Propecia

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Hair loss solutions currently available on the market are inconvenient to use, require regular maintenance, and are expensive. However, Propecia’s drug is simple to use because users only take a pill. In contrast, hair replacement surgery requires skin grafts to be drilled into the head to regrow hair. More than one surgery is usually required. Other options such as wigs or toupees need to be removed daily and require routine adjustments. Rogaine, the last hair loss solution, requires application to the scalp two times a day. As can be seen by these options, Propecia presents itself as the premiere option on the basis of convenience and low maintenance.

In terms of price, Propecia is the best option because it costs a person $50 a month and is more inexpensive compared to other options. Hair replacement surgery costs between $2,000 and $10,000 for each surgery, and oftentimes, people return for another procedure. For wigs and toupees, they range between $500 and $3,500. Every six weeks, the hairpiece needs to be maintained thereby adding about $60 to total costs. Hair surgery and mechanical solutions require a large investment from the consumer, but this does not have to be the answer for consumers. Through product claim ads, Propecia’s low cost provides an incentive for consumers to try the pill.

In terms of positioning Propecia, Propecia is a simple, cost-effective way for young men between the ages of 18-41 to treat hair loss. Propecia has effectively helped 83% of people maintain their hair count, and 66% saw visual hair growth. By blocking DHT, the cause of hair follicle deterioration, Propecia can help men experiencing hair loss. This achieves the point that Propecia is more effective to use compared to alternatives on the market.

Question 4: Sales Representatives

By using product claim ads, patients turn to their doctor, and 75%-85% of patients will end up receiving a prescription for the advertised drug. Using a limited number of sales representatives to target physicians fully takes advantage of the ad’s message.

A full sales force should not be used for Propecia’s launch because Merck is releasing four other drugs within a year after Propecia is launched. These other drugs (Singulair, Cosopt, Aggrastat, and Maxalt) require extensive effort on behalf of the sales rep because of the drug’s complexity. Because a physician’s attention is often limited, they should not sacrifice marketing these drugs because they are life-saving options for diseases such as glaucoma and acute coronary disease. Even though launching Propecia presents the greatest opportunity by potentially reaching 30 million people, Merck’s focus should remain on the four other drugs launching within the next year.

Although Merck is launching a dermatology drug, Merck still has to abide by their core value of providing life-saving pharmaceuticals. It was how they were formed as a company, and Merck has to sustain for the future. Those drugs help keep the company viable and a leader in scientific research, which should be stressed in its ads.

Propecia should target primary care physicians because Merck’s sales representatives are already in the door talking about newly launched drugs. Merck will have the physician’s attention, and the sales rep can complete the conversation by briefly talking about the revolutionary Propecia. Propecia does not receive much attention, but physicians are aware that it exists partly because ads are telling consumers to turn to their physicians. Physicians then become marketers themselves because they can provide samples to interested buyers.