• by Marissa McNally-Costello , Columnist, June 19, 2018

Rare-disease drugs undoubtedly improve the lives of the patients they serve. However, regardless of a drug’s efficacy, brand awareness is crucial to ensure that therapies reach patients in need. Even if a therapy is first-to-market, there’s likely to be emerging competitors right around the corner. As such, the role of brand planning in rare is critical, even though it may look different than brand planning for mainstream pharmaceutical products.

Considering the Human Experience

It’s invaluable to remember that physicians are people, too, so we must connect with them on a clinical and emotional level. To do this, we need to understand not only how physicians think but who they are as people. Using research to uncover motivations, challenges, and aspirations is just as important as understanding diagnostic approaches or treatment algorithms. 

At the same time, patients, caregivers, and advocacy are also extremely influential in rare—in many cases, the patient or caregiver may be educating their doctor on a disease or treatment. With this in mind, companies with rare disease drugs need to look beyond physicians and also engage patient communities as partners.

Brand planners are uniquely positioned to get into the minds of both audiences. By exploring the human backstories of physicians and by immersing themselves in rare communities, planners look to deeply understand the impact of rare diseases in order to develop a clear, compelling, and differentiated brand identity. 

Targeting your Narrative With Data

Developing an integrated clinical and digital strategy is incredibly important in shaping a rare brand, and real-time data can help a brand meet the differing needs of a diverse audience. Clinical triggers such as lab data and physician reporting, as well as online interactions with web properties or media, can allow for customized messaging based on where someone is in their disease or treatment journey.

We have implemented hyper-targeted, multichannel planning by combining the power of large data sets with machine learning. From here, a brand is able to spread its wings: Marketers will be equipped to hyper-personalize and target smaller audience segments receptive to messaging. Using real-time data to understand a patient population is essential to create predictive and dynamic content.

Preparing a Rare Brand With Purpose

A strong brand story is not only essential for HCP and patient adoption but also to combat price concerns and payor restrictions—and this work often begins long before the drug has even launched. In rare, setting up the product begins with disease education, in which a “disease brand” is built in much the same way that one would build a product brand. For maximum impact, disease education should create a clear need that only your product can answer. Disease education should also be refined throughout the product lifecycle to support evolving needs, including finding patients, exposing disease severity, or increasing urgency to treat. 

Back to Basics

The best partnerships start with a foundation of trust. Brand planners strive to create brand identities that are earnest, authentic, and resonates with the customer. Consider a brand as you would a doctor/ patient relationship: a doctor partners with a patient throughout their lifetime and has a unique understanding of their needs. The same is true of a successful brand and its customers. Establishing credibility, trust, and communicating the “why” behind a rare drug or therapy in a way that engages both the HCP and patient is no longer a “nice to have,” it’s imperative for brand success.