Month: August 2020

Mike Kalfus on Advancing Patient Outcomes for Economically Vulnerable Patients

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ADHERENCE IN UNDERSERVED AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS:

  • Ensure that content is created using health literacy guidelines
  • Cultural competency including language and culturally relevant content is critical.
  • Building a trusting support structure will help increase confidence of patients
  • Behavior modification techniques have been proven to help overcome to help increase medication adherence
  • Pharmacists and other HCP (health care professionals) play a critical role in on-boarding and serving underserved patients with focused support and services.

All of my patients are worth the same to me! Maybe Not?

That statement of “all of my patients are important to me and should all be treated the same way” was an eye-opener! It came from one of our client team members who had previously worked as a nurse, RN, to be specific. This client, one of the first clients that hired me after I left Pfizer to form M2WorldWide (a Global Relationship Marketing Communications Company), was looking for some guidance. For those of you keeping score at home, I formed M2WW (Mike and Mark) with Mark Anzalone, whom I worked with at Wyeth consumer and then at Pfizer Inc. We did some great, innovative stuff together and truly added value to many companies looking for real experience and consultation.

Now back to our client. This was a mid-sized, mid-west pharma company whose largest selling brand was an Rx Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI), not to be confused with another PPI, the Patient Package Insert (you gotta love pharma acronyms). The client had developed a Direct Response Consumer TV campaign that aired nationally in the US. The campaign did a great job of getting consumers to ask for more information and, in fact, over 1 million names opted in for over a 6-month period.

The ASK? Figure out the ROI. Oh, what should we do with all those names?! This work led to some great initial ROI modeling approaches which focused on the impact of both direct and indirect influences on the campaign’s effectiveness. I will leave the evolution of the ROI modeling subject for a future blog. Anyway, the client was unsure of the program’s value and how to handle the million names that have been acquired.

We needed some insights and, therefore, had to answer some questions to determine a few key variables:

  1. How many valid names were actually acquired (mailing name and address/email address)?
  2. Was the name a patient or caregiver?
  3. Were they on therapy or considering therapy?
  4. Can we determine and prioritize them based on their potential value to the company?

This last question was the hardest.

We reviewed the data and found out that not everyone was currently a patient. Some were consumers just looking for information. Others were brand managers or agencies from competing PPI companies in the market, GSK, AZ, etc.

After this exercise, we had to determine “what do we want to provide or fulfill/send to each contact?” With that we could then prioritize the names based on their potential value to the company. Remember my client, the Nurse? Well, in her mind, rightly so as a nurse — and thank GOD for the nurses in the world — she felt that “EVERYONE in the database IS IMPORTANT to me and we need to treat them all the same way.” Well, that’s not entirely possible, nor cost effective. Or is it?

So, we rolled up our proverbial sleeves and got into it. First question: What do we want to send them? Well, it turned out to be a box of information. Cool. Awesome. Sweet. But how much does that box of information cost to produce (not including agency fees)? 20 bucks? Even sweeter. So, $20 x 1 million people is $20 million. Is there $20 million in the budget for fulfillment? Okay, maybe not so sweet.

The point here is, this is where the pharma industry falls short in truly becoming leaders in customer experience. What are the odds on being 100% customer-focused while ensuring 98% happiness? Not so hot, right? We tried to communicate this to our clients. The truth of the matter is, some patients will never go on therapy. Some patients already are on therapy. And, some patients who are on therapy, may not be compliant. It’s a bit of a pickle, huh? Which brings me to the following key customer experience principle:

“Not every patient has the exact same value.” No disrespect to patients. We love ‘em. Where would be without ‘em? Nor does every patient need to be communicated with in the same way. They also don’t require the same information. So, what’s a brand manager/agency man/woman/child to do? You do what so many companies are doing now. You need to analyze and understand the data, prioritizing the segments of who is considering therapy, currently on therapy, and who most likely will be compliant to that therapy!

Prioritizing patients, understanding the barriers to behavior change and providing them with the needed information through the right channels is key to pharma companies and patient Nirvana.

So net net, If you focus on the right patients at the right time with the right message, the price will be right…. Johnny, tell ‘em what they’ve won!

In the Agency Business, Client’s Needs Come First!

Ok, so my first blog was set in the now/future, so I wanted this blog to be a flashback to the 60’s Agency business, “Mad Men” and being a JETS fan. My father was one of the original “Mad Men”. He was raised in New York City, went to Purdue University and ended up working at a mid-sized NYC agency in the 60’s-70’s and commuting in from White Plains every day. Unlike his Don Draper counterparts, my father never smoked or drank, which presented an interesting challenge when he landed a prestigious new business account from an Italian based liquor company. He was charged with developing the name, packaging and advertising campaign for a new sweet tasting yellow liqueur. It became the Galliano brand and based on significant research and customer needs assessment was packaged in a tall bottle resembling a baseball bat, a nod to the love of this sport. His work contributed significantly to the Galliano brand that now sits on the top shelf of many bars, and completes the famous Harvey Wallbanger cocktail.

Before Galliano, I was a NY Football Giants Fan. I know. I know. My father loved both Giants sports teams that called New York their home. When the New York Baseball Giants relocated to California, we shifted our allegiance to the New York Mets, but remained Football Giant fans. I went to every home game at Yankee Stadium, sitting mostly behind the large metal beam structures that held up the stadium. Watching Fran Tarkington, Homer Jones, and other Giant greats were some of my fondest memories, but the days of being a Giant fan ended abruptly. Yeah yeah yeah. I’m getting to the Agency business part.

