The Time was Right for Rx EDGE^®

The Challenge

When the first prescription drug to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) was introduced in 2000, it may have generated more media attention and consumer awareness than any medication in history. News coverage and television advertising helped make ED a household term. Prescription volume soared. When the third ED drug entered the market in 2003, it naturally faced a tough challenge to seize market share from the dominant leader and another competitor. The brand team also knew it had to communicate a strong differentiation message to physicians and the public for their product to be successful.

Product Launch

All three ED drugs on the market today are clinically proven effective for treating the disorder. Direct-to-consumer advertising for them has shown the public that erectile dysfunction is a manageable health problem men shouldn’t tolerate. However, increasing brand and disease awareness wouldn’t be enough for the newest product to capture significant share against two well-entrenched competitors.

The marketing strategy from the outset emphasized that the new drug represented a better alternative because its therapeutic effect lasts far longer than other ED medications. Advertising messages were focused on the concept that men could be more confident and relaxed because the drug lets them and their partners decide when the moment is right. This critical differentiation was stressed in intimate ads. One advantage to being the third ED drug on the market was that public sensitivities about the problem had been dulled by three years of TV advertising.

Commercials for the new ED medication debuted on the 2003 Super Bowl game, but the first consumer outreach for the product occurred in late 2002. Rx EDGE began working with the brand manufacturer and its advertising agency in mid year to develop an in-store promotional campaign.

Retail pharmacies are attractive outlets for reaching consumers who want to learn about various conditions and treatment options. Further, in-store promotions are proving effective in extending the reach of consumer advertising campaigns by providing detailed information about specific health conditions and treatment alternatives.

First, Rx EDGE conducted research to identify drug stores within its national chain pharmacy network that indexed the highest given the client’s parameters.

Of the total stores in the Rx EDGE network, 14,263 were selected for the initial in-store campaign. It featured product information dispensers in high-traffic aisles, and later switched to pharmacy-counter displays. The program, implemented swiftly and cost-effectively, succeeded in building awareness of the brand and educating consumers about its advantages. However, social stigma associated with ED no doubt inhibited many men interested in learning about the medication from taking the in-store information. It was decided that a less direct vehicle was needed for the Rx EDGE program to influence its target audience more often.

Event Marketing in Retail Pharmacies

In 2004, the brand team modified its strategy to focus on event-oriented marketing, and sponsored a professional golf tournament in Chicago. The effort was expanded in 2005 with tournaments throughout the U.S. Golf was considered a reliable and proven method for reaching their key target males with advertising messages.

The golf connection offered the opportunity for Rx EDGE to create a new floor display promoting chances to win tickets to see the tournaments. Information on the display included a contest entry form, a golf-tips book and a brochure about ED and treatment. The headline on the display promoted free trips to the sponsored tournaments in 2004 and, of course, made it less obvious that men were taking information about ED. In 2005 the campaign also included trips for two to the La Quinta resort near Palm Springs.

Rx EDGE designed floor displays that leveraged the brand’s ties with golf and helped offset stigma associated with ED. This campaign once again showed the power of Rx EDGE for educating consumers in the drug store when they are most receptive to disease-specific information and brand messages for prescription drugs. It also demonstrated that Rx EDGE could effectively implement a multi-faceted program across a number of local markets through its strong knowledge of the retail pharmacy landscape, implementation flexibility and excellent merchandising capabilities.

The Results

By early 2004, a year following launch, the newest ED drug had moved into second place with an 11 percent share. The overall market had grown by 16 percent, built largely from awareness fueled by extensive advertising for the three brands.

According to a recent IMS survey, the return on investment for direct-to-consumer media campaigns is $2.20, compared with the $6.40 average for every dollar invested in Rx EDGE in-store programs. Matched-panel research has shown that Rx EDGE campaigns deliver an average prescription lift of nearly 10 percent per store per week.

That record of achievement was enhanced when the in-store campaign for the ED drug yielded an ROI of $7.25 and an average prescription lift of 8 percent within various markets, such as New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas and Washington, DC. In addition, the floor display showed that Rx EDGE programs are very effective in promoting pharmaceutical brands within marketing campaigns focused on sporting or special event sponsorships.

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