Case Study on New Product Sales Campaign
- Mr. Riddhiman Mukhopadhya
Freecad Launch by Wokhardt Pharmaceuticals
Preface : The Case is based on the Launch Story of a brand called “FreeCad” by Wokhardt Pharmaceuticals.The Case has been written on true fact based on the first hand experience of Dr.Prabir Kumar Banerjee,Senior House Physician (Retd.) of Seth Sukhlal Memorial Hospital of Kolkata as he was one of the target customer of Wokhardt Pharmaceuticals for FreeCad. This was Dr.Banerjee’s close observation on the Pre-launching activities of Wokhardt which enabled me to give the case a clear construct which intends the students to learn on the concept of 1.New Product Launching 2. Selection of customers for the new product 3. Meaningful engagement and communication to the target customers during Pre-launching, In-Launching and Post Launching phases 4. Implication of channel information in the post launching phase and above all 5. Customer Relationship Management activity. The data mentioned over here are not real but used to develop the orientation of the students on the metrics especially in terms of calculation of the business value derived from a customer on a new product. The names of individuals and Since the case is based upon a reported version of true facts there has not been any secondary research done for creating the case.The names of the characters from the company and channel partners has been changed
Dr.P.K Banerjee was wondering regarding the parcels he has been receiving from an undisclosed sender. Initially he was quite apprehensive regarding opening the contents of the first parcel which came around 20th of July; much to his surprise it contained a basket full of carrots. It also came with a message which read “Carrots give your eyes the freedom”. Subsequently he also received the series of parcels which contained sometimes dry fruits, condensed milk, tinned baked beans and interestingly all the contents accompanied some messages which talked on Freedom. Sagar and Swati , children of Dr.Banerjee also were excited about the parcels which arrived almost every week and they used to run on tinkling of the calling bells expecting the parcels and obviously to take on a fight with each other over opening the parcel.
Abhijeet in these days was very busy related to the launching of his company’s new products. Subsequent to the Product Briefing meeting Abhijeet was quite nervous on the quanta of the activities advised in the Meeting. There were a lot of Pre-Launch activities as a part of Strategic Planning designed by Mr.Sachin Grover, the Marketing Manager and his Product Management Team.
The activities included the identification of the assigned customer segments which included Cardiologists, Diabetologists, Consultant Physicians and House Physicians having Cardio-Diabetic Practice. Assessment of their potential for using Anti-Oxidants in daily clinical practice through extensive retail audits and mail the list to the Product Management Team after discussion with the Area Sales Manager, Mr.Anjan Ghosh.
The core list contained 20 most potential customers who induced the sale of almost 100-150 Units of Anti-Oxidants in a Month. Almost in 10 days Abhijeet received the consignment containing neatly packaged customized parcels with the names of the customers neatly embossed on the same. Each customer was to be
During his retail audit the assessment of potential for the doctors practicing in trade was really challenging especially high profile physicians, cardiologists and dibetologists whose patients arrived from far-flung areas and purchased from their local retailers back home rather than the local retailers in and around the clinic of the practitioners. However intelligently apart from depending on the local chemist shop as the only source of information Abhijeet also took the help of the assistant to the practitioners. While waiting in the cue along with the patients Abhijeet would befriend with the attendant addressing him or her as “Dada” or “Didi” and asked them a simple question. How many patients daily on an average the clinician prescribed an Antioxidant and for how many days?. After getting the answer the remaining calculation was pretty simple. If the doctor prescribed antioxidant to three new patients every day for one month, the no. of strips of 10 tablets each (equivalent to 1 unit) which would be sold against each prescription would be three .The daily potential of the doctor becomes 9 units and for the month 225 units (taking the doctors attends clinic 25 days in a month)
couriered these parcels in a specifically mentioned series. Each parcel was customized with the names and the addresses of the doctors on the basis of the mailed list.
Abhijeet found it was tough to conduct the Pre-launch activities like sorting the parcels and booking them for courier; dispatching them to the respective destinations on specified deadlines and fax their confirmations to the Product Management Team at Mumbai, in addition to the regular Field Work of maintaining a Call Average of 10 doctors, 5 Retailers, preferably 1 Distributor, sending of Daily Field Reports and attending Weekly Meetings in the Regional Office. However he managed by strictly prioritizing his agenda in his Daily Work Plan.
