Product Re-Launch Excellence: Transforming Lackluster Pharmaceutical Products Into Market Success Stories

Product re-launch is the hobgoblin of the pharmaceutical and biotech sector. Few brand leaders ever aspire to this marketing challenge. Yet many find they and their companies must confront re-launch scenarios – or sacrifice hundreds of millions of dollars invested in underperforming products.

A hallmark of great brand and lifecycle management excellence is the ability to successfully re-launch a product that has not achieved its potential upon market entry. This business situation occurs notably at two critical moments in a product’s lifecycle:

• The first appearance is product re-launch due to a miscalculation in the product launch plan. Pfizer's Zithromax is a notable example of a product that misjudged the market, corrected pricing, packaging, sales force support and positioning – and then re-launched. Zithromax is now a multi-billion dollar annual brand – and a “hall of fame” candidate for re-launch excellence.

• Another venue for re-launch is during market entry of a product combination or major line extension. In this instance, two existing products are combined and must launch a new or complementary positioning in the market. Advair and Prevacid NapraPac are examples of smart combinations.

This Best Practices, LLC benchmarking study probed best practices and lessons learned in successful product re-launches. This study also includes two highly successful re-launch case studies: the history and lessons learned from Zithromax and Wellbutrin – two blockbuster products that nearly failed in the marketplace during their initial launches. With interviews and extensive survey data drawn from executives at leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies, this report serves as a guide to achieve an excellent product re-launch.

Industries Profiled:
Consumer Products; Diagnostic; Pharmaceutical; Medical Device; Biotech; Health Care


Companies Profiled:
Bayer Healthcare; Sanofi-aventis; UCB Pharma; Schering-Plough; Roche; Pfizer; Novartis; Merck; AstraZeneca; DSM Pharmaceutical; Abbott Laboratories; Eli Lilly; GlaxoSmithKline l

Study Snapshot

Product Re-Launch Excellence: Transforming Lackluster Pharmaceutical Products Into Market Success Stories (SM-170) benchmarks the perspectives of 19 brand leaders from a class of 14 leading pharmaceutical companies. This benchmarking report will help executives gain the insights necessary to: set re-launch strategy, re-define brand character, invigorate sales support and set the optimal investment level. After identifying areas for improvement, your organization can close performance gaps in re-launching products and employ changes that will support and sustain change in your organization.

Key Findings

Following, are some of the higher-level key findings from the study. Examples of more tactical and in-depth practices are included in the complimentary summary available for download by clicking on "Download FREE Excerpt" in the column on the right. Insights include:

1. Setting Re-launch Strategy: The pathway to re-launch success is paved by careful analysis of what went wrong during initial launch.
2. Selecting Your Pathway To Success: Assess each re-launch as a unique market situation that requires customized strategy fitting and tactical alignment.
3. Redefining Product Character & Position: Shape a new core message that serves as the catalyst for the revised product positioning.
4. Winning The Hearts & Minds of The Sales Organization: Sales force strategy needs to fit the re-launch approach and scope to place resources where they will make a difference.
5. Winning The Marketing Investment Resources To Succeed: Product re-launch success requires the coordination of multiple factors – first of which is determining the marketing resources required to carry out the re-launch strategy.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Project Overview.......................................................Page 1
Survey Methodology.................................................Page 1
Report Structure & Organization...........................Page 4
Key Findings and Recommendation.......................Page 5
Next Steps..................................................................Page 8
SETTING RE-LAUNCH STRATEGY
Chapter Contents......................................................Page 10
Building the Business Case for Re-launch...............Page 11
Selecting your Pathway for Success: Identifying
the Best Re-launch Strategy or Approach...............Page 13
Align with Market Demand.......................................Page 18
Engaging Leadership to Win Support for
Re-launch.....................................................................Page 19
Considering Lifecycle Opportunities and Risks......Page 21
Managing Expectations for the Re-launch..............Page 22
Winning Staff and Field Support............................Page 24
Avoiding Group Think..............................................Page 25
Brand Team Leadership: Assessing which Horse
to Ride.........................................................................Page 26
RE-DEFINING BRAND CHARACTER
Chapter Contents.................................................Page 30
Resetting the Product’s Positioning....................Page 32
Defining a New Core Message...........................Page 36
Communicating a New Core Message to
Physicians............................................................Page 37
Maximizing the Portfolio....................................Page 41
Gaining Thought Leader Support.......................Page 45
WINNING THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE SALES ORGANIZATION
Chapter Contents................................................Page 52
Aligning Sales Force Tactics to Product Re-launch Strategy............................... Page 53
Creating Excitement and Support.......................Page 55
Shifting Product Placement.................................Page 59
Equipping the Sales Force for Re-launch
Success...................................................................Page 61
Shifting Resources to Ensure Success................Page 63
Marrying Execution and Systems to Optimize Sales Uptake.......................................Page 64
Training: Engaging the Field on the New
Positioning............................................................Page 66
Optimizing Sales Force Promotions through
Careful Physician Decile Targeting...................Page 69
MARKETING INVESTMENT LEVELS
Chapter Contents..................................................Page 72
Multi-faceted Approach to Designing the
Marketing Mix.......................................................Page 74
Structure Approach to Winning Resources........Page 76
Benchmarking First Launch and the
Competition.............................................................Page 78
Managing Stigma from the First Launch..............Page 79
Marketing Mix: Apply Key Marketing Levers to
Drive Success .............................................................Page 80
Investment Allocation: Strategies to Optimize Resources and Minimize Risk................Page 83
Monitor Success: Adjust Investment Strategy to
Reflect Post-Re-launch Reality.................................Page 89
CASE STUDIES
Case Studies on Zithromax & Wellbutrin XL.................................................Page 90
Key Lessons Learned and Pitfalls..................Page 114

