Discussion
Hence, if the term medicinal product makes sense, what about medicinal brand? It is easy to reformulate the definition of the former by adding ‘a manufactured good or a service’, but the latter remains quite vague. What is a medicinal brand in the pharmaceutical market? Should it be apprehended like a tag with a name? Or should it be comprehended more as a global concept?Unfortunately definitions from dictionaries are not very helpful either (see Tables 1 and 2). When asking marketing managers their own definition of ‘brand’, they will describe a portfolio, a range, or a
bunch of galenic forms as their brand. For some of them their brand is even their own company name. In order to limit confusion, it is relevant to refer to the definition of ‘medicinal product communication
strategy’ vs. ‘brand communication strategy’. The former focuses on tangible characteristics (dosage, available form, route of administration, etc.), while the second highlights the concepts (benefits, needs, behaviours, etc.). Except for the corporate (company name) situation, all of the above definitions mentioned by marketing managers are actually referring to specific characteristics that are closer to the definition of a medicinal product rather than the description of a medicinal brand. It gets even more confusing within the pharmaceutical industry because medicinal brands are in the hands of ‘product managers’ who liaise with ‘brand directors’ within communication agencies to build their communication campaigns, whereas the EFFPIA regulates promotional activity and communication directed towards, and interactions with, any member of the medical, dental, pharmacy, or nursing professions or any other person who in the course of his or her professional activities may prescribe, purchase, supply, or administer a medicinal product, e.g. any ‘healthcare professional’