What can the Pharmaceutical World Learn from Consumer Branding Practice?

Abstract

The world of branding is divided between consumer practices and those employed in the pharmaceutical world. Fast moving consumer good companies focus on a brand creation model while pharmaceutical companies create products. The pharmaceutical brand model does not easily fit into consumer theory and this leads to few people understanding the subject well. Consumer brand architecture theory is reviewed and then related to pharmaceutical practice (current and future). Aspects covered include the consumer work of Kapferer and Aaker in the area of brand architecture, examining how their work can be translated to pharmaceuticals. Recommendations for pharmaceutical brand management in the future conclude that, although there are many examples of excellent brand building in pharmaceuticals, the discipline has not yet reached a strategic level.