AstraZeneca has had a lot of problems in the oncology area lately. Such as ZubeGate.And now Question Authority can reveal how the company plans to "gain access and enhance selling opportunities for Arimidex, Abraxane, and Faslodex with your key accounts."
They'll use Mother's Day and unabashed selling direct to patients. Kind of like a Tupperware party or Avon cosmetics. Only AstraZeneca will use pink cupcakes to sell cancer drugs directly to patients in chemo treatment rooms.
Below are the secret selling plans, "for internal use only."
Here are a few selected quotes that say it all:
"MUMs, a unique breast cancer awareness campaign Mothers United for Mammograms"
"The MUM's Campaign can also be leveraged to enhance our presence in key accounts . . . Utilize this campaign to gain access and enhance selling opportunities for Arimidex, Abraxane, and Faslodex with your key accounts."
"Coordinate with all key account members in planning your programs/celebrations . . . Physicians, RNs, Social Workers to aid in patient involvement and leverage for future business opportunities."
"Display table location is key . . . Chemo area can be highly successful. Waiting rooms can restrict access to RNs and MDs."
"Refreshments and food will help attract patients to the table. Cupcakes are easier for patients to handle and less messy than a cake. Have them made with pink frosting. Coordinate with the office for refreshments. Some offices provide waiting patients with coffee and sodas."
"Provide the small pink Arimidex bags for patients to fill with information. They will also be highly visible throughout the entire office."
All of this from AstraZeneca Oncology, with luuuuve.
2 comments:
Dear Peter,
How is this different than the way these same companies have what appear to be charitable, educational or consumer driven magazines, newsletters and emails. I get tons of this kind of stuff in psychiatry and diabetes in particular. Why would they send me all sorts of big free gifts and magazines, IF it did not profit them or give them a tax write off?
This is a great BAD example of an idea gone wild. I liked it when the drug reps would meet us at the coffee carts, and give us 10$ coffee cards!
This was because they can no longer come into the ivory tower not invited, the waiting rooms or the patient areas. So, what is so bad about pink cupcakes, besides its slimy nature? Sugar? Food coloring?
Cheers
PS. I know you are busy, but when u have time, please ck out gcic.blogspot.com :)
In and around the chemo treatment rooms???
Now here are some sales people who really know their "audience"!
I guess that the AZ managers-- never having actually had cancer or their company's own chemo treatments before (as is obvious by the slew of horrid ways they find to take advantage of such patients and prey on them in all contexts without a tinge of conscience holding them back)-- forgot that that stuff makes a person far too nauseous to eat, or not puke, at the sight of such a "treat".
Why don't they serve the same treats in the restrooms or gastro offices where colostomy bags are being changed, but using chocolate frosting there instead of pink? It wouldn't be any less appetizing to the patient!
OR, maybe they could find a group of hung-over college students at 7 am and start playing heavy metal music at a few hundred decibels while handing them "information bags" to be enticed with-- which I'm SURE they'll be jumping at the chance to read the minute they get home after you've treated them that way-- rather than telling you to go to Hell and getting the frat house dog to pee all over your "sack of information" in retaliation before they finally fall asleep cursing the bastards who gave them those splitting headaches.
Way to be "thinking" managers, way to be "thinking" . . .
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