On 15th August, Abhijeet along with Mr.Anjan dropped in at the residence of Dr.Banerjee with a prior appointment somewhere around 10 a.m with the Final Launch Pack of Freecad. Dr.Banerjee was wondering why in the world Abhijeet and Anjan chose a day for coming which otherwise is observed as a holiday. However he did not mind giving the appointment to Abhijeet as he personally appreciated his personality, approach, style of communication and regularity of visit. Anjan also had been meeting Dr.Banerjee since his days as a Sales Rep before being promoted as an Area Sales Manager and hence also shared a close rapport with him.
Abhijeet and Anjan greeted Dr.Banerjee and politely took his permission for unveiling the final launch pack of Freecad. Much to the surprise of Dr.Banerjee, the box contained a spotless white pigeon which Abhijeet held in his palm and said.
“Sir, On this auspicious occasion of our Independence day we from Wokhardt Super Specialities have pledged to free your patients with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)from the threat of free radicals which aggravate their chances of morbidity and mortality. You would definitely appreciate that ingredients like Vitamin A in form of Beta-Carotene, Vitamin-C, Vitamin-E , Selenium, Zinc, Manganese, Chromium and Copper acts as free radical scavengers and hence the goodness of all these ingredients essential for protection of your patients with CAD from Free Radicals combines to form the new Freecad –Provides freedom to your CAD patients from free radicals. Freecad provides “Azadi-Dil Ki”. Freecad is available in a strip of 10 tablets each strip is costing Rs.90 to the patient. We have made Freecad available at all the major chemists where your valuable prescriptions may be honoured. Hence please allow the Pigeon to be free and Freecad be inaugurated”
Mr.Banerjee could now correlate the parcels he had been receiving and recollected the fact that all were carrying the “Message of freedom” .Moreover all the contents whether Carrot, Dry Fruits or Condensed Milk were potential sources of Vitamin-A,C and E as well as elements like Selenium, Zinc, Manganese, Chromium and Copper.
Dr.Banerjee flew the pigeon away and Freecad was launched.
He looked with appreciation on the Brochure of Freecad and sensing the same Abhijeet asked-“May I expect your prescription of Freecad for your next patient with CAD?”Dr.Banerjee nodded approvingly and shared his clinical experience with Anti-Oxidants and requested for some latest available Medical Reports on therapeutic effects of Anti-oxidants on free radicals. Anjan noted down the specific requirements in his diary.
Both Abhijeet and Anjan took leave from Dr.Banerjee with some significant expectations. Anjan quickly went to a Cyber Café to mail the requirement of Dr.Banerjee to Mr.Sachin Grover. Abhijeet went to the nearby Chemist shop to ensure the availability. The shop M/S Medi-Aid which was the nearest chemist counter from the residence of Dr.Banerjee had already stocked one box of Freecad (containing three strips).Out of the other chemists M/S Netaji Medical committed to make the stock available by 16th, August whereas M/S Medica clearly said that they would make the stocks available only when they receive a prescription of Freecad.
Survey area and population
The next week while dropping to Dr.Banerjee’s place for providing him the medical report requested by him in their previous visit Abhijeet thought of taking certain chemist feedback. M/S Medi-Aid reported two prescriptions of Freecad from Dr.Banerjee on 17th August. As the counter did not have more stocks gave one strip to each patient and assured them to make the stocks available in next two days. Needless to say that the counter already gave a repeat order of two boxes to the nearest Wokhardt distributor and were already carrying stocks after which Dr.Banerjee prescribed Freecad once more .M/S Medica received one prescription of Dr.Banerjee but as it did not have stocks refused the patient but .M/S Netaji Medical presumably received the prescription which was refused by Medica. Fortunately their stock had arrived on the previous day and the patient bought two strips. Netaji Medical also gave a repeat order of two boxes. Abhijeet carried the medical literature in an envelope.He did not forget to attach a “Thank you” Card with it which said “Thank you so much for your valuable prescriptions of Freecad, I feel blessed, please extend your patronage”
The same week as Abhijeet dropped in to his Dirtributor M/S Sharada he came to know that there was a fair response of Freecad and around 15 retailers from his territory have given a repeat order of Freecad. While going through the retail invoices Abhijeet could make out that out of those 15 retailers at least 6 retailers gave the orders from the prescriptions of Dr.Banerjee. Abhijeet estimated around 15 prescriptions given by Dr.Banerjee in a span of 7 days. Calculating with the facts that for each prescription the patient is being advised to take Freecad for one month and estimated sales value of Freecad is Rs.72.50/strip, Abhijeet could make out that Dr.Banerjee volume-wise has already contributed 45 strips and a value of Rs.3262.50.
