If a brand indicated for the treatment of an enlarged prostate was proven to also grow hair, should that brand identity remain? This is exactly what happened in the case of Merck’s Proscar (finasteride). The FDA approved Proscar to treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). During the clinical trials, and in […] keep reading
Naming is not branding: a lost opportunity for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
“The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public.” So says the lead sentence on their website page, About the IOM. As advisors, independent authorities can offer a refreshing perspective. But when […] keep reading
The psychodynamics of vaccine deniers: the caregiver conundrum
People’s behaviors and buying preferences change significantly when seeking a remedy for an illness that affects them. They go from being “consumers” of goods that celebrate their sense of self–“I got a new iPhone!” “A new Dior bag!” “A new Mustang!”–to a compromised and diminished version of themselves. Healthcare brands […] keep reading
How to think about branding healthcare services
There are principles that make the consumer branding model for consumer services a dead end for healthcare services. Many types of healthcare services exist. There are hospitals and other point-of-care practices such as walk-in clinics, practice management groups, medication distribution services, and health insurance companies. Let’s use hospital service brands as […] keep reading
The worst unresolved healthcare branding issue of 2014
Vulvovaginal atrophy! Say what?? Yes, that’s what it’s actually called by the medical community. The clinical definition is as follows (via The Mayo Clinic): thinning, drying and inflammation of the vaginal walls due to women having less estrogen primarily as a result of menopause. No one would argue that it […] keep reading
So you think you can brand? How branding is poorly branded
I recently attended the 2014 MMM Awards and was struck by how many of the winning campaigns had no sense of brand identity beyond the logo featured in its usual place, the lower right hand corner of the medium. Yet if you asked any of the ad agencies accepting the […] keep reading
A Brilliant Mistake: why consolidation models don’t make sense for anyone
The Consolidation Blues During my 30-year tenure with large healthcare advertising agencies and their holding companies, I have been involved in several “consolidation” pitches fielded by clients with an eye toward greater cost effectiveness. I’ve been part of the winning team, as well as part of the losing team, and […] keep reading
Playing American Idol with healthcare brands: how cookie-cutter brand archetype systems can lead to dull launches
Several years ago, I was invited to help analyze the disappointing performance of a brand called Xigris (drotrecogin alfa). It was the first of its kind to effectively resolve sepsis, a prevalent and often-fatal, acute systemic infection. The company, Eli Lilly, had received an accelerated approval to launch the brand […] keep reading
Can a brand have too much personality?
Think of people you know, and name their personality traits. Are they funny, smart and loyal? Caring, diligent and non-judgmental? Or could they be all these things and more, but at different times? The more sophisticated and complex the person, the more personality traits they evoke because they live and […] keep reading
Five critical principles that can make or break your portfolio brand
The overwhelming majority of healthcare companies that create franchises—or branded portfolios of products and/or services—do so as an afterthought. That is, they launch a few product brands, run into conflicts about how to represent those products to customers, and then layer over the products with a portfolio approach that (more […] keep reading