⎯ THE CHALLENGE
BEAT THE GENERIC BRAND WHEN IT MATTERS MOST
In the pharmacy channel, the purchase decision isn’t always made by the consumer. When someone asks for a medication by its active ingredient, it’s the pharmacist who chooses which product to recommend. At that moment—which lasts only a few seconds—the brand competes directly with the generic. And if the pharmacist isn’t familiar with the brand, or has no reason to recommend it, the generic almost always wins out.
A pharmaceutical company realized it was losing that battle at the point of sale. The product was listed, it was being distributed, but it didn’t actually appear on the pharmacy shelves. The pharmacist didn’t prescribe it because he didn’t know enough about it, couldn’t recall its unique selling points, or simply didn’t have a clear rationale for recommending it over the equivalent generic drug.
SIG Spain’s challenge was clear: to enter 1,500 pharmacies, build relationships with prescribers, and get them to choose the brand again.
⎯ OBJECTIVES
WHAT THE CUSTOMER NEEDED
Reactivate the product listing in 1,500 pharmacies
Visit every pharmacy in the program to restore the brand’s active presence—not only on the shelves, but also through the pharmacist’s recommendations.
Provide personalized information and sales pitches
Highlight the brand’s unique selling points compared to generic products through a message tailored to each pharmacy’s profile, supported by high-quality visual materials.
Improve brand image on the channel
Beyond immediate reactivation, the goal is to build a relationship of trust with the pharmacist that sustains brand preference in the long term.
“In pharmacies, the battle isn’t won on the shelf. It’s won through a conversation with the pharmacist. And for that, you need someone who knows how to speak their language.”
SIG Spain Field Marketing Team
⎯ THE SOLUTION
PRESENCE, ARGUMENT, AND CONFIDENCE
Revitalizing a brand in pharmacies isn’t achieved with a brochure on the counter. It’s achieved through a well-prepared visit, a professional who understands the channel, and a sales pitch that the pharmacist can make their own when recommending the product. That’s exactly what SIG Spain implemented.
SELECTING A QUALIFIED TEAM FOR THE PHARMACY CHANNEL
The pharmacy channel has its own rules. The contact person is a healthcare professional—discerning, pressed for time, and highly skeptical of sales pitches. We select a team with the specific profile and experience required for this channel, capable of establishing credibility from the very first seconds of the visit.
PERSONALIZED VISIT TO REPRESENT THE BRAND
Each visit was designed as a brand representation initiative—not as a generic sales call. The team acted as brand ambassadors in front of the pharmacist, conveying the key differentiators through a pitch tailored to each pharmacy’s profile and supported by specific visual materials.
SELLING POINTS FOR THE BRANDED PRODUCT VS. THE GENERIC, WITH SUPPORTING MATERIAL
The goal was not just to inform—it was to give the pharmacist a concrete, transferable argument for recommending the branded product when a consumer asked for the equivalent generic. The visual materials reinforced the conversation and remained in the pharmacy as a visual reminder.
IDENTIFYING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES WITH EVERY VISIT
Beyond the relaunch, the team took advantage of every visit to identify additional opportunities: pharmacies with high prescription volumes, training needs, or areas for improvement in product visibility. Each visit provided valuable information that the client did not have before.
⎯ RESULTS
THE NUMBERS
THAT COUNT
98%
REACTIVATION RATE
Of the total number of pharmacies visited
+ 2,300
VISITS MADE
Based on an initial plan for 1,500 pharmacies
100%
SIG EFFICIENCY
The failures are due to factors beyond management’s control
The initial plan called for 1,500 pharmacies—the project concluded with more than 2,300 visits completed, exceeding the initial target by 53%. 100% of the pharmacies that were not contacted were due to external factors: the store was closed, undergoing renovations, or the manager was absent at the time of the visit. Zero failures attributable to the management of the SIG Spain team.
⎯ KEY LESSONS LEARNED
WHAT THIS PROJECT
TAUGHT US
The visit provides more value than initially anticipated.
The client hired us to reactivate a key account. What they got was exactly that, plus an enhanced brand image and the identification of previously unidentified business opportunities. A well-executed visit is a source of business intelligence that goes far beyond the immediate objective.
A generic sales representative does not achieve the same results as a professional with experience and credibility in the healthcare sector. The team’s training and its ability to adapt to the person they’re speaking with are what turn a visit into a genuine reactivation.
The transferable argument is the key to the rule.
It’s not enough for the pharmacist to simply know the brand—they must have a specific and clear reason for recommending it during the consultation. Support materials and a well-crafted sales pitch are what turn that knowledge into an active recommendation.
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