metabical: positioning and communications strategy for · pdf fileyeshna ramessur 8th february...

Metabical: Positioning and Communications Strategy for a New Weight-Loss Drug

Yeshna Ramessur

8th February 2016

Revised

Yeshna Ramessur 8th February 2016

2

Positioning Statement for Metabical after careful analysis of who the target market is and what it represents

in the market:

For women aged between 35 and 65 years old, with a BMI between 25 and 30, Metabical provides the

only integrated weight loss program that helps to eliminate the last 20 pounds, Metabical has been

clinically proven to help the consumer maintain her goal weight up to 3 years after the treatment, and

is considered the safest FDA approved prescribed weight loss pill on the market.


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A Positioning Statement answers 4 questions:

1. Target Market (page 4)

Moderately overweight individuals

BMI 25-30

Aged above 35 years to 65

Educated – college educated

High income earners - $80,000 and above

Looking forward to a long healthy life so much as they

are willing to change their lifestyle

Health- conscious and start to feel the pressure of

growing old and putting on weight leading to social

awkwardness

Scared and find inconvenience with the side effects

Drained from using other alternatives that just don’t

work.

2. Frame of Reference (page 5)

A revolutionary prescription drug, approved by the FDA,

Metabical is a weight loss pill with a support programme

that will help users develop a working habit helping them

lose and maintain weight goal even after completion of the

pill intake.

Works best with BMI between 25 and 30; the only group

who doesn’t have any diet solution targeted for them.

Metabical will allow them to lose the last 20 pounds and

restore their self-esteem

3. Competitor Analysis (page 6 & 7)

We are better than others

Works in low-dose formulation which reduces stress on

the liver or heart, unlike other products;

Contains a controlled-released feature that reduces the pill

intake to only 1 per day;

Side effects may occur only when high level of fat and

calories are consumed.

4. Benefits (page 5)

Contains an appetite- suppressant agent, called calosera;

Contains a fat-blocking agent and calorie-absorption

agent, meditonan;

Results visible by week 12 of drug intake achieving an

approximate loss of 15-26 pounds;

So far, Metabical is considered the safest drug on the

market.


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Target Market Analysis and Rationale

Description Attributes Rationale Selected Criteria Genre Male Female Men are less likely to buy diet products. They rarely care about their

weight, unless someone, usually the wife, points it out.

Women – they will be buying for themselves

and convince their husband to go to the doctors

BMI

25 – 30

No other option. Metabical represents the only pill that can act on this segment. Besides, it functions well with the last

20 pounds which is usually in this segment. Anything above that, it was clinically proven that it is not efficient.

Metabical was designed for the moderately overweight. Trying to sell to any other BMI group may result in FDA not

giving approval, or pulling out the product due to deceptive marketing. CSP with its remarkable reputation in its

industry should strictly respect that.

Description Demographic Profile

Rationale Age (yo) Education Income ($)

“Movie

Star” 18 – 30

High School

Education Under 40,000

Their main focus is body image. Metabical wants to modify people’s diet so they live

healthier. This target segment has unrealistic goal that Metabical will not be able to fulfill.

It is also expensive and require much-sought investment. Also, they will need to be

educated enough to understand how Metabical works.

“Healthy” 35 – 65 College

educated 80,000 +

A more educated segment who actually understands the importance of a good nutrition and

exercise. They want to lose weight to be healthy and live a longer life, Metabical can help

them achieve and maintain their goal, which comes which comes with sacrifice. They are

self-motivated and are willing to do what it takes.

“Skinny

Jeans” 25- 40

College

educated

50,000 –

80,000

Those represent the ones that once used to be slim. They are willing to put in the effort,

they are more likely to sign up to the support program as well, but their income level is low.

The support program will add up to the cost and they may not be able to keep up after that.

“Only if it’s

easy” 45-65

Some college

education 40,000-60,000

Metabical doesn’t represent what they are looking for. Metabical by scientific description is

a pill (and support program) that represents a lot of sacrifice and will-power. This target

market doesn’t seem they would be willing to put in the effort. Metabical represents a

carefully planned weight loss program and not an impulse consumption.

