Positioning And Marketing Of Cialis: A Case Analysis

Physicians Segment for ED

Question:

Discuss about the Analysing The Case Of Cialis.

The report focuses on analysing the case of Cialis as an effective drug launched by Lilly ICOS LLC for helping customers in effectively adopting between product alternatives to existing products like Viagra. Viagra as an ED drug is observed to be harmful in nature and also lacks needed flexibility. The report focuses on understanding the manner in which Lilly would effectively market and position Cialis as a differentiated product offering to customers enabling both safety and flexibility.

The market for ED is effectively segmented along three main divisions constituting of Physicians, Patients and their Partners.

The Physicians can be effectively segmented along two specific groups like Urologists and Primary-Care Physicians or PCPs. The Urologists were observed to have effective knowledge regarding the incidence of problems associated with Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and felt quite easy in discussing the same with the patient groups. However, the PCPs reflected a different behavioural trait in that they did not feel quite comfortable in effectively discussing the problems concerning ED with the patients during the initial sittings. The PCPs were also apprehensive regarding prescribing of Viagra to patients that complained of problems associated with ED (Lantos, 2015). These doctors reflected on the growth of untimely deaths of patients suffering from Cardiovascular Problems that emerged owing to their consumption of Viagra. These physicians rendered greater importance in generating a safe life for the patient groups rather than recommending Viagra to take care of their sexual problems. Thus, though around in 90 percent of the cases where patients had initiated the request for the Viagra drug the doctors consisting of both Urologists and PCPs proactively abstained from rendering the same to the patients (Ofek, 2010).

A study was conducted for patient groups pertaining to countries like United States and also of European countries like France, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain and also Italy would respond to the emergence of ED and the treatment procedure adhered to it. Out of a sample constituted by around 32,644 patients visiting the PCPs, around 28,022 reflected that they did not suffer from the problem concerning ED while 2,450 patients that though they suffered from ED problems they had not visited doctors to take any form of medical consultation for their sexual problems. The remaining number of patients amounting to 2,172 reflected that they visited the doctors for earning medical consultation for their sexual problems. For patients, the main market segment concerning EDs is observed to age 50 years or more where around 80 percent of them had sexual partners or were married (Ofek, 2010).

Patients Segment for ED

Moreover, the ED patient groups residing in United States were observed to be more knowledgeable concerning ED than other patients belonging to European nations. Survey results further reflected half of the number of consumers that tended to perceive ED focused on consulting PCPs. The ED patients tended to visit the doctors with either their spouses or with their sexual partners (Dogramatzis, 2016). It was also observed that in the patient segment, the younger patient groups felt somewhat embarrassed to talk with the doctors regarding their ED problems while for the older generation the patients observed the ED problem as naturally emerging on account of age factor and thus steadily discussed the same with their PCPs. The patient groups suffering from ED on visiting the doctors were administered with the Viagra drug. It is however observed that a larger percentage of the male patient groups reflected that they did not feel potentially satisfied with the use of Viagra (Ofek, 2010).

The Patient Segment concerning ED was further segmented along three main groups concerning the using of Viagra. The three main segments that were identified as such consisted of Viagra Current User Groups, Viagra Dropout Cases and also other patient groups that Never Used Viagra (Ofek, 2010).

The Partner Groups consisting of women reported different types of causes attributed to the cause of ED for their spouses. The women partners reflected that the main cause of ED for their husbands and male partners are accounted to factors like growth of stress especially pertaining to their work spheres and also the prevalence of diabetes on a larger scale. Some women partners even reflected or blamed themselves for becoming less attractive currently which was accounted as one of the prime reasons for their husbands’ ED problems. The male partners however reflected that lack of physical intimacy accounted greatly for their ED problems (CTI Reviews, 2016). The male partners reflected that owing to the incidence of the ED problem they are having lesser amount of hugs and kisses from their spouses or sexual partners which further contributed to the growth of ED. The knowledge of Viagra as a potent solution to the sexual problem concerning ED was also observed to be quite low among the partner groups. Partners were observed to gain information concerning Viagra either from media stories or from word-of-mouth marketing (Ofek, 2010). The Partner Knowledge of Viagra is reflected in the following table.

The women partners also reflected potential inconvenience and discomfort regarding the intake of the Viagra drug by their male counterparts. The female partners however stated that it was better for their male counterparts to be administered with the Viagra drug than being free or without subjected to any drug profile. The couples were also observed in enjoying sexual activity especially during the night times and especially during weekends rather than at the middle of the week (Ofek, 2010).

