Frank Powers

Marketing has become a game of who can engage whom and in what context, with a message that resonates. Segmenting and targeting that audience involves using one message for the largest identifiable potential customer group, usually based on demographic, geographic, behavioral, or psychographic similarities.

All you have to do is turn on a network, sports event, or search online for 2 minutes, and you’ll see a pharmaceutical or medical device promotion. Undoubtedly, the money spent on healthcare ads makes it one of the most competitive sectors in marketing. According to eMarketer, healthcare and pharma ad spending in the U.S. will eclipse $30 billion in 2024, with an increase of 5% yearly.

A healthcare challenger brand has a unique set of circumstances. It may not have a clinical advantage, first-in leverage, a unique mechanism of action, a breakthrough product profile, or the ability to outspend. What it does have is potential that needs to be met. In the case of companies tasked with marketing a rare disease treatment, there are even more specific challenges that go beyond brand-building.