“Denial” 40-65 Some college

education 30,000- 50,000

Because of their unwillingness to recognise they have a problem, Metabical will have to do

much awareness campaign to change that, which is not our focus. They want to keep their

indulgences of an unhealthy life, and will not take the program seriously.


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Why is Metabical a better choice?

Unique propositions by Metabical:

So far, Metabical is a revolutionary weight loss solution that produces remarkable results. It

1. Contains an appetite- suppressant agent, called calosera;

2. Contains a fat-blocking agent and calorie-absorption agent, meditonan;

3. Results visible by week 12 of drug intake achieving an approximate loss of 15-26 pounds;

4. So far, Metabical is considered the safest drug on the market.

5. Works best with BMI between 25 and 30; the only group who doesn’t have any diet solution targeted for them.

Points of Differentiation of Metabical:

1. Works in low-dose formulation which reduces stress on the liver or heart, unlike other products;

2. Contains a controlled-released feature that reduces the pill intake to only 1 per day;

3. Side effects may occur only when high level of fat and calories are consumed.


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Competitor Analysis: Part 1

Names Segment Category Availability FDA Approval Side Effects Fat Intake Consumers point

of view Gym

Any BMI number.

Results take a

long time to show

(beyond 6

months)

Not applicable Painful, and risky after some age, costly, consistency and

severe diet modification required, especially it varies with

metabolic rate (which is considerably lower for this

target). Cannot allow any indulgence at all.

Personal Trainer

Alli, Xenical,

TrimSpa,

Xenadrine EFX,

Cortislim, One-A-

Day WeightSmart,

Meridia,

Usually the

seriously

overweight

with a BMI

30 to over 40

Less strong than

Xenical

One pill per

meal

Meridia

suppressed

appetite.

OTC ONLY Alli

approved for

weight-loss use

Loose stools,

increased

defecation,

incontinence,

abdominal pain

Serious cases of

liver damage

being

investigated.

Severe side

effects:

Hypertension,

tachycardia, heart

palpitations,

seizures serotonin

syndrome,

Side Effects

worsened

with

increased

fat intake

Loss of credibility for

deceptive marketing

“Jenny Craig”,

“Boniva”

Alendronate.

Nutrisystem

Weight Control

business: not weight

loss.

May lead to

metabolic issues

due to instant diet

modification, may

lead the user to

always be hungry

due to the

controlled-

proportion of food

Uncertain The fact that they used

endorsers who

actually have access

to plastic surgery or

stomach reduction

facilities, it loses

credibility in believing

they used that product

only to shed weight


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Competitor Analysis: Part 1

Weight watchers, Anyone looking to lose some weight

Too much work and

displacement!

Solutions (hoodia,

chromium, green

tea extract,

conjugated linoleic

acid, chitosan,

bitter orange,

Ephedra)

Anyone

looking to

lose some

weight

Herbal or dietary

supplements

OTC Not considered as

an actual pill.

FDA approves of

it as a dietary

supplement and

herbal remedies

(Possible) Cardiac

arrest, and serious

health risk

Metabical BMI

25 – 30

1 pill a day

Controls the

appetite

Safest product so

far

Access to online

program for 24

months

Focus on helping

users achieve

healthy habits

Prescribed

through Health

Care Practioners

Since it doesn’t

claim to be a

magical pill, it

actually modifies

the eating

behaviour,

Metabical will be

approved

It works as a low

– dose

formulation, it

reduces the stress

on the liver,

Less severe

side effects

appear only

when high

levels of fat

is consumed

Clinical Trial:

goals reached by

week 12,

Healthier eating

behaviour

achieved,

Weightloss goals

– maintained up to

3 years


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Ways to reach Target: Health Care Providers

In order to reach the target market, we need to convince Health Care Providers to carry Metabical.

How Why Burden of cost &

Responsibility

Who

Health Care Providers More credibility to sell

diet products.

Professionals who know

how to motivate patients

into trying other pills.

Shifts to Health

insurance carriers

Those patients need a little more help, and belief

in another weight loss solution. They go to health

care providers to seek for motivation and advice.

CSP should be there at the right time.

They have tried possibly all the other products,

and therefore need special persuasive techniques

Concerns Does Metabical has it? What are they looking for?

