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December is a month in which many organizations make plans for the coming year. Now is a great time for you to look at your marketing systems for attracting and retaining customers.

Although front end systems such as adverti

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

sing, public relations, press releases, direct mail, sales letters and promotional items are important, equally as important as what you and your staff do after you gain new customers. It never ceases to amaze me how companie

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

Examples of combination products may in

will invest money in campaigns to gain new customers yet have no system to build and maintain those relationships they were so eager to attract in the first place. Having a system in place to keep your name in front of exist

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

ing and potential clients is a very important part of a great marketing campaign. Additionally, having programs in place that make it easy for people to do business with you is essential to the health of your bottom line.

An

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

company that depends on repeat business absolutely must have a good customer retention system in place in order to thrive in today’s competitive environment. Time and again I have seen this as the primary area of businesses

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

Combination pro

here companies don’t succeed at the level they are capable of - especially in small businesses. The thinking with many people is, “If they want my services, they know where to find me.” While a potential customer is looking f

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

or you, your competition’s marketing systems may find them first!

As an example, a pet store offering grooming services could increase revenues by having a reminder system in place to notify the customer when their dog is du

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

for grooming or to let them know when a new product arrives. They may also consider using a punch card that gives the customer a free grooming service after a predetermined amount of visits have been made. Many pet owners vi

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

w their animals as family members and will be more likely to do business with you when they believe you care about their pets just as much as they do.

What would your profit margin be if you were able to turn the occasional

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

customer into a frequent customer? Customers who regularly visit your business would also be more likely to refer you to their friends and associates. Remember that frequency is determined by your particular industry or servi

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

e. A grocery store may consider twice-weekly visits a good frequency, whereas a dry cleaner may only be monthly.

Changing customers from being a one or two item purchaser to purchasing several products can increase your bot

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

om line tremendously. With a bit of vision and creativity, one basic service can open several opportunities. Most businesses can take their basic product or service and expand into other offerings. What are your current offer

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

ings? Are there other products and services you could develop that are consistent with your market and your company vision?

This is where you can create an incredible backend list of possibilities. Once you think about other

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

offerings, what are some new avenues you could open? Is it possible to partner with other companies where you could offer each other’s products and services?

Here are some possibilities:

 Car dealerships offering a

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

year’s worth of car washes or oil changes at a discount

 Hair salons who sell facials or nail services

 Pet shops selling grooming services

 Restaurants who provide recipe books

 Chiropract

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

ors and Massage Therapists who promote their services

As you plan for the coming year, include methods for keeping in touch, developing a list of companies you can partner with and increasing strategies for gaining and maint

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

ining top-of-the-mind awareness for your customers.

Marketing is about timing. Just because you contact a client today does not mean they are in the market to buy today. However, if you keep in regular contact with them, whe

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

they are ready to purchase, there is a good chance you will be the one they call.

Today’s customers are busy. New choices are thrown at them every day. Keep your name on the top of their list by consistently reminding them

.

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

of their great experiences with your company. Great marketing systems will help you gain and retain customers.

Email: Kathleen@turningpointpresents.com
Copyright © 2004 by Kathleen Gage
Web address: www.kathleenga

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

e.com

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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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