Creating trust - first-line managers as field-brand managers
Dear Friends,
At the outset let me wish a very happy Diwali and a prosperous new year to my friends from Gujarat.
With great pleasure I present you the monthly e-letter, Vol II, Issue IV, October 2011 of ‘The Enablers’.
this time we discuss an interesting topic – the role of a first-line manager as a brand manager. The role which a first-line manager plays in the brand-building process has neither been recognised nor appreciated. So when a new product fails (and 99 of 100 new products fail in the Indian pharma market!), the brand manager blames the first-line manager while the first-line manager has no clue as to why the brand has failed.
Active collaboration between the brand manager and the first-line manager is necessary for brand success. The first-line manager, whom I would prefer to call as field-brand manager, need to trained so he can fulfil his role as a field-brand manager.
How can this be done? Here are a few thoughts from me. Those field-brand managers who desire to learn more about this should read my book: “WHAT THE PHARMA CEO WANTS FROM THE BRAND MANAGER’. If you desire to purchase this book, you may go to the last page 5 of this issue.
Those field-brand managers and the corporate brand managers who purchase this book before 30th November are entitled to a 3-month e-learning course, without any professional fees.
Warm regards,
Vivek Hattangadi
16th October 2011
| Creating trust - first-line managers as field-brand managers |
Branding is a key issue in the pharma industry; product managers have evolved into brand managers and are beginning to understand the dynamics of brand equity that lie at the heart of brand management and marketing. Jean Noel Kapferer says that, “a product gives a certain efficacy while a brand gives more trust.” And when it comes to creating that trust, who else, but the first-line managers, can play that crucial role? It is essentially first-line managers who meet the doctor’s day in and day out - in the organization. It is interaction between firs-line managers and doctors that can breed trust or may be mistrust. Trust builds brand loyalty and a sense of commitment.
Besides creating trust between the brand and the doctors, first-line managers, or more correctly, field-brand managers have two more important roles to play in the brand building process, prescription generation and competition analysis.
Prescription Generation: Brand building in our industry is fundamentally prescription generation. Making existing prescribers prescribe more is relatively easier then getting a prescription from a non-prescriber to prescribe. Strong brands add value to the product, which helps it differentiate itself from competition. While that differentiation is created by the corporate brand manager when designing strategy, it is the field-brand manager, is indirectly or directly involved in the brand building process; through strategy execution resulting in prescription generation. Strategy execution is more important than strategy designing therefore, the field-brand manager holds the key to build a strong pharma brand.
In spite of this contribution, no company directly rewards the first-line manager for their involvement in the brand management process. Nor do the companies encourage participation. First-line managers can actually steer brands around the various hurdles and challenges in the market place if they use all their learning and experience to build robust brands of the future.
While the corporate brand manager decides on the brand strategies, the execution is carried out by the field personnel. Both have to work in tandem to build a strong brand. In our industry it is almost impossible to build a brand without soliciting dynamic collaboration of the first-line manager. After all, a strong pharma brand is recognised only by prescriptions. And, since it is the first-line managers who are responsible for prescription generation, they have a vital role in the brand-building process.
Why does a company require a strong brand?
· Strong brands create a platform to establish stable relations with the doctors for more prescriptions.
· Strong brands can enhance differentiated competitive advantage. If companies fail to differentiate themselves at a level beyond functional benefits, they will be unable to sustain brand loyalty.
· Strong brands can extend the life-cycle of a product.
· Strong brands can work across the national territory and without market restrictions.
When there is lack of differentiation and doctors have the tendency to look at products as a commodity. Commodities and brands are the two ends of the product spectrum. Each unit of a commodity is exactly like every other unit. A product is a commodity when all units of production are identical, regardless of who produces them, whether it is Intas or Alkem or Pfizer. For instance, Famotin is very much like Famonite and therefore treated like a commodity. Becosules, however, is a brand. Beplex Forte is a brand – and the two are not similar.
Competitor Analysis: Analysing competition is an important part of the strategic brand planning process. Here are a few significant steps which a first-line manager can initiate in the brand building process
· First, the field manager can analyse observable data on competing products in the market place and even the doctor’s perception of value. If the corporate brand manager trains them in this process, the product-to-a-strong-brand process can be accelerated. It is the first-line manager who is in touch with customer’s day in and day out. Who else can perform this task better – provided they are guided on this aspect?
· First-line managers are the eyes and ears of the company in the market. They can be trained on writing competitive analysis. Gathering information about competition, customer dynamism, low levels of brand loyalty are some of the issues they can observe and report. Make them a part of the field MIS (Marketing Information System)! The face of any organization is the first-line manager.
· Training is essential to remain ahead of the competition. Sales force needs training before entering the market as well as training at different stage of the product life cycle, else competitor brands can prevail.
First-line managers thus can play a crucial role in the brand building process by building trust with the doctors, generation prescriptions and playing a key role in analysing completion.
The book, ‘WHAT THE PHARMA CEO WANTS FROM THE BRAND MANAGER’ was released on 6th October 2011.
Reason 1: To the field managers, this book will give an insight into the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of a brand manager.
Reason 2: It will help you appreciate that field managers and brand managers have to work in tandem to build strong brands.
Reason 3: This book will help to shape the future of field managers who wish to make progress in their careers via the route of brand management.
Reason 4: Veteran brand managers will get a chance to revisit the basics of pharma brand management.
Reason 5: It is often said that new products are the life-blood of progressive companies. You will be able to know what it takes to turn a product to a brand.
| How to buy the book ‘WHAT THE PHARMA CEO WANTS FROM THE BRAND MANAGER’:  1. Visit www.pothi.com and Click on buy books 2. This book is available in both the formats - ‘Print-book’ as well ‘E-book’. Go to the format you desire to purchase. 3. Under languages, click English 4. Under category, select ‘Reference’ 5. Under publishers, select ‘Independent’. 6. Go to ‘Add to the cart’ and then check out. 7. Then proceed to make the payments either through (a) Credit / Debit card (b) Online banking / Electronic Transfer (c) Debit card 8. Those brand managers or first-line sales managers buying this book before 30th November 2011 are entitled to a complimentary 3 month E-learning course either on brand management or sales management. Please do visit www.theenablers.org for details of registration |
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