Rx EDGE® Maximizes Product Launch Impact


Perhaps the most difficult and stressful marketing decisions involve allocating resources for new-product introductions. After all, as the saying goes, you never have a second chance to make a first impression. Have we targeted the media placements properly? Do our sales reps have the right materials for doctors and patients? How will our competitors react? These are just a few of the questions swirling around the minds of product team members as a launch draws near.

One question that’s easy to answer, based on the outcome of a recent Rx product launch, is how can we make sure consumers are reached with our messages as close to the point of sale as possible? The answer: Create an in-store promotional campaign with the help of Rx EDGE, the nation’s leading provider of in-store promotional solutions for the pharmaceutical industry.

The marketing team for a recently introduced Rx product faced the dual challenge of introducing its new brand while educating consumers about a benign but bothersome condition it treats: chronic dry eye caused by the body’s impaired ability to produce tears. There was a widely held belief to overcome that the disease couldn’t be treated successfully. The key challenge, according to Albert Negron of Rx EDGE was to convince the public to stop self treating with OTC eye drops, literally for life, to relieve their symptoms.

“Consumers had to be convinced they had the disease and should see the doctor about it,” said Negron. “Therefore, it was necessary to educate the public that persistent red-eye isn’t normal and that an insufficient supply of tears hampers the eye’s ability to lubricate and nourish itself.”

Television and print advertising campaigns were created to inform the public about severe dry eye and introduce the new Rx product. The marketing team had the advantage of being able to stress educational messages since they were selling the only FDA-approved treatment for severe dry eye.

A celebrity actress with the disease was featured in commercials and magazine ads. Footage in the commercial and her voiceover related how her body’s inability to produce sufficient tears hampered her quality of life by limiting her reading time, diminishing enjoyment of daylight recreational activities, and restricting use of her laptop computer.

According to Negron, the brand manager targeted over 500 markets for over-the-counter eye drops commonly used to relieve symptoms of severe dry eye.

“With the advertising campaign serving as air cover, so to speak, we worked with the brand team to create an in-store promotion that would reach consumers of eye-care products,” said Negron. “We targeted national drug store chains, such as CVS, as well as powerhouse local players like Duane Reade in New York City and Longs in San Francisco.” The Rx EDGE network has more than 17,000 retail pharmacy outlets.

In-store promotions are perhaps the most underutilized advertising and marketing channel for prescription drugs today. Yet they represent attractive, cost-effective outlets for reaching consumers who want to learn about various conditions and treatment options. Product information available at the local drug store may prompt a visit to the doctor to discuss potential benefits of that medication.

Negron said Rx EDGE developed an in-store promotional program to capitalize on the well-known celebrity actress and help draw consumer attention in the drug store. The shelf display was located in the eye-care products aisle.

“It carried the TV campaign to the store and reminded those with severe dry eye that there is an alternative to using OTC eye drops all the time,” said Negron. “Our display had pull-out educational information about the disease and messages advising consumers to talk with their pharmacist or doctor about the new treatment.”

At the conclusion of the campaign in early 2005, follow-up research showed that the Rx EDGE displays added significantly to prescription lifts attributed to the advertising and promotional effort. At one of five participating retailers, the total prescription lift was measured at 21 percent and the contribution of Rx EDGE was nearly 9 percent. At another, there was a 25 percent lift in prescriptions, of which 13 percent came from Rx EDGE. The largest participating retailer posted an increase of 17.6 percent and 5.7 percent came from Rx EDGE.

“This promotion clearly shows the value of disease-specific, educational marketing to support a major new drug launch,” said Negron.

“In this campaign, the Rx EDGE impact brought success in showing consumers that persistent dry eye is a medical problem that needs medication,” said Negron. “We helped consumers identify their symptoms and make the decision to consult with the pharmacist and doctor about treatment.”

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