Ellen Hoenig Carlson – Strategy Expert

Ellen Hoenig Carlson has been a leader and brand champion in U.S and Global Consumer and Pharmaceutical Marketing for over two decades. Her record of growth and innovation includes over thirty diverse consumer, OTC, and pharmaceutical/device categories, in US and International, Developed and Emerging markets. While at Bristol Myers-Squibb (BMS), Ellen spanned numerous assignments in US Brand Management, New Products, Global Category Development, Licensing and Business Development, and Vice President of Direct-to-Consumer/Patient (DTC/P) Marketing. During this time, she was twice recognized by Advertising Age Magazine as one of this country’s 50 Most Powerful Marketing Executives. You can also find her at ‘Notes from the Back of the Book’ blog.

1. Question: Domenico says:
   Hi,
   
   What have you seen as the most successful online marketing program lately? How was success defined?
   
   Thanks,
   
   Domenico
   Measurement Consultant
   Answer: Ellen Hoening Carlson says:

   Domenico,

   Thank you for your guestion. Wow…hard to answer without fully knowing brand objectives and strategies, stage in lifecycle and category/competitive dynamics that brand competes…but will give it a try from a high level. Also, I’m making an assumption that you’re asking about consumer online programs?

   Overall, two areas of online marketing that continue to perform well, though perhaps not the sexiest of tactics, are well designed paid search and email marketing. With the infamous 14 FDA letters on paid search, there’s been a precipitous drop in branded sponsored links which were very successful, and hopefully Pharma will soon be able to go back to the ‘one-click’ rule.

   But unbranded search links, where the brand can answer a direct search and need that the consumer has, before moving them into a branded discussion, can also be very successful. While unbranded may seem like a longer haul, often unbranded information is the most sought out from a consumer perspective and the marketer can deliver exactly what the consumer is searching for and then some—The Brand can start building a relationship that brings in the branded content as appropriate and more naturally. SEM can be very effective for generating leads (once they opt-in), educating consumers and engaging them in conversations to move them along the treatment pathway or ‘buying process’ as some like to refer to it. Specific measures of success depending on the objectives might be registrations, time on website, coupon downloads and activations etc. This type of search allows the brand to tailor the information that the consumer is looking for to further engage and satisfy them—from ‘their’ perspective so to speak vs. the manufacturers. Recently John Mack posted an analysis of SEM since the FDA letters, showing the drop of sponsored links and relatively flat growth of unbranded links that you might find of interest (http://pharmamkting.blogspot.com/2009/10/fda-letters-caused-prompt-precipitous.html)

   Depending on the brand’s stage in the lifecycle, email and RAM can still be very effective in reaching and motivating consumers. In healthcare, consumers have come to ‘expect’ email to provide helpful information about a product or new product news, or provide offer information, most notably coupon or trial information. I wrote a blog awhile back called Email As Part of DTC Marketing that you might find of interest (http://blog.advancemarketworx.com/wwwblogadvancemarktworxcom/bid/8603/The-Use-of-Email-as-Part-of-DTC-Marketing ). Success here depends on the objective of your email program, but some success measures might be awareness, open rates, click through to other pages on the web, time on website, coupon downloads, coupon activations etc.

   Traditionally, once you have organic and paid search optimized and email and RM streams planned with meaningful content, a brand can begin to think about other types of web marketing e.g.: sponsorships, CPA buys, social media, use of video etc. to create additional two-way dialogue to bolster awareness, database build, consideration, brand growth-trial, loyalty and advocacy. Most important when considering web programs is to be sure to step back and think hard about why, how and where the target consumer engages with the web, search and social media to help them with their healthcare and life. The brand needs to ‘go where their consumer is’–and not where Pharma may want to go in order to execute the ‘hot’ web program du jour. As always, selecting programs and defining success starts with the brand strategy and positioning/promise. Most media programs are merely tactics that must support the brand’s target and overall promise.

   I hope this helps. Feel free to continue the dialogue.

   Best,
   Ellen

Question: Barbara says:
How would go about developing an attitudinal physician segmentation strategy? What are the key factors to consider? What are your thoughts about using attitudes as compared to using functional segments based on transactional data?
Post a reply