Drug Marketing in Small Markets Demands Careful Balances


RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC--(Marketwire - August 30, 2007) - If a drug company spends $2 million to launch a new product in Mexico, how should it divvy up those promotional dollars? What about in the Philippines or, for that matter, Canada or all of Asia? A study from Cutting Edge Information answers such questions by outlining differences in pharmaceutical marketing budgets, all in US dollars, in seven different regions and countries, including Australia, Asia and the Americas. Visit the report website and download a complimentary summary at: http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/affiliatemarketing/PH97_Download.asp.

One profiled drug, launched in Mexico, is a global blockbuster with worldwide sales of more than $1 billion. The product's company spent most of its $1.7 million launch budget on drug samples and detail aids to support the sales force.

A launch in the Philippines, on the other hand, will make no more than $250 million in annual sales. Its launch budget, much smaller at $250,000, was focused on continuing medical education to teach doctors about the drug's ability to help certain patients.

The report, "Post-Launch Brand Marketing in Select Affiliate Markets," (http://www.AffiliateDrugMarketing.com) breaks down the allocation of marketing resources for eight pharmaceutical and biotechnology brands. Five of the brands are marketed in Asia/Oceania, two brands in the Americas and one brand in Africa.

The data illustrate similarities and differences among marketing campaigns in the first three years after launch. Detailed metrics show how promotional expenditures, such as ads, sales aids and thought leader programs fluctuate from one year to the next.

"The diversity in spending patterns reflects the unique challenges and opportunities faced by individual brands in specific markets," says the report's author, Eric Bolesh. "It's exciting to take a look at marketing in smaller countries since they're not often studied in this way."

The report provides a comprehensive breakdown of promotional spending by detailing the most critical areas of brand investment, including:

--  Promotional mix (detail aids, samples, speaker programs, journal ads,
    medical publications, medical education, patient education and direct-to-
    consumer ads)
--  Decision support (market research and competitive intelligence)
--  Market access (pricing, pharmacoeconomics and reimbursement)
    

To view a summary of this report, visit http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/affiliatemarketing/PH97_Download.asp#body.

Save a CEI catalog to your desktop: http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/reports/Cutting_Edge_Information_Report_Catalog.pdf

Contact Information: CONTACT: Eric Bolesh 1-919-433-0209