Sampling: A Key Business Driver in a Multi-channel Environment
For many Pharma brands, physical samples are one of the most effective marketing initiatives they have.
However, sampling optimisation is typically a very inexact science, with risks of cannibalisation and inefficiency from providing too many or too few samples, or simply targeting the wrong prescribers.
In an age of digital, multi-channel marketing, sampling has remained largely within the domain of sales reps, in spite of evidence that an optimised, centralised multi-channel sampling operation can enhance reach and significantly reduce costs.
Many other factors are putting pressure on traditional sampling practices, including greater transparency required by the “Sunshine act”, a reduced sales force, physicians’ growing reluctance to accept or manage samples, and the increasing popularity of vouchers and coupons.
The future of sampling is undoubtedly digital, but what are the best ways for brands to make this critical transition?
Report Overview
Sampling: A key business driver in a multi-channel environment
This cutting-edge new report takes a close look at the changes happening in the world of brand sampling, starting with a review of the major trends in this space that are pushing sampling to adapt to the digital age.
After summarising the key advantages of multi-channel sampling, sampling strategies are discussed, with up-to-the-minute examples and case studies from Pharma. The report also offers advice to companies debating whether to “build or buy” multi-channel operations, and provides invaluable details on potential roadblocks to effective implementation.
Industry experts – including experienced executives at Pharma companies that are leading the way in digital sampling, and representatives of leading third-party vendors – offer exclusive insights into recent successes and current best practices.
Finally, this comprehensive report also examines the trend towards coupons and vouchers, and makes predictions for the future of product sampling.
Sampling: A key business driver in a multi-channel environment is designed to help sales, marketing, and sampling logistics leaders learn best practices to cut costs and grow brand equity.
Key Questions Answered
“Pharma companies were reluctant to take sampling out of the control of the sales force. … What has finally happened in the past two to three years is the leadership of pharma has realised the selling model was not only broken but that they had to do something about it.” – Tom Quinn, general manager of e-sampling, Physicians Interactive
“Our expertise is not in the development of software and that’s typically what these other companies offer us. So to utilise them as a vehicle to get the samples available and to provide reports back to us, is a very positive move. We want to concentrate on developing products for healthcare.”
– Kathy Pettinato, assistant director of sampling operations, Astellas
“There are very few pharma companies that have a business group in charge of managing sampling centrally. And that’s a main roadblock stopping companies to take their multi-channel sampling operations to the next level.” – A Big Pharma multi-channel leader
“For me, vouchering is the best method to come out in the past 20 years because it gives pharmacists a chance to evaluate all the medicines a patient is on and maybe prevent a hazardous interaction … If a prescriber gives them a sample, that’s throwing a potential time bomb into the mix and no one has any checks and balances on that.” – Gary Thornton, SFA systems contractor
Key Report Features
However, sampling optimisation is typically a very inexact science, with risks of cannibalisation and inefficiency from providing too many or too few samples, or simply targeting the wrong prescribers.
In an age of digital, multi-channel marketing, sampling has remained largely within the domain of sales reps, in spite of evidence that an optimised, centralised multi-channel sampling operation can enhance reach and significantly reduce costs.
Many other factors are putting pressure on traditional sampling practices, including greater transparency required by the “Sunshine act”, a reduced sales force, physicians’ growing reluctance to accept or manage samples, and the increasing popularity of vouchers and coupons.
The future of sampling is undoubtedly digital, but what are the best ways for brands to make this critical transition?
Report Overview
Sampling: A key business driver in a multi-channel environment
This cutting-edge new report takes a close look at the changes happening in the world of brand sampling, starting with a review of the major trends in this space that are pushing sampling to adapt to the digital age.
After summarising the key advantages of multi-channel sampling, sampling strategies are discussed, with up-to-the-minute examples and case studies from Pharma. The report also offers advice to companies debating whether to “build or buy” multi-channel operations, and provides invaluable details on potential roadblocks to effective implementation.
Industry experts – including experienced executives at Pharma companies that are leading the way in digital sampling, and representatives of leading third-party vendors – offer exclusive insights into recent successes and current best practices.
Finally, this comprehensive report also examines the trend towards coupons and vouchers, and makes predictions for the future of product sampling.
Sampling: A key business driver in a multi-channel environment is designed to help sales, marketing, and sampling logistics leaders learn best practices to cut costs and grow brand equity.
Key Questions Answered
- What is the right channel mix for a particular brand?
- How much focus should be put on sales rep distribution vs. other channels?
- How can companies best coordinate orders?
- Build or buy? (Vendors of virtual sampling solutions offer many advantages, but at a price).
- How will a shift to multi-channel sampling affect our sales force?
- Physical samples vs. free-trial vouchers?
- Free-trial vouchers vs. co-pay coupons?