Partner Segment for ED

The Cialis Drug was positioned to help in improving the ability of around 81 percent of the people suffering from ED. It was positioned as an effective drug that would help people gain the advantage of enjoying sexual stimulation even after a 36 hour period on being administered with the drug. The same was taken to account for greater male satisfaction than that of Viagra. Cialis was positioned to rend the male suffering from ED a greater opportunity for enjoying the periods of intimacy with their female partners (Mei, 2012). Cialis was positioned against Viagra such that the latter’s effect stayed only for a four hour period compared to the 36 hour period offered by Cialis. Further, Viagra generated reduced benefits on being taken after a fat meal while in case of Cialis the intake of food failed to affect the performance of the drug on the male population suffering from ED. Cialis as a drug for combating ED also reflected greater amount of safety compared to that of Viagra causing untimely deaths from Cardio-Vascular problems (Ofek, 2010).

The marketing program developed during the initial period for effectively marketing Cialis as a differentiated product focused on three main dimensions underlined as follows. Firstly, Cialis was taken to be promoted as a product that would help in meeting the needs of a niche market segment. Secondly, Cialis was also focused on being marketed to directly compete with Viagra already existent as a potential drug in the ED market. Thirdly, Cialis was taken to be promoted and positioned as a differentiated product through the incorporation of the ‘beat’ strategy (Taylor, 2013). The differentiated positioning that would be rendered for ED would effectively contribute in generating a larger or broader market than Viagra. The promotion and testing of Cialis was firstly accounted through the identification of an effective target market for promoting the drug. The application of Cialis during the initial stages was focused mainly on the Viagra dropouts (Ofek, 2010).

Similarly, the marketing budget concerning the promotion for Cialis was carried out in terms of approaching both the doctors and the patient parties. Cialis was required to be promoted as ‘quality-of-life’ drug for which the marketing activities were required to be subjected mainly along two stakeholder groups, doctors and patients. An effective balance was required to be generated between the doctor and patient groups for designing of the marketing program concerning Cialis (Ezrachi, 2012). The positioning decision concerning Cialis was also accounted to focus on the pricing and promotional activities such that Cialis was focused on being marketed with a higher price than that of Viagra on account of its longer performance. Cialis was also evaluated to be marketed at low prices for being able to tap a larger market. Similarly, concerning promotional activities Cialis was focused on being marketed through the use of celebrity endorsement or rather focusing on marketing the product in terms of attesting a sporting or athletic theme with the same (Ofek, 2010).

Positioning of Cialis against Viagra

The marketing positioning strategy concerning the marketing of Cialis compared to Viagra during the initial period would have gained further impetus through the incorporation of an effective promotion and place mix. The promotion mix for effectively marketing Cialis was required to incorporate different promotional elements like employment of print, digital, social media along with public relation campaigns conducted through use of broadcasting mediums like television and radio (Schecter, 2012). Development of half and full page advertisements for newspapers, health and fitness and other family magazines while also formulating of 30 seconds slot advertisements for radio and television mediums along with conducting of digital and social media marketing programs would help in generating greater brand awareness for the Cialis brand. Rendering of testimonials of consumers having used and experienced the long duration based climax concerning Cialis along both print and audiovisual media would also contribute in development of greater trust of the consumers towards the Cialis brand (Ofek, 2010).

Similarly, the incorporation of an effective place mix is required to be made concerning the marketing of Cialis to potential customers. The place mix would be carried out through selling Cialis through exclusive retail outlets of Lilly ICOS LLC and other medicine retail outlets both brick-and-mortar and also through use of the digital interface incorporating both e-commerce and m-commerce paradigms. Effective Apps are required to be developed for Smartphones and tablets such that the same would help consumers in both viewing and ordering Cialis in a convenient and effective fashion (Ofek, 2010).

Effective brand positioning for Cialis can be done through reflecting on its differentiated offering to the ED market compared to other like products like Viagra. During the initial period, Cialis was promoted in the larger market for ED drugs through creating a differentiated image where Cialis was marketed as a drug for enhancing romance and intimacy rather than meeting sexual needs as in the case of Viagra. Further, the management of Lilly can focus on interviewing the medical practitioners for understanding their needs and expectations concerning the treatment styles considered effective by them for treating ED (Dawar, 2013). Herein, the safety paradigm attached to Cialis and also the flexibility of it being taken before or after meals can be stressed upon for effectively combating and comparing with Viagra that is not considered to be safe and also lacks needed flexibility. The interviewing of medical practitioners contributes in generating greater awareness about Cialis as an effective drug for combating ED. Further, effective promotion needs to be planned for rightly reflecting the benefits and attributes of Cialis as an ED drug to the larger consumer market. Different types of mediums like print, broadcasting and social and digital media platforms are needed to be incorporated for generating increased awareness about the product (Thursby, 2016).

Marketing Program for Cialis

Apart from designing of marketing campaigns both physically and virtually for educating consumers regarding Cialis, Lilly is also required to focus on conducting a market survey to understand views, expectations and needs of customers and medical practitioners in the ED market. The same would help in development of effective relationship of the Cialis brand with diverse stakeholder groups and thereby aim in generating greater profits and sales in the long run. Lilly is required to both sustain and enhance the level of differentiation associated with the production of Cialis through the generation of considerable investment in research and development activities. The same is taken for developing newer and premium drugs which would help in enhancing the product portfolio of the Cialis brand in the market for ED drugs (Dubey, 2017).

