The author of the embedded piece (click on “Read More”), David Anderson, is a managing partner at Insight NZ, a healthcare brand advertising agency. He argues that, by definition, marketing is “patient centric.” The UK Chartered Institute of Marketing, for example, defines marketing as “…the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating, and satisfying customer requirements profitably.”
“Profitability,” however, often trumps (with a small “t”) putting patients’ interest first. If it weren’t so, I would never have anything to write about in this blog!
For an alternative view, read this: “Are #Pharma Medical Departments Responsible for ‘Patient Engagement?’” After reading that you will see that Mr. Anderson completely ignores the medical research side of the business, which marketers don’t fully understand until after the drug is already developed.
See below for Mr. Anderson’s four reasons why he believes pharma marketers have a unique opportunity to be “the voice” of the patient.