Proceso de elaboración de pan precocido congelado y de masas congeladas

The pharmaceutical industry is creating new initiatives for the recognition of OTC products. Promotion of OTC medicines accounts for a large part of marketing efforts and the results have been positive. OTC lines use two basic approaches for promotion,

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namely “push” and “pull” strategies. There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these strategies. The main job of the marketing team is to adjust the strategy to suit each specific product.

a- Push strategy:

The push strategy uses trade promotion and the force of the company’s sales to increase consumer demand for a product. First the product is promoted to wholesalers, then it is promoted to retailers by the wholesaler, and finally, the retailer promotes the drug to the patient. Using the “push” strategy, the company can focus on pre-wholesalers, wholesalers and pharmacies at the same time or only focus one of them. In the past few years, pharmacists have also been seen promoting OTC drugs. The use of pharmacists to endorse OTC products is a good idea, as they can easily influence which drug the patient chooses, thus increasing demand. However, as a result, the patient’s visits to the pharmacy increase and retailers are rarely visited. This can negatively affect the demand for the product. At the conference, “Kongres OTC,” held on 29-30 March 2007, Pfizer US National Trade Marketing Manager Tomasz Baralkiewicz stated that “the number of medical reps at present working at pharmacies is too much sometimes that it takes the consumers from the other markets.” Using a push strategy, the pharmaceutical company may also promote the drug directly to the doctor, who in turn recommends the OTC medicine to the patient. This strategy is widely used by Berlin-Chemie Menarini. The total cost of the push strategy includes the trade conditions as well as the discounts given to wholesalers and retailers. The strategy should be comprehensively analysed, as discounts are sometimes not beneficial. Companies use the push strategy in cases where brand awareness is low. For example, with hydrogen peroxide, smoking cessation patches and vitamin C sales, the push strategy works well (Parker & Pettijohn, 2003).

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b- Pull Strategy:

The other strategy that companies use for the promotion of OTC products is the pull strategy. In this strategy, the product is requested by consumers and made available through delivery channels. High expenses for endorsement and promotion are required to carry out the pull strategy. If the promotional strategy goes well, the drug is requested by the patient, and the pharmacist gets it from the wholesaler or dealer. This strategy is extensively used by OTC drug manufacturers who market their products intensively in the media. The absolute leader in terms of drug advertising is Pfizer US, which spent nearly PLN 140m (€34.8m) on OTC drug advertising in 2005. GSK is the second biggest spender on drug endorsement. However, there are companies like Herbapol Wroclaw, Herbapol Poznan and Polfa Warszawa that do not spend a large amount on drug promotion but still attract customers (Parker & Pettijohn, 2003).

Marketing of over-the-counter medicines is a complex phenomenon that requires a great deal of attention in some cases. If appropriate measures are not taken by the manufacturing or marketing departments, the result can be poor product sales (Guido, Pino, & Frangipane, 2011). Therefore, the ability to develop tools that can help executives better measure return on marketing investment is crucial in the pharmaceutical industry. There are some emerging trends that can be applied to almost all areas of marketing; these are discussed below:

i. Influence of pricing on customer choice:

Pricing has a great deal of influence over people’s choices and can in many cases determine customers’ preference for one product over another. It has often been observed that when people see a product that can treat their ailment but is much less expensive, they might believe that the product is of lower quality. However, it was also

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noted in a study conducted by Edelman Berland (2014) that over-the-counter medicine with too high of a price—for example, $250 or more—are not as popular due to being very expensive. Sometimes the reason for not being willing to spend a large amount of money is that people are unsure whether the product will actually treat their condition. This research is interesting from the marketing perspective, as marketers need to understand that price affects the acceptance and popularity of a product (Berland, 2014).

ii. Patient education:

Sometimes the unmet education needs of patients keep them from relying completely on over-the-counter products. Some patients believe that they cannot prepare a health plan or regime based on their own knowledge, although this seems strange in an era when the internet educates people and makes things understandable for them. However, this can prove a rewarding opportunity for marketing companies. Marketers should be trained regarding the uses, side effects and benefits of the medicines. These marketers must have enough knowledge to educate patients and in this context, the pharmacist can play a pivotal role. It is also critical to tell the patient about the condition and the point at which he must see his doctor. Social networks and certain apps that are made to educate patients can also be useful in this regard.