Strategic positioning is the foundation for alignment with the medical marketplace

In developing and marketing pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device products, every decision that is made regarding product and brand marketing should be aligned with the positioning.

Strategic positioning defined

Strategic positioning can be defined as the conceptual space your brand occupies relative to key competitors.  It serves to motivate specific targets — physicians, patients, and others — to prescribe or use your product over your competitors.

A strong positioning meets three criteria:

1. Relevant — it meets customer needs, across physicians, patients, hospital purchasing, and other customer groups
2. Different — it is distinctive vs. competitive offerings
3. Credible and attainable — what is promised can be delivered upon by the organization

Benefits of a strong positioning

• Ensures market requirements are met — highlighting the most relevant and distinctive benefit(s) that physicians find most appealing
• Provides direction to the business team on a number of fronts, including alignment of Product Development, Marketing, Sales and Clinical functions
• Boosts efficiency and saves time by minimizing marketing development iterations