PharmaExec – The Best Story Wins

2009 December 21

by Karl Schmieder

If there’s one thing I tell my clients over and over again, it’s that you need a great story. A story that engages your audience(s) on an emotional level.

In the life sciences, advertising often takes the form of direct, information that focuses on product descriptions, specifications and data. In biotech and pharma, marketing typically focuses on product claims, research results and FDA-approved language. Yet, it’s been well documented that we make our buying decisions based on emotions.

A few weeks back, PharmaExec.com ran a story by David Ormesher of Chicago’s Closerlook titled, The Best Story Wins. Ormesher notes that storytelling is still an under-utlized form of pharmaceutical marketing.

In the article, Ormesher suggests:

“Our approach as marketers must change from purely data-drivine, left-brain tactics… to brand stories told in a compelling way consistent with audience needs.” He suggests considering the following when building a marketing story:
Good stories build trust. The best stories build trust because they ring true. Stories about patients must be specific and authentic. Example: Novo Nordisk’s Changing Diabetes web site that features patients telling their own stories.
Stories come alive in the telling. A brand that wants to use story as part of its marketing strategy must become creative in how it tells the story. Example: Novartis YouTube Channel, which features first-person videos.
The best stories surprise. The best stories challenge our assumptions and expectations. Ormesher notes that typically, pharmaceutical marketers tell physicians the drug is efficacious for the largest set of patients. The unexpected (and more effective) version of this story would be to tell physicians the drug isn’t for everyone. This shows the pharmaco trusts the physician enough to make their own decisions and allows the doc to become the hero when he uses the drug for the appropriate patient.

Among the tactics to use when choosing an authentic story over a branded approach are sponsoring a patient community site or creating a site with patient stories related to the disease state. Listening to HCPs at a site like Sermo or QuantiaMD could help you find authentic story ideas. In addition, talking to and listening to customers could help.

Do you know of any life sciences companies telling authentic stories? Let me know.