The days of veterinarians ruling supremely over pet medications are over.
In a recent study with partner Brakke Consulting, Inc., we learned that more than 20% of human pharmacists are filling CVM approved pet prescriptions. We also confirmed veterinarians’ concern about pharmacists’ preparedness to accurately fill these prescriptions and their intent to seek new ways of maintaining control.
Wanna see the numbers? Here. Or here. But just knowing the numbers—the raw data—isn’t enough for a marketer. Marketers need to know what the data means for their brands. How should they adapt? What can they do to keep their products and services top of mind? Of course, we can’t give away all of our secrets, but here’s a start.
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Become a resource for veterinarians.
Provide content to help them talk to clients about their options—from the value of buying in-clinic to the convenience of buying from a human or online pharmacy. Educate them on the importance of being transparent with today’s pet owners and, in turn, be transparent with them about how your product will be distributed.
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Engage with human pharmacies.
They are hungry for information from you. Add them to your product literature list and, if you have one, your sales rep list. Communicate with them directly about how your product is to be dispensed and the benefits and side effects. Offer things like pharmacist training, email templates and in-store signage. Then you can assure veterinarians that these pharmacists are prepared to best help our pets.
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If you’re selling a name brand product, prepare for generic warfare.
Human pharmacists are going to recommend generics for pets. After all, it’s what they do for us. Be ready to differentiate yourself. Do research. Demonstrate superiority if you can. You may even want to consider a veterinary-exclusive distribution strategy. There will always be people who buy directly from their vet.
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Veterinarians discuss medications and health-related services with clients every day, but they’re not always as confident about recommending pet foods, treats and supplements, especially if they don’t carry the product in-clinic. In fact, many veterinarians are actually worried that endorsing a product they don’t carry will hurt their bottom line or take valuable visit time that should be used to discuss something more important.
Here’s yet another article about marketing to Millennials. You already know they use social media. An article from the Wall Street Journal shows that Millennials spend almost 8 hours a day using social media. What you may not know is that one of the biggest mistakes in marketing is lumping Millennials into one big category. According to research by Curalate, there are 14 distinct Millennial personas, and at Trone Research + Consulting, we know how to create content to get the attention of each one of them. There’s a Millennial called “The Boss Babe.” She probably has a dog. So does “the Quarter-Life Crisis,” because pets make everything better.
Many veterinarians have expressed concern about pet owners using the internet to seek advice about pet healthcare rather than visiting a veterinarian for an examination of their pet by a professional. Veterinarians fear that pet owners may even reduce their visits to the clinic due to the abundance of information readily available online. These concerns are understandable. But need veterinarians fret?
