The delicate art of medical marketing

Requiring specialised knowledge and high degrees of informed creativity, this marketing is becoming increasingly prominent in everyday life as more and more industries come under increased control and, even those that are not, turn to new and innovative ways to punt their wares. And it is in this domain that marketing for the pharmaceutical industry lies.

Communicated through more discreet channels

Dark marketing, despite its ominous moniker, refers to a type of marketing where the product itself is not mentioned, but is communicated to its final user through other, more discreet channels.

Although it is used to great effect by many large corporations selling consumer goods, it comes into its own where a product is restricted by certain legislation to be marketed 'openly'. This has mainly been the domain of the medical and pharmaceutical industry, but is becoming increasingly popular in other industries such as tobacco and alcohol that are now finding stricter marketing legislation encroaching on their marketing space.

On the surface, dark marketing takes the form of innocent communication and the underlying premise is that the recipient is unaware that they are being marketed to. There is a certain danger to this as it raises some ethical issues, which you have to be very careful to avoid.

'Dark marketing' is a 'dark art'

You can provide information without awareness and let consumers make their own choice, but when it comes to trying to sway people without them knowing it, it can be seen as surreptitious on the part of the brand. This can cause serious damage to a brand and this is why 'dark marketing' is such a 'dark art'- it has to be done right.

Unlike traditional advertising and marketing, the healthcare industry faces some very stringent hurdles to overcome when developing marketing campaigns which include compliance to legislation, compliance to internally adopted codes, a thorough understanding of the various audiences, and a very focused form of creativity.

In order to comply with legislation, healthcare claims need to be thoroughly substantiated. They need to be true and clear, with a single-minded message and without any possibility of incorrect interpretation; there is no grey area. The message may need to include complicated medical jargon, or be substantiated with references, but it still needs to be presented in the best possible creative way to engage the intended market.

Internal marketing codes more rigorous than legislation

In addition to this, many companies will have their own internal marketing codes. These are often even more rigorous than those set out by legislation and are put in place to protect the business itself from any negative feedback that may arise from incorrect marketing. Each and every communication from the company has to be 100% in line with its own, often complicated, policies.

Healthcare marketing also requires a very specialised understanding of its target audience's limitations, objectives and needs. These are very different to 'normal' consumer-based audiences and include healthcare professionals, as well as patients:

• On the one hand, consumers and patients need to be educated, without dropping brand names, to know why they should choose or ask for a specific product.
  
• Doctors, on the other hand, need clear-cut information on the product in order to assist them in making a decision when prescribing medication.
  
• Much like doctors, pharmacists also need the right information to recommend a product or not; to replace a prescribed product with another that they're more familiar with; or a generic at half the price.

• Finally, internal sales forces need to be excited and educated on product benefits in order to sell them effectively and know why to promote them above other, similar products.

In-depth understanding of boundaries

The creative thinking that is required to construct marketing campaigns for healthcare products needs to have an in-depth understanding of the boundaries it operates within. The ideas that are generated must not just be creative and effective, but must also be factually correct, backed up by clinical studies, relevant and legal.

Medical marketing agencies need to fully understand the arena in which they operate so that they can deliver to the client's requirements and also ensure that what they produce is compliant with all the necessary regulations.

Thus the responsibility of medical marketing agencies is to educate the consumer or patient in a very restricted environment that actively discourages it, which means a firm understanding of requirements and processes needing to be followed distilled into a very tight briefing system that ensures that the creative fulfills all requirements.

Boundaries and creativity

Some may find this too much trouble but for others, though, it's like children who thrive when boundaries are put in place - one could say the same about creativity.

It is my belief that effective dark marketing is that which educates the consumer and other audiences so that they are properly informed of their options while remaining compliant with the codes and regulations in place.