1. Aid in weight loss Yes

2. Help establish a healthier lifestyle and

exercise habits

Yes

3. Likelihood for patient to regain weight after

loss

Highly unlikely, clinically proven to

maintain weight up to 3 years

4. Support programs Yes

5. Quick progress Compliance made easy, since patients

are motivated, they are more likely to

take their pills, and exercise – Less

stress and burden on health care

practitioners


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Communications Plan: Advertising Plan

Creative objectives:

1. To increase patient’s knowledge about the benefits of CSP’s Metabical pills

2. To accentuate that the revolutionary support program helps to create healthy and long term habits that helps patients to modify

their eating pattern: reference materials, online weight-control tools, personal support, meal plans, and exercise plans. not just

like other diet pills

3. To communicate clearly that Metabical acts best for people whose BMI’s lie between 25 and 30 (so as to avoid being accused

of deceptive marketing).

4. To communicate that Metabical will help achieve long term results so it will resonate best with the defined target audience.

Creative Strategy:

Tone: Informative

Style: “Slice of Life”

Appeal Technique: Factual, Positive, Indirectly comparative

Creative Execution

Testimonials from clinical test participants. No use of celebrity endorser at this point. Focus on “normal people” to show

credibility

Show middle aged men enjoying a healthy family life.

o It’s never too late to be healthy. All smiling and showing the joy of being alive. “Struggling with a pot belly? Call your

doctor now!”

AND/OR middle-aged professional women who can still fit in the social circle, without feeling awkward or sad about growing

old. Help them celebrate their aging process.

o Picture a woman in her 40’s, waking up early to do her exercises (using Metabical’s plan), then she prepares her kids to

go to school, check her food diary and prepares her breakfast, before she runs off to her car and leaves for work.

Focus on how the product works: showing a graphic representation of the human body, and show how the pill acts on targeted

regions.

Product-as-hero: show how Metabical has helped consumer achieve a better lifestyle, it saved them from the misery of carrying

extra weight that made them feel uncomfortable at social gathering.


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Message for DTC:

Message Decision Could this be a selling

concept?

Losing weight is

tough

Appeals to unmotivated lazy target- makes them feel they are powerless - going to a

Healthcare practitioner seems that they can't take care of themselves, this message

tends to make them feel lost and miserable

No

Look your best Although everyone wants to look their best, our target market, is more concerned

about adding years to their lives.

No

Those extra 20

pounds could be

killing you

Our target market is truly concerned about their health. This compelling message is

factual, positive, denotes lifestyle, and fear-inducing BUT it calls to act now.

Yes

Message for Medical Practitioners:

Message Decision Could this be a selling concept?

Give your overweight patients a safe alternative

to fad diets and dangerous OTC drugs.

Introducing Metabical - clinically proven

weight-loss drug.

Too weak - they are already aware of these. Metabical

needs to show its high capacity at achieving results

compared to other products - which medical

practitioners are evidently aware of.

No

Atherosclesis, coronary artery disease, high

blood pressure, diabetes, and gallbladder

disease. Your overweight patients are dying for

help. Introducing Metabical - FDA approved

weight-loss drug.

This shows that Metabical is the only solution to those

problems, and that overweight is the only reason for

those diseases. It is like teaching the medical

professional about his job. Too boastful!

No

Empower your patients to lose excess weight,

change their unhealthy eating habits, and

achieve long-term success. Introducing

Metabical - short term drug therapy and

comprehensive support program for overweight

patients. It gets results.

This is the perfect solution that they are looking for.

They want to shift the burden of losing weight to the

patients who are in fact the first ones who wish to lose

weight. They do not wish to be monitored and

supervised, they need help. They are willing to put

effort, they just need a little help from the experts.

Metabical represents the solution for both groups.

Yes


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Communications Plan: Media Strategy and Sales Promotion

Broadcast Media: Experts and previous patients demonstrating the efficiency of the product in a time-review episode.

Participate in direct TV selling shows, such as “As Seen On TV”: it features finest products, it has credibility, and user-satisfaction.

Offer a price-reduction for the first month for the first callers.

Direct mail: Send mail to 3200 Medical offices available: with the previously selected message.