An effective marketing mix package can be designed for effectively marketing of Cialis against Viagra in the ED market.

An effective product mix can be generated for Cialis through the designing of a potential product assortment consisting of both oral medications and injections. The development of injections for ED treatment are rendered in an affordable fashion and can be taken with drugs consisting of nitrates needed for patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Intracavernous Cialis injections developed in combination with oral pills helps in faster movement of the medicine along the body of the patient and are also observed to have low side effects. Customers and ED patients thus can effectively opt between purchasing of oral pills and injections of Cialis (Schoonveld, 2016).

Cialis can be rightly marketed through the incorporation of segmented pricing. The use of skimming pricing strategies would help Cialis in both earning greater margins and also in gaining a greater market share in the ED market. Different types of packages can be generated regarding Cialis where greater emphasis was rendered for generation of discounted products during the initial stages while enhancing premium pricing during later stages and also based on the marketing potential of the consumers. Generation of discounted prices during the initial stages would help Cialis develop its brand presence in the drug retail market for ED (Dogramatzis, 2016). Further, Cialis can be marketed at a premium pricing greater than $10 in terms of approaching regions consisting of higher income consumers. The price mix to be set for Cialis also needs to reflect the assurance for a greater and quality life and also an enjoyable intimacy that can be experienced by customers compared to the procuring of Viagra, creating a threat for death. Similarly, segmented pricing strategies can also be undertaken regarding fixation of higher prices for the oral pills while generating low prices for injections. The same would help customers in deciding between shifting over two options like oral pills and injections for meeting of their ED needs (Babar, 2014).

Promotion Mix for Marketing Cialis

The Place Mix regarding the marketing of Cialis in the ED market can be effectively enhanced by Lilly ICOS LLC through the designing of large number of research and development centres along United States, European and other Middle East and Asian markets. The development of local Research and Development centres would help Lilly in gaining access to local resources in terms of technology, human resources expertise and other raw materials for producing the needed product. The same would help in reducing the price for the Cialis product in the ED market. Similarly, Lilly can also focus on entering into partnerships and joint ventures with other local medicine companies associated to the production of sexual medicines and other products for developing larger volumes of such product for local market needs. The same would reduce the need for Lilly in exporting Cialis over international frontiers. Other than saving on exporting cost, the above strategy would help Lilly in gaining effective access to local market networks for marketing of the ED drug. Further, Lilly also needs to focus on the development of exclusive retail outlets other than marketing Cialis through different local drug retail stores and departmental outlets (MacDougall, 2011).

Development of apps for mobile phones and tablets would help consumers in buying Cialis online. This would help in enhancing the purchasing experience of the customers and thereby would enhance the level of customer satisfaction (World Health Organization, 2014).

Cialis can be effectively marketed as an effective ED drug through differentiating the product as encouraging the growth of intimacy and romance among the couples. Along with the incorporation of different types of communication mediums like print, broadcasting, digital and social media for advertising Cialis, Lilly also needs to develop quality marketing and promotional campaigns such that the same would help in enhancing potential brand awareness for the drug in the ED market. The marketing campaigns can be effectively designed in terms of designing workshops for educating consumers regarding the benefits to be gained from consuming Cialis. Invitation can be generated to the patient groups visiting fertility clinics and also to young consumers visiting PCPs (Ezrachi, 2012). The advertisements to be broadcasted using television and radio are required to be developed based on romantic themes where male actors would be observed and heard in taking the Cialis pill before lovemaking. Use of effective colours in the advertisements developed for magazines and newspapers with couples in romantic moods would effectively highlight and portray the benefit of using Cialis. Marketing conducted through the use of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook would contribute in generating larger brand awareness for the product in local markets and communities. This would serve the need for word-of-mouth marketing (Braithwaite, 2013).

Place Mix for Marketing Cialis

The management of Lilly can install an external market survey firm that would conduct a survey through interviewing male and female participants regarding their experiences in using Cialis. Video reflection of the survey activity along with publication of the results through use of print, broadcasting and social media would help in generating increased attraction for the ED drug in the target market. (Katsanis, 2015)

Conclusions

The report reflects the different strategic approaches that are needed to be undertaken by Lilly for effectively marketing Cialis in the market for ED drugs and thereby countering potential competition from the million dollar brand, Viagra. It reflects on the different positioning and the marketing mix strategy that is required to be incorporated by Lilly for effectively positioning the Cialis brand and in also generating greater brand awareness about the product in the target market. The marketing of Cialis also needs to be carried out in terms of highlighting the differentiated attributes of the drug compared to Viagra. Cialis helps in the promotion of greater safety and flexibility compared to Viagra and thereby can be rightly prescribed by medical practitioners and consumed by patients.

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