The question is, to what extent have we capitalised on this sea-change in the healthcare industry? We have the opportunity for dialogue with the customers and consumers of our brands, as never before, but do we use it? Our ever-evolving vehicles of communication have brought with them a need for speed. Communications have become more frequent and their messages more fractured and fragmented in the foray. The question that this ‘thought for the day’ seeks to engage with is, are we running the gauntlet, or are we merely along for the ride?  

Brand by any other name

Such is the inexorable lexicon of terminology that has arisen around the word ‘brand’, that I could begin by reeling off 1001 enigmatic variations of methodologies and terminologies that exist to define the same thing.

Pharma companies and consultancies alike, ‘heal ourselves!’. Clarity and consistency of communication begins at home. The fundamental principles of branding are based on Simplicity, Clarity and Consistency. A trinity, holy, or otherwise, but one, nonetheless, that should be kept sacrosanct:

Be Simple: the strongest brands follow a single-minded vision and positioning.

Be Clear: The strongest brands embody a clearly articulated brand image, set of values and point of differentiation.

Be Consistent: The strongest brands inhabit a consistent and well managed external and internal world

Pharma brands have become more visible and consumers more empowered to drive dialogue – and demand. In an information-rich environment, customers are more ‘in control’ of choice than ever, but because of so much choice they are also more out of control. At a time when confusion and uncertainty are, perhaps, more rife than ever before, brands need to communicate – and educate - as never before.

Maintaining contact with our consumers is crucial, if we are to hold true to the tenets of good branding, which is about building – and maintaining – a relationship.

In this environment of clutter and confusion, the role of brand needs to be reassessed. The brands that will succeed, will be those that establish themselves on foundations that are simple, clear and consistent and that build on those foundations by fostering an honest and open dialogue.

What you say and how you say it

‘Enjoy by’
‘Use by’

The function of these calls to action is the same, each communicating a necessary piece of information – the date by which the product expires. However, the subtlety of how they communicate, is significant. Those of you who subscribe to the holy grail of smoothie brands, that is Innocent, will be familiar with the two little words ‘enjoy by’ that hallmark its bottletops.

What does this have to do with the healthcare industry? In five short words, more than you might think.

In the simplest of terms, we have two ways in which to communicate. Language and design. Words and images. Words are common currency. Their value is going down faster than the FTSE 500. It never ceases to astonish me the microscopic attention we pay to the ‘look’ of a brand, to the science and subtleties of fonts, pantones, graphics and photography compared with that afforded to ‘voice’ of our brand. Now, as never before, we need to inject greater care and precision into what our brands say and how they say it.

Think about the language your brand uses, your brand’s tone of voice. Does your brand speak in the first or third person? Or, does it toggle across both? Does it speak in a passive voice, or engage in active dialogue? Does it have one voice for one audience and one for another? Does it use words which ‘label’ the end-users of your brand, and mnemonics which serve to define them in terms of their condition? By speaking in more transparent terms, by using language which is more human and engaging, the better we can establish a more direct, meaningful – and enduring relationship.

Let’s look, then, at sharper ways in which we can invite more dialogue, dialogue which will help to inform our brands. We have the opportunity to listen, as never before. The rise of the blog alone has vented a worldwide consumer-led debate on every subject you can name, and healthcare conditions and medications are topping the charts. So, what are people saying about your brands? About their conditions? Why do they remain loyal to a given treatment? Why do they defect? On what basis do they endorse? Ultimately, what are you going to do about it?

P&G’s online forum Capessa is but one example, of many companies, who are launching community sites with the stated intent to open up dialogue and discussion. In this case, specific to female consumers. The simple point here, is constancy of contact with customer and consumer alike and consistency in how you manage it. What this doesn’t mean is bombarding your customers and consumers by every means and method possible. What it does mean is a clear and consistent strategy for communicating with prescribers and patients, at touchpoints that will be meaningful and memorable and that are aligned with, and reinforce, your brand’s values.

Communicate, communicate, communicate

In business terms, a brand is the ultimate relationship. It is the relationship that builds preference, cements loyalty and maintains earnings. As with the strongest relationships, the strongest brands are fostered on fundamental principles of open dialogue, of honest and straightforward communication. As we need to work at any relationship, we need to work at our brands, ensuring consistency and relevance of our brand’s messages. Language should not be left to languish. Our world has become more cluttered and, invariably, with that clutter a concomitant complexity and confusion in what is being said. Brands need to be simpler and more specific in their intent, clearer and more consistent in their delivery. Dilution by gravitational pull to the lowest common denominator has never been the answer and never will be.

Simply, to sum up a thousand words, in thirty:

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Be clear in the content of your communications and consistent in their construct. And keep talking.

The media may have changed, but the basic tenets of good branding remain the same.

Source; Interbrand