List of Charts & Exhibits

Figure S.1-Study Overview 1
Figure S.2-Universe of Learning 2
Figure S.3-Benchmark Brands 2
Figure S.4-Mapping Re-launch Strategy 4
Figure 1.1-Why Re-launch 11
Figure 1.2-Approach 13
Figure 1.3-Ideal Audience 14
Figure 1.4-Mapping Re-launch Strategy 15
Figure 1.5-Use History’s Compass 17
Figure 1.6-Product Leadership 19
Figure 1.7-Re-energizing the Sales Uptake Curve 22
Figure 1.8-Changing Brand Teams 26
Figure 2.1-Brand Character 30
Figure 2.2-Brand Character 31
Figure 2.3-Resetting Positioning 33
Figure 2.4-Resetting Positioning (cont’d) 34
Figure 2.5-Core Message 36
Figure 2.6-Physician Communication 37
Figure 2.7-Product Re-education 40
Figure 2.8-Thought Leader Support 45
Figure 2.9-Thought Leader Support (cont’d) 45
Figure 2.10-Using Publications to Re-position 48
Figure 3.1-Sales Growth Trajectory 54
Figure 3.2-Sales Repositioning Trajectory 55
Figure 3.3-Creating Excitement and Support 56
Figure 3.4-Winning Sales Support 56
Figure 3.5-Enhancing Product Placement 60
Figure 3.6-Product Placement 60
Figure 3.7-Marketing Mix – Sales & Segments 61
Figure 3.8-Sales Force Management Tactics 63
Figure 3.9-Launch Cycle Performance Mgmt 67
Figure 3.10-Aligning Training Tactics 68
Figure 3.11-Sales Force Adjustment 69
Figure 3.12-Targeting Deciles 70
Figure 4.1-Lessons Learned & Pitfalls 74
Figure 4.2-Investment 75
Figure 4.3-Organizational Endorsement 77
Figure 4.4-Re-launch Investment Levels 78
Figure 4.5-Investment Levels 78
Figure 4.6-Approach 81
Figure 4.7-Marketing Mix by Positioning 81
Figure 4.8-Product Differentiation 82
Figure 4.9-Marketing Mix Optimization 84
Figure 4.10-Marketing Mix-KOLs & Advocacy 85
Figure 4.11-Marketing Mix-Key Channels 86
Figure 4.12-Sales & Segments 87
Figure 4.13-Marketing Mix-Education 88
Figure 4.14-Marketing Mix-Other 89
Figure 4.15-Expected Outcomes 90
Figure 4.16-Marketing Mix Shift 90