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Do you find yourself changing ad copy, tracking conversions and trying to make tiny tweaks all the time? Not that this is a bad thing, but do you know at which point in the decision process your potential customers are presented with your ads? If you don't, read on. Because this has a major impact on your RoI (Return on

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

Investment).

To understand the behaviour of a customer we have to define the thinking process and let's call it the purchase timeline. There are four major steps in this purchasing process:

Step 1 - recognition of a need

The first step in the purchasing process is that the customer realizes there is a

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

Examples of combination products may in

need for a specific product or service. If you are trying to get a customer at this point in the timeline you are looking for an impulse buyer. Even though this is an early stage in the purchasing process, it can be a quick sale if you have the right product.

When you are the trigger that can set of a new need you are a

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

lso exposing them an instant gratification of that need. The exposure to your product has made them recognize a need - whether it is a rational or irrational one. This can be something as simple as a customer driving on the highway and seeing a big McDonald's drive-through nearby, he realizes he is hungry and gets of at

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

the next exit to grab a Big-Mac.

Another example is a gas station with a big display "When was the last time you've shown your spouse that you loved them?" just above an outlet with red roses. Again they are trying to trigger a need and offer instant fulfilment of that need.

So to market a product or service to custome

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

Combination pro

rs in this first step can be good if you have the right product. The percentage of purchases from customers who have been exposed to this type of advertising is low though. So you need to have either a very good profit margin or an inexpensive means of advertising.

Step 2 - researching possible fulfilments
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
g>

After a customer has recognized they have a need for a product or service, the next stage is research. A customer will try to find out what kinds of products or services are available to fulfill the need from step 1. Let's take the guy from step 1 as example, we'll call him Dennis. At the gas station the sign made h
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
im realize he has been neglecting his wife. Too many fishing trips and too little quality time. He did see the display with red roses but Dennis wants to give her something nicer like a necklace. Back at home he starts to search on the internet.

So right now his purchasing process is at step 2, research. He uses google
nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically
o search for jewlery stores in his area to see if they have any nice specials. All the related ads he sees in the search results are targeting this second step. The customer is already aware of his need, so in this stage the advertising has to stand out from the rest of the information and advertisements he finds during
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
research.

To get a customer during this research stage you need convincing ad copy, a good price or another unique selling point. It is more effective than advertising during the previous step of the decision process because you have already prequalified a customer's need.

Step 3 - ready to purchase but where?<
ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi
strong>

Dennis has done some research and he has found the type of necklace he would like to get for his wife Kristin. Now he is ready to purchase. All he wants now is to find the best price. If you can advertise to a customer in this stage it is an excellent opportunity. The momentum is there and you have to be the one
ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a
to stand out from the rest. Now while this sounds very much like the previous step, it isn't. The clear distinction here is that the customer is actually ready to purchase and has decided on what they need. All they are looking for now is where to get it. This is the reason why price comparison sites like dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod
ew" href="http://billzilla.com/">http://billzilla.com and http://line-provider.com do so well. They serve the customer in this third step which is very close to the actual purchase.

If you are able to convince the customer that your price (or another unique sell
cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin
ing point) is the best, you have got them. This is a difficult step to target your advertising to, but if you are able to the RoI can be very high.

Step 4 - contacting the business to purchase

In this step the customer has gone through all the previous steps and knows what and where to purchase. Next t
tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen
ey will actually place an order. Of course if you can intercept the customer here that is the ideal stage.

Back to Dennis, he wants a golden necklace for his wife and knows exactly which one to get. He also has decided to go to the jewelry in the next big town since they offer free polishing after 6 months and the price
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
was great. Not to get his wife suspicious he wants to get it the next day right before going to work so it can remain a surprise.

The next morning. Dennis gets in his car and drives to the next town to get x the beautiful necklace. There are not many things that can distract a customer from their purchasing intentions
ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust
t this stage and you have to be creative in your advertising to have any chance.

A relatively new form of advertising that targets customers at this stage is the free directory assistance service http://1800-free411.com. It allows advertisers to play a short ad target
y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products
ed to customers requesting a business telephone number in a certain category.So here's Dennis on his way to the store to pick up the ring. But because he didn't sleep very well he was tired when he got up and forgot to take the address of the jewelery store he was going to. All he remembers was the store's name. He pull
.

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
over at a gas station and gets out his mobile and calls 1800-free411 to get their phone number. He asks for Oborn Jewlery's store in Draper, Utah and before he get's their number he hears this brief advertising: "Looking for a gift for your wife? Come visit Edwards Fine Gold, our prices are great and you get a comp
elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip
lementary romantic dinner. Press 1 to get connected to Edwards Fine Gold."

Bottom line: be aware of where in the purchasing process you are trying to convince a potential customer to purchase, and adjust your advertising methods to that.

ps. Dennis and Kristin lived happily long ever after

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 - Advertising And Optimizing Your Timing - An Often Overlooked Attribute

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