Social Networks: Blogs, Facebook, Yahoo Geocities, Wordpress

Features: product review or anticipation of Metabical: By food bloggers, lifestyle bloggers, middle-age bloggers who celebrate life.

They will create some anticipated buzz prior to launching and create awareness.

“The Metabical Challenge”: Launch the challenge on Metabicals’ personal page, inviting people to try and participate in the

challenge, and offer 2 months free of charge in the support program.

Viral Marketing: Will help push initial message: A 15-second video to show the before and after of those who tried it. Can go as far

as showing someone whose life is reduced by 15 years, and everything he will be missing because he didn’t take care of himself.


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Sales Force will be able to successfully push Metabical with Medical offices: Health Care Providers, Medical

Personnel, and Researchers

Sales Force Calculations

Total budget $23,146,000.00

Price $4.00

No of pills to be sold 5,786,500

Pills consumption per person over 12 weeks 84

Amount of persons needed 68,887

No. Of Medical offices Needed

Hypothetically, 12% will purchase

Hypothetically, a MO receives 200 patient/ year 24

No. of MO needed 2,870

No. of Patients who will follow Metabical programs 68,887

1 sales person covers 4 MO per day

no. of MO needed 2870

no. of sales person CSP has 32

No. of days needed to cover those MO 90 (All numbers have been rounded to the lower bound.)

Goals to be achieved by Sales team:

To cover 2870 Medical Offices in 90 days

They will also be present at the roundtable and

medical research symposium in Dec 2008 and Jan

2009.

Sales scripts will include elements of the support

claims: clinical results: achieved weightloss of 26

pounds within the first 12 weeks.

The weight of participants were maintained until 3

years.

Repeat frequency of visits every 3 months, to refresh

and be visible

they have great reputation which they achieved from

the past seminars organised

Push the support program and establish it as a

supplement to the pills.

Promotion Strategy: Push Strategy


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Communications Plan: Public Relations

Successfully, creating demand at the Health Care Providers will cause End-Customers to pull demand.

Public Relations Events Roundtable Discussion Medical Research Symposium

Audience Leaders in the Medical Community Members of media, medical professionals

Tools Put forward the sales team to attend, and

network with the audience. Build up a

presentation to show the success of the

remarkable results achieved from clinical

tests.

Distribute a press kit that will expose what

Metabical represents. Invite patients from

the clinical tests to give testimonials.

Value for CSP The chance to establish Metabical as a

revolutionary product that works

Demonstrate how Metabical will reduce

obesity thereby reducing: Atherosclesis,

coronary artery disease, high blood

pressure, diabetes, and gallbladder disease

Customers Why Burden of cost &

Responsibility

Who

Health Care

Providers

More credibility to sell diet

products.

Professionals who know how

to motivate patients into trying

other pills.

Shifts to Health insurance carriers Those patients need a little more help, and belief

in another weight loss solution. They go to health

care providers to seek for motivation and advice.

CSP should be there at the right time.

They have tried possibly all the other products,

and therefore need special persuasive techniques

End- Consumers They will extract value from

use of the product. The support

program will provide tangible

goods that will make it more

reliable.

Shifts to consumers – (out of

pocket)

They will be forced to look for

information and take their

responsibility in sign up for the

support program

They are educated, self- motivated and willing to

lose weight.


14

Timeline and budget for advertising and promotion activation

Important Dates Task 1 Task 2

Feb-08 Communications Plan Presentation

Mar-08 Get Approval for launching

Apr-08

Sales force to Medical offices : Repeat every 3 months Heavy DTC promotion May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08 Access current success through market research

Run Social network ads, TV ads, Radio ads, "As seen on TV"

Aug-08

Sep-08

Build Press Release kit and materials Oct-08

Nov-08

Dec-08 Medical Event

Jan-09 Launch & Medical Research Symposium "The Metabical Challenge"

Budget: Budget is achievable

Year 1 Marketing budget

Total Budget $23,146,000

Support program $2,314,600

DTC $1,157,300

Push ad to MO (Sales

persons) $57,865

Promotional Plans $1,300,000

PR Events $4,300,000

Remaining budget $14,016,235

metabical: positioning and communications strategy for · pdf fileyeshna ramessur 8th february...

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