First, the current situation of OTC skin products pharmaceutical enterprises
OTC products in China can be divided into fourteen categories, including: skin drugs, digestive system drugs, ophthalmic drugs, general external drugs and so on. Because of the variety of skin OTC products commonly used, consumers have a lot of room to choose independently, and brand awareness often becomes the standard for consumers to buy such drugs. Often, several well-known leading brands occupy more than half of the market, and some unknown small and medium-sized brands can only fill the market gap by virtue of their personalized advantages and characteristics, or occupy the regional market by virtue of their access advantages.
In addition, in September, 20001year, the state administration of pharmaceutical products stipulated that the deadline for GMP certification of pharmaceutical enterprises was June 30, 2004, and the deadline for GSP certification of pharmaceutical enterprises was June 38, 2004+February 3 1 day, which meant that a number of pharmaceutical enterprises that did not meet the requirements of GMP and GSP would be closed down according to law, and a number of new or secondary innovative OTC products would be produced.
In the face of competition, all enterprises should put survival and development first. On the one hand, enterprises must quickly adjust and change their business philosophy, marketing strategy and marketing organizational structure, and conduct extensive alliances; On the other hand, we should vigorously upgrade existing products, cultivate, promote and maintain brands, open up new markets and achieve business objectives.
Second, product and brand promotion strategy
Because it is difficult for ordinary consumers to identify the quality of drugs, brands have become an important basis for consumers to make purchase decisions. A successful brand of OTC skin products can bring long-term rich profits to enterprises, but it also needs constant maintenance and promotion. The key is that there needs to be strong funds behind the advertising investment. Therefore, there are three abilities that determine the survival and development of an OTC skin products enterprise: capital strength, scientific research and innovation ability and marketing ability, which are embodied in the operation of brands and channels.
As a special commodity, skin OTC products include three levels: first, core products refer to the efficacy and quality of skin OTC products; 2. Regular products refer to the dosage forms, trademarks, brands and packaging of OTC skin products; The third is extended products, which refer to the added value and services provided by OTC products of skin to patients. Due to the technical particularity of OTC skin products, more homogeneous products will appear. This also means that our work can only be carried out around the second and third levels. Under the condition of no difference in the market, any selling point, marketing model and skill can be cloned, and only brands have eternal vitality. For an enterprise with average capital and scientific and technological strength, products, markets and brands are basically available, but it is difficult to see improvement. On the existing basis, it is particularly urgent, realistic and important to realize the double promotion of products and brands and open the market through a series of marketing operations.
How to choose the right product, promote the brand and realize sales? We can sum it up as: two sets and two widths, innovation and difference.
1, Guangdong and Guangxi
Two decisions: one is enterprise positioning, and the other is product market positioning.
Clear development ideas and business strategies through enterprise positioning, identify the market through product positioning, and effectively cut in.
Guangdong and Guangxi: one is advertising and the other is building access.
Promote products and brands through advertising, promote sales through channel operation, and consolidate the market and consumer groups.
2. Innovation and diversity
In skin OTC products enterprises, innovation is the most valuable driving force for market development, and it is also an important guarantee for the continuous promotion and development of enterprise products and brands. The innovation process should be an organic combination of product innovation and enterprise innovation. The key lies in establishing a competitive product system and marketing system under the premise of fully understanding market information, and enhancing the competitive advantage of enterprises.
2. 1 Three forms of innovation
Offensive type. By developing or launching new products, enterprises go all out to pursue the advanced level of product technology, seize market opportunities, and strive to maintain a strong technical and market leading position in the competition. It is characterized by high risk, large investment, high return, and can obtain scale monopoly profits, which is more suitable for large OTC skin products enterprises or new technology enterprises.
Defensive. Enterprises don't research and develop new products first, but a successful new product appears in the market, and immediately follow up the development and quickly invest in occupying the market. That is, "take a look at the market, take a look at the big factories." This strategy requires enterprises to have efficient information systems and the ability to absorb innovation. Its advantage is to avoid the early investment risk and the defects of the initial form of new products, so that enterprises can catch up and be suitable for medium-sized enterprises with strong scientific research ability.
Introduce the type. Enterprises use other people's scientific research strength instead of their own to develop new products, which has the advantages of quick effect, low cost and low risk, but the return is also small and easy to be suppressed. Suitable for small and medium enterprises.
2.2 Pay attention to research and development in order to successfully innovate.
R&D is the foundation of innovation. The internationally famous pharmaceutical companies are basically research-oriented, and their R&D investment should account for at least 10- 15% of the total annual sales profit, while the R&D expenditure of China pharmaceutical companies generally does not exceed 3%. Take GlaxoSmithKline-William Company as an example. In recent years, its sales have exceeded $654.38+0 billion, and more than $654.38+0 billion is used for research and development of new projects every year. The company can develop several chemical structures and dosage forms of new drugs every year, and the new products are fully reserved, so that the company always maintains its technological advantages.
2.3 differences in survival, characteristics of development
The needs of consumers are always different, especially in today's personalized era. For OTC skin care products market, there are both gaps and opportunities. The key lies in whether the enterprise can find, tap and meet the demand and seize the opportunity. The purpose of innovation is to seek differences, realize differences, establish characteristics, and finally transform them into the purchase of target consumers, which is not only the essence of the whole marketing activity, but also the essence of the survival and development of a product and an enterprise.