One day, in the winter of 1970, my father came home and informed us that we were switching teams. We would now be rooting for the Giants’ crosstown rivals — cue Chris Berman voice — The New York Football Jets. I’m sorry. What? Seriously, Dad. WTF. You can’t just suddenly change teams. Who does that? We did that. Here’s why. My Dad’s work on Galliano led him to the doorstep of none other than Broadway Joe Namath. Okay, fine. We’ll go to Jets games. Besides, what could be so bad? They just won the Superbowl, right? Yeah, right. A quick aside, I’d like to take this moment to sincerely apologize to my sons for inheriting this legacy. Just kidding. We love the J-E-T-S! The point is, if you want to succeed in business, sometimes sacrifices need to be made. Especially if it means doing right by your clients.

So here is the rub. How do you Broadway Joe a new product? In other words, how do you introduce a new product, in a breakthrough way, that will allow the brand to creatively communicate to its target audience in an uncluttered and impactful environment? Galliano was a new product. Broadway Joe was a new rock star in the sports world. The rest is yellow liqueur history. Well, one way would be to develop a “grass roots” campaign and become the exclusive sponsor and advertiser. Makes sense, right? So here was my Dad’s pitch: His agency would develop and distribute a newsletter with relevant articles, updates and photos of the team and would be sponsored exclusively by 21 Brands featuring Galliano, St. Pauli Girl and Ballantine’s. Killer idea. A sure thing. Maybe not.

You see, my Dad didn’t actually have Broadway Joe attached to Galliano at this point. He was a Giants fan, remember? So his first stop? Wellington Mara, owner of the NY Giants (we went to summer camp with the Mara Boys for several years, but I digress). Dad pitched the idea of the newsletter to Mara who said (and I quote), “I love it! It’s a pass.” O…kay. My Dad was a great Agency guy. So what’s a great Agency guy to do? Go across the street to the J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS! They’d just won Super Bowl III. They couldn’t be hotter. He met with the head of public relations, Frank Ramos. Frank’s reaction was WOW!! Great idea! The rest, as I said, is yellow liqueur history. So, with that one event, the selling of an idea for a client’s benefit, we changed teams, alliances and began rooting for our crosstown rivals.

And we didn’t just become JETS fans. We became hardcore JETS fans. It also didn’t hurt that we were given 4 Season Tickets located in the worst possible section of Shea Stadium. I remember not seeing much of the game and freezing my butt off. My Dad was kind of a hero and his kids got to meet some really awesome players. Not to brag, but…I got to meet Joe a bunch of times and have a cool autographed picture.

So, what does it all mean? It means, to be successful in the Agency business, you have to make some sacrifices and do what’s best for the client. Even if it means giving up something as important as your favorite sports team. C’mon, it’s just business! You gotta do whatcha gotta do, right? Today, in this “new normal,” we need to make hard choices. While doing what’s right for the client is still paramount, we need to strive for more balance. We need to make decisions based not only on what is right for the client, but what’s right for you and your family.

50 years later, I’m still a die-hard J-E-T-S fan. I never miss a game and have enlisted my children, as well as my nephews (Sorry Jacks, Hunt and Ry). It’s become a family tradition that we all cherish. So, with that, I raise a glass of Galliano to my Dad and Broadway Joe. Here’s to you and Super Bowl LV. This could be our year!

Boy, Did the Jetsons Have it Right

Hi, I’m Mike Kalfus. I’ve been working in the Life Science Space for over 25 years. I was on the Viagra Launch Team at Pfizer, started my own Global Customer Experience Consulting Company, as well as worked with everyone from Amgen to UCB along the way. As you can imagine, I’ve got stories. Lots of stories. Too many stories? I also have a lot of experience in the Life Science Space that I’d love to share. All of which has never seemed timelier now that we’re living in this new normal. So, let’s do this! “This,” by the way, is a blog/forum to share some of these stories and experiences. The focus will revolve around our new normal and how Life Science Marketers, as well as consumers of content, messages and information, can maintain a higher level of productivity and happiness. So, let’s do this! Sorry. I already said that. I got excited. This is my first time. 

STORY 1…BOY, DID THE JETSONS HAVE IT RIGHT!!!

We’ve all met George Jetson, right? Jane his wife. Daughter Judy. His boy Elroy. When the Jetsons first hit the airwaves in 1962, it all seemed pretty out there. George worked from home. Jane worked from home. Judy and Elroy went to school from home. They had Telemedicine, Zoom Family Reunions, Virtual Happy Hours, FaceTimeesque Birthday Parties. Any of this sound familiar? Doesn’t seem so out there now, does it? Why? Because we’re new The Jetsons. And in way too many ways! 

So, what does us this mean for us Life Science Marketers? It means that we need to embrace this new normal and determine how best to capture the hearts, minds and eyes of our target audience in newer, less traditional ways. It’s no longer “Point of Care” (POC) for HCPs and Patients. It’s now Point of Engagement (POE). We need to focus on being at the right places (channels/media) where customers need information and guidance. So how do we do this? Glad you asked. Quick story: A few years ago, I was working with a major European based Life Science Company that needed to create awareness for and engage with patients that have been suffering, silently, for years. They were piloting a nurse programme” in one country and a Public Relations campaign in other.  I recommended a hybrid approach where we would engage patients (and their caregivers) where they were and where they would most likely be open to “listening and taking action” … not healthcare settings alone but non-healthcare settings as well) … The point being, we need to refocus these precious resources in a more productive manner and, of course, make sure we increase our Return on Investment or Return on Engagement while we’re at it. 

Now all we gotta do is figure out how to work in Astro the dog and flying cars, and we got this. Thanks for tuning in and hope to see you back for Episode #2!