Whether it’s Apple, Burberry or Skittles, we all have those brands that we have fallen in love with and are fiercely loyal to. Can that be applied to medicine? VORN/Hirschen Group Head of Strategy Vincent Schmidlin explains:

The doctor makes the decisions – not the patient. Is a prescription brand really important? Brands are crucial for prescription medicine: all those who manage to make a brand out of a formula are able to give the prescriber an even better feeling. In doing so, a dialogue is established and simplified, trust is won and profits are retained – even despite patent protection. But, of course, the first thing that doctors look at is efficacy. Only healthcare markets who respect and value all those involved, from distributor to patient, will be able to convey their message in a unique and believable way and with a deep understanding of the disease and what it means for the patient and those who care for them.

Can medicine be a love brand? The common compliance deficiencies demonstrate that the relationship of a patient to their medicine is rather complex. This said, most patients value their medication – even despite potential side effects. Although one can’t talk about true love – so to speak – in this context, one can lay down the foundations for a genuine relationship to prescription brands through honest communication and marketing that optimally balances empathy and performance. In this way, relevance leads to preference. And when that happens, even prescription medicine can attain an emotional connection.

How does one make brands out of medicine? With every job we get, the first thing we do is to examine the attitude, behaviour, condition and psychological expectations of the patients and carers. We also take a brutally honest and emphatic view of the situation regarding the sickness and its effects on people, their daily surroundings and healthcare professionals. We then take all this and create convincing arguments, which are given in selected doses all along the patient journey.