Abstract:

The paper is divided into two parts. The first part explains the market model used to represent the antihypertensive market in Italy. The model takes into account the nature of the prescribing situation and its anomaly with respect to many consumer markets. This anomaly arises from the "multiple consumer choice" facing a doctor. He has to choose the drug he wishes to prescribe in relation to the patient he has in front of him. As a result he does not have just one set of characteristics which he requires from a drug, but rather several sets. The model shows how this aspect can be overcome in order to arrive at a more meaningful description of the market. The second part of the article describes how this model of the Italian antihypertensive market was then put to practical use in helping to develop the positioning platform for a product which has recently been introduced. The product was tested by evaluating its perceived image amongst doctors. The evaluation method was the same as that used for the market model. In this way it was possible to super- impose the product's image onto the model of the current market. Two such exercises were carried out prior to launch and one soon after launch. After each stage of the test adjustments were made to the product's positioning. In this way the Company was provided with a means of maximising the potential for their product in this extremely competitive market