contents Industry Highlights Morpheus Market Watch Pharma’s Need for Integrated Safety Is Pharma’s Future Mobile? Facing the CRO Behemoths Q&A

Pharmaceutical Technologist - May 2008

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