Abstract
Promotion of ethical drugs to physicians is designed to convey the features and benefits of the brand and help doctors understand the most appropriate patient types for its use. Without new information, perceptions of the features and benefits become relatively stable due to physician experience with the brand. Understanding the process of “perception stabilization” is critical to discerning the role and advantages of promotion throughout the product lifecycle. This article utilizes unique longitudinal information on brand perceptions and promotional activities to provide novel insights into the rate at which various pharmaceutical product perceptions stabilize, as well as identify the elements critical to maximizing the impact of promotional efforts – especially after such “stabilization” occurs. The article will evaluate the factors that influence the rate of perception stabilization, including product features and benefits and brand/market characteristics, as well as physician specialty and treatment category. This piece will also address how the perceived newness of brand promotion influences the perception of brand features and benefits, as well as exploring the tactics that can be undertaken to advance the perception of new information. Finally, the article will explore the rate of internalization of perceived (or actual) new information throughout the lifecycle of the brand, with attention given to length of time and the number of interactions required.
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