Wednesday, September 28, 2011 06:14:14
Fine Healthcare appears in Health Cover Monitor – 2006
by Fine Healthcare
Changes to the regulatory environment under which the healthcare sector operates have, among other things, led to radical adaptations in healthcare marketing practices. Gone, for example, are the days of incentive rewards for prescribers of pharmaceutical products; whether through rebates, distributing free product samples or sponsoring the attendance of medical practitioners at conferences or other events (and even holidays!). Instead, multinational pharmaceutical companies and other large healthcare corporations are now compelled to build trust-relationships with their respective customers – be they prescribers, patients or healthcare funders – based on product or service credibility.
Mandi Fine, managing director of Fine Healthcare Strategic Marketing Services, a niched consultancy specialising in marketing and communications in South Africa’s healthcare industry, says the extreme price-sensitivity of the market has resulted in the decision-making processes relating to pharmaceuticals in particular, shifting away from prescribers to healthcare funders who, in turn, have very specific marketing needs. The result has been the evolution and adoption of a new arsenal of marketing tools that add measurable value to both prescribers and their patients, and ultimately to healthcare funders.
Fine cites a combination of insights gained through an informal research survey with marketing directors and CEO’s of the country’s larger healthcare organisations and personal observation of new trends in this area. “The local healthcare sector is moving towards marketing campaigns and affiliated communication strategies that are aimed at reaching multiple target markets.”