- What systems need to be in place to comply with the new reporting requirements under the PPACA?
- Learn how to implement more intelligent sampling strategies
- Plan resources more effectively
- Understand the dynamics in favour of vouchers
- Know what it takes to be compliant with both the PDMA and the PPACA
- Learn new ways to leverage your sales force
- Better assess the range of commercial options at any stage of the transition process to full multi-channel operations
- Understand and avoid/overcome the roadblocks on the way to full multi-channel operations
- Find ways to champion central sampling operations
- Sales and marketing executives:
- Marketing Directors
- Sales Directors
- Brand Managers
- Operational executives in:
- Samples Administration
- Central Logistics
“Pharma companies were reluctant to take sampling out of the control of the sales force. … What has finally happened in the past two to three years is the leadership of pharma has realised the selling model was not only broken but that they had to do something about it.” – Tom Quinn, general manager of e-sampling, Physicians Interactive
“Our expertise is not in the development of software and that’s typically what these other companies offer us. So to utilise them as a vehicle to get the samples available and to provide reports back to us, is a very positive move. We want to concentrate on developing products for healthcare.”
– Kathy Pettinato, assistant director of sampling operations, Astellas
“There are very few pharma companies that have a business group in charge of managing sampling centrally. And that’s a main roadblock stopping companies to take their multi-channel sampling operations to the next level.” – A Big Pharma multi-channel leader
“For me, vouchering is the best method to come out in the past 20 years because it gives pharmacists a chance to evaluate all the medicines a patient is on and maybe prevent a hazardous interaction … If a prescriber gives them a sample, that’s throwing a potential time bomb into the mix and no one has any checks and balances on that.” – Gary Thornton, SFA systems contractor
Key Report Features
- An overview of the major trends affecting sampling strategies, including the rise in multi-channel operations and increasing acceptance of trial vouchers over physical samples
- Breakdown of sample acceptance by therapeutic area
- Sample optimisation strategies
- Build or buy? What can Pharma learn from the leading vendors of sampling solutions?
- Case study on integrating the sales force into multi-channel sampling
- Challenges of the Prescription Drug Marketing Act (PDMA) requirements in a multi-channel environment
- Effect of the Sunshine provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) on physician acceptance of samples
- Examination of the rising importance of vouchers and co-pay coupons
- Director at a top pharma company who also heads up multi-channel sampling
- Kathy Pettinato, assistant director of sampling operations, Astellas
- Diep Cohen, digital marketing and services leader, AstraZeneca
- Gary Thornton, SFA Systems Contractor
- Guillaume Roussel, vice-president, compliance solutions for Europe and the Middle East, Cegedim Relationship Management
- Tom Quinn, general manager of e-sampling, Physicians Interactive
- Dave Harrel, founder, MDSample
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
THE POWER OF SAMPLING
Sample studies
THE SAMPLING LANDSCAPE
Changing sales model
Reasons for sampling
Changing regulations
Enhanced reporting under ACA
Samples in traditional detailing
Doctors who say no
Centralised solutions at medical centres
Breakdown by therapeutic area
Breakdown by practice size
MULTI-CHANNEL SAMPLING
Sampling add-ons
Better control of sample distribution
A gradual transition
Integration with the sales force
Case study
Big pharma sets the pace
Towards pure multi-channel operations
Push and pull dynamics
Setting the rules
Build or buy?
Who owns sampling?
VOUCHERS AND COUPONS
Interaction with pharmacists
More trackable
Discount wars
SAMPLE OPTIMISATION
An inexact science
Any model is better than none
Prescribing potential
New prescription behaviour or promotion response
Multi-channel optimisation
Coordinating the orders
The right samples to the right customers
Maintaining sampling compliance
THE FUTURE OF SAMPLING
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
THE POWER OF SAMPLING
Sample studies
THE SAMPLING LANDSCAPE
Changing sales model
Reasons for sampling
Changing regulations
Enhanced reporting under ACA
Samples in traditional detailing
Doctors who say no
Centralised solutions at medical centres
Breakdown by therapeutic area
Breakdown by practice size
MULTI-CHANNEL SAMPLING
Sampling add-ons
Better control of sample distribution
A gradual transition
Integration with the sales force
Case study
Big pharma sets the pace
Towards pure multi-channel operations
Push and pull dynamics
Setting the rules
Build or buy?
Who owns sampling?
VOUCHERS AND COUPONS
Interaction with pharmacists
More trackable
Discount wars
SAMPLE OPTIMISATION
An inexact science
Any model is better than none
Prescribing potential
New prescription behaviour or promotion response
Multi-channel optimisation
Coordinating the orders
The right samples to the right customers
Maintaining sampling compliance
THE FUTURE OF SAMPLING
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
