The COZAAR e–Pilot 2005 : an analysis of the effectiveness of e–Profiling and e–Detailing as marketing tools for use in the SA pharmaceutical environment

Abstract

The South African (SA) pharmaceutical industry has become very crowded and competitive. The industry is characterised by many sales representatives (hereafter referred to as sales 'reps'), jockeying for time in front of busy target physicians. With fewer calls available and less time afforded per call, many sales reps are unable to profile their physicians, develop relationships with them, deliver complete promotional messages and differentiate their products. Time in front of the physician has consequently become a significant limiting factor for many CRM and promotional strategies. Pharmaceutical marketers have now turned to the internet to find new and innovative ways to interact with physicians, without "time and place" restrictions. e-Profiling and e-Detailing is essentially physician profiling and detailing done online. e-Profiling is expected to enhance relationships with physicians and improve our understanding of their attitudes and behaviours; while e-Detailing is expected to expose more physicians to higher quality and more interactive promotional messages, more frequently and cost-effectively. Based on research done in the USA and in Europe, it would seem that whilst most firms have not yet nailed down the 'winning formula', they have found that these initiatives complement the sales force and deliver reasonable ROI. However, in SA, very little research has been done on e-Profiling and e-Detailing to support their domestic viability. The COZMR e-Pilot was therefore developed to quantitatively and qualitatively determine whether or not SA physicians are ready fore-Profiling and e-Detailing; and whether or not these initiatives could meet or exceed expectations. This report includes a situational analysis of the SA pharmaceutical industry, an analysis of MSD's competitive position, a literature review on e-Profiling and eDetailing and the results of the COZMR e-pilot. The report draws on the findings of such analyses and research results, to make recommendations and provide action steps for the development and implementation of e-Profiling and eDetailing at MSD SA.