CAMPAIGN SPOTLIGHT: Healthcare marketers face challenges head-on

The second annual "From Drugs to Brands" event, organized by Campaign Asia-Pacific as part of its Spotlight series, featured speakers from AstraZeneca, Merck Serono, McCann Healthcare Worldwide, GlaxoSmithCline, Bayer Healthcare China, Eu Yan Sang, Boehringer Ingelheim, Nielsen, and MSD Philippines.  

While more than 100 attendees listened in, the experts provided practical advice and case-study examples about navigating the shifting regulatory landscape, identifying the most attractive emerging markets, boosting market access, softening the impact of patent "cliffs", and competing against vigorous competition in the over-the-counter and generic markets.

If an underlying theme emerged from such a wide-ranging program, it was that the opportunities in the region, though already impressive, are only beginning to take shape—and marketers have only scratched the surface.

For example, Tom Browning, regional business director for cardiometabolic care at Merck Serono, unsurprisingly identified Indonesia and Vietnam as the emerging markets with the most short-term potential. But he also spent time describing the potential of Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia.

Sameer Desai, commercial director for Asia and Latin America at GlaxoSmithKline, further encouraged marketers to look beyond the top-tier economies and customer groups. Citing case studies from product segments as diverse as blue jeans and mobile phones, Desai showed how thoughtful product design and effective marketing can turn lower-income consumers into big-money customers. "It's about market creation, not about taking share," he said.

Look for an in-depth account of the Healthcare Spotlight event in the April print edition of Campaign Asia-Pacific.

• View a gallery of photos from last week's event
• Learn more about the Campaign Spotlight series