Why brands matter in pharma (and where have they gone)

Brands are all around us and shape our decisions in ways we are not conscious of. Having embraced the idea of brand building in the 00’s/10’s, there has been a steady decline in their perceived value in the pharma industry, frequently driven by the idea that they are not ‘appropriate’ for HCPs – or worse, seen as ‘cheating’ those who make prescribing decisions for patients.

In this article, I argue that not only are brands for everyone, they are more important than ever in an increasingly noisy and competitive pharmaceutical environment.

Decision making is not rational

What did you have for breakfast? Cereal? Which one? Why did you choose that one?

What phone do you own? Apple? Samsung? Why did you choose it?

How about coffee? Starbucks? McDonalds? Your local artisan barista?

Humans are constantly making purchasing decisions, and whilst we would like to think they are purely rational (“I chose an iphone because of its enhanced privacy features”), behavioural science shows that it is often anything but (“I chose an iphone because it makes me look cool”). Understanding and importantly accepting that this is how we all make decisions is at the core of creating great brands – whether its for fast moving consumer goods, cars or pharmaceuticals.

The late Nobel Prize winning Daniel Kahenman identified and popularised system 1 and system 2 thinking, which is key to understanding what we do and why. System 1 is fast, automatic and often subconscious. It relies on heuristics, emotions and immediate impressions – but is prone to bias and error. System 2 is slower, more deliberate and analytical. It involves logical reasoning and critical thinking but it takes more time and is much harder work – consequently we tend not to do it quite so much. Both systems work together, but we tend to rely on system 1 for day to day living – as otherwise life would be very hard work!  

System 1/system 2 thinking is an example and small part of the field of behavioural science, an area that marketers have long used to help build brands and drive product purchase. By leveraging the science of behaviour (and it IS a science), marketers create an emotional connection to a brand that transcends rational thought.

We all love stories

Story telling has been a key part of human development for millennia and it has served an important purpose. Before we could write things down it was the way in which vital knowledge, such as where water could be found and food caught, was passed down the generations, as it was a simple way to undertand complex information. This began around the campfire, but evolved into legendary tales including The Iliad and Gilgamesh. The tradition of story telling is now integral to brand development because it resonates with people and helps them understand the role the brand can play in their lives. Think of Nike. The adverts don’t talk about the technical elements of their shoes – they tell stories about the people who use them and what they achieve. RedBull takes a similar approach – a sugary, caffeine rich drink is elevated to a lifestyle choice of high adventure and thrills. Bringing together the power for stories and an understanding of our behaviour enables the creation of amazing brands.

Doctors are humans too

Brands influence our decisions all the time – so why does the pharma industry think that doctors are different and that when they make treatment decisions they are 100% evidence based and completely rational? I believe there are a number of reasons behind this:

• Doctors are taught to practice evidence-based medicine
• The narrative (or story!) in pharma companies is that data or better data will sell the medicine on its own
• There is a feeling that brands and marketing are cheating, or tricking doctors

These objections need to be challenged:

• Doctors are taught to practice evidence-based medicine, but actual prescribing information shows they do anything but. If they did, the most efficacious, most tolerated and cost-effective product would be the only one that is used
• Great data is a pre-requisite for product use and brand creation, but doctors are busy and rely on system 1 thinking to make decisions. When most have only a couple of minutes in front of the patient and 99% of that time is spent talking, they lack the capacity to analyse multiple clinical trials across multiple products (i.e. system 2 thinking) and make and purely rational decision about the treatment
• The feeling that brand creation or even marketing is cheating doctors often comes from medical teams, who are doctors themselves. It is driven by the feeling that they themselves are not or cannot be influenced by ‘sneaky’ marketers, so its not appropriate for other HCPs. Exploring why medics chose their car neatly shows that they are humans and are influenced by brands – and this is ok!

Brands improve patients lives

The simplest argument for the creation of pharma brands is it communicates complex information through a story that makes the most sense to HCPs (and their patients) to improve their lives. This is magical. Building an emotional connection so deep between a doctor and a product means that more patients benefit from that product. This is good for everyone. Brands must have a promise associated with them and if this promise is not fulfilled (be in through data, price, efficacy etc.) then they will not be used – so companies need to have the requisite information, as without it the brand is hollow.

So how can pharma build great brands? The following 5 steps will help:

1.      Accept that doctors are humans and make non-rational decisions

2.      Train marketers and broader cross-functional team members in how brands are created and the value that they bring

3.      Focus on the development of real brand plans – those that identify how the brand is best developed and communicated

4.      Be proud of and talk about creating brands as the best way to communicate complex information to busy doctors

5.      Ensure senior leadership challenge brand teams in the creation of brands

When reading this article you will have had emotional reactions to the story it tells, be they positive or negative. This proves two things 1. You are human, 2. You have a connection to what you have read. I hope that your reactions are positive and you champion the creation of brands in pharma – this way we can all help doctors and the patients they serve.