Third, the skin OTC products market research
Whether it is new product development, selling point establishment, market entry, secondary development of old products, brand promotion of OTC skin products, everything should be based on market research. Only by comprehensively analyzing, understanding and grasping the market can we know ourselves and be targeted. In addition to grasping the macro environment, industry trends, scientific research direction, supply and demand information, as an enterprise that continuously upgrades its products and brands, it is very necessary to do a good job in market research in the early stage.
1, market research
In Xi 'an, a group of advanced foreign-funded or joint ventures, such as Yang Sen, call research a necessary homework, which is different from the domestic report that "a pharmaceutical factory has greatly exceeded the plan". Generally, the gap between the strategic objectives and the actual results of foreign companies such as Jensen and SmithKline will not exceed 65,438+00%. The key is to accurately grasp the market.
Market research is generally divided into three categories: product research and development research, new product launch testing research and marketing strategy research. The main contents include consumer research, market demand research, product research, competitive strategy research, advertising research, price research, marketing research, promotion combination research and so on. Every study should be as detailed as possible to ensure that the research results are scientific and accurate and close to the market. At the same time, pay attention to the order of inspection.
The key for enterprises to do a good job in market research lies in two aspects. One is to establish a scientific awareness of market research, and the other is to establish a systematic and scientific marketing information decision-making system, including internal reporting system, marketing intelligence system, market research system and marketing decision-making system, to provide organizational guarantee and strengthen close cooperation with relevant professional institutions.
2. Consumption characteristics of OTC skin products
OTC skin products are a special product category. It not only has the characteristics of consumer goods, but also has the characteristics of drugs. Consumers are highly rational in decision-making, highly involved and insecure. In addition, the consumption of skin OTC products also has the following characteristics.
2. 1 OTC products and drugs for skin directly face consumers and take consumers as the center.
The biggest difference between OTC skin products and prescription drugs is that the former is consumer-centered and the latter is doctor-centered. OTC skin products are medicines and must be promoted through the market, so the opinions of consumers play a vital role.
2.2 OTC skin care products are mostly standing medicines with many brands.
OTC skin care products are mostly standing drugs for treating common diseases, and these drugs are generally mature in production technology and do not have competitive advantages in patented technology. Because of this, the technology entry threshold is low, and there are many manufacturers of such drugs. There are often many brands of OTC products with the same skin in the market, and the market competition is extremely fierce.
2.3 Professionals still have the ability to influence the OTC skin care market.
Although you can buy OTC skin products without a doctor's prescription, some OTC skin products are used to cure diseases and save lives, and their drug knowledge is professional, not universal knowledge. Therefore, consumers will attach great importance to the opinions of doctors, pharmacists and other professionals when purchasing and using OTC skin products.
3. Three consumption behavior patterns of 3.OTC skin products
Consumers have more and more autonomy in choosing drugs, and marketing activities for consumers are more important. By subdividing consumer behavior, finding out the target consumer groups of their products, analyzing their consumption psychological types, and adopting more targeted positioning and publicity strategies for different consumption types, the whole marketing promotion will be more effective and the cost will be greatly reduced.
OTC skin products have three consumption behavior patterns, namely, habituation, logicality and demand.
First, habitual consumers. It means that when consumers buy such drugs, they only look for one brand they commonly use and do not care or pay attention to other brands. Judging from the brand consumption characteristics of habitual consumers, it is very difficult to change their habits. It takes a lot of market work and market investment to change their thinking and habits. According to one data, it is a habit for consumers to use a certain brand, among which 66% are influenced by doctors, 29% by family/friends and only 5% by other factors.
Second, logical consumers. It means that consumers will pay attention to collecting information during the purchase process and measure it with their own value indicators, thus guiding consumers to buy. When logical consumers buy drugs, the main factors they pay attention to are efficacy, price, brand and so on. Because consumers pay attention to the curative effect when buying, and the curative effect largely comes from the recognition of the brand, it is obvious to establish a high-quality brand image to influence the purchase of this part of consumers.
Third, demand-oriented consumers. It refers to consumers who have related symptoms but are not aware of the need for medication. They will judge according to the information they have contacted, then collect more relevant information and finally decide to buy. Demand-oriented consumers decide whether their demand is strong or not according to the prominence and severity of symptoms. For consumers with needs, education, training and stimulating their consumption needs are the key.
According to statistical analysis, habitual consumption dominates the consumption of general skin OTC products, and logical consumers become the main consumer groups of skin OTC products, but the specific proportion varies according to different drugs and regions. In addition, some new drugs aimed at new demands and some areas with poor health care awareness are often dominated by demand-oriented consumers. Logical consumers are easier to change, and the cost is lower, but the capacity is not large. Accustomed consumers have a large market capacity, but the marketing cost will be higher and the effect time will be long. Enterprises should choose their own target consumer groups and formulate strategies according to their own strength.
Fourth, market positioning and business positioning.
1, enterprise management direction
The purpose and motivation of enterprises participating in OTC skin products market are different, and the ways to open up the market are also different. Long-term investment products generally promote the development of enterprises by establishing brand advantages. In the case of short-term investment, enterprises artificially shorten the product life cycle in exchange for the maximum profit or operating experience of OTC skin products market.
As an OTC skin product enterprise, we must pay attention to two points when positioning ourselves. First, we must accurately grasp the development of the industry market; second, we must be clear about our own resources and strength; at the same time, we must fully realize the urgency of the current situation and make decisive decisions. Before each product or advertisement is launched, you should know who you are, what you want to do, what you are doing, how to do it and what you want to achieve. Otherwise, you are blind and will only push yourself to the wall.