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A business card is one of the most important marketing pieces that you’ll develop for your company, since it is typically the first piece of your marketing materials that a new client will see.

One of the most debated points in b

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

usiness card design is whether to print information on just one side of the card or to use both sides. There are many views on this controversy, and here are some that we frequently hear.

The arguments for keeping the back of the

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

card blank are that printing on both sides has the following disadvantages:

• Not having a space to take notes while networking: Many business people use a system of writing notes on the backs of the business cards they re

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

ceive while networking. They do this to remind themselves of the commitments they made or to later jog their memories about the conversation. Too much printing on the back can make this difficult or impossible. Glossy coatings

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

n the backs of cards can also prevent note writing.

• Rolodexes, business card filing systems, and card scanners: These are widely used in business today, and many models don’t allow for the back of the card to be viewed

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

For this reason, you should not put vital information on the back, so that the card can still be functional when only one side is visible. Also, if your prospect uses a business card scanner to store business cards, they might no

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

t scan both sides.

• Greater printing expense: Printers charge more to print a two-sided card, because of the additional work and ink involved.

• Ink smearing: Some inks are more likely to smear or rub off on nei

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

hboring sheets of paper than others; for example, blue Pantone inks are especially prone to this effect. If you do choose a two-sided card with a field of color on the back, then it is best to also varnish or clear-coat the back o

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

the card in order to seal the color in and prevent this. The varnish also adds drying time and expense to the

The arguments for putting information on both sides are that you can use the back to:

• Add more information:
and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ
> If you have a lot of contact information, putting it all on to the front of the card will often make the font too small and the text too dense to read comfortably. Putting some of that information on the back will free up the
ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi
ront of the card and make it look better.

• Make your business card more valuable: By including interesting information like a calendar of events, tip, or quote on the back, you can make your card more likely to be kept. O
ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a
her things that you can put on the back include coupons, appointment information, or directions to your store or office.

• Enhance your brand: The back of the card is often the perfect place for graphical treatments and pi
dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod
eces of your Visual Vocabulary.

• Maximize your message: Use the back to add more information about your business. It might not be clear to everyone receiving your card what you offer, so you might try listing that on the
cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin
ack.

And it might not cost that much. Some printers will print a two-sided card for as little as $20 extra per 1000 cards. In that case, the low price for additional “real estate” really makes it worth the cost.

With all of thes
tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen
points in mind, the most effective card for small businesses is often a two-sided card. The next question to address is what to put on the back of the card. We recommend:

• Not putting vital information on the back of the car
t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel
d: Since the back of the card might get hidden or ignored in a filing system, it’s best to put all of the most important information—like your name, logo, phone number, email, and website—on the front of the card. If you hav
ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust
a physical office, you should also make sure that your address is on the front of your card.

So what’s left to put on the back? You could put your tagline, a couple of lines that explain your offerings, a list of your services,
y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products
r a short testimonial. Or try one of the suggestions from “Make your business card more valuable,” above.

• Try graphics: You can print a field of color, small graphic, or a simple pattern on the back. A card with graphics
.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de
on the back looks more sophisticated and high-end, and is more memorable as well. If you don’t print in a color that is too dark and you use a solid color field, people will still be able to take notes on the back of the card.
elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip
ust don’t forget the varnish!

If you use these tips, you’ll be able to maximize the effectiveness of your business card. Your card will go from being just a thing to hand out when you meet someone to being a strong marketing tool

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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Just Other Articles - The Great Two-Sided Business Card Debate

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