Bigger than brand: Portfolio positioning for pharma

Jenna Earl|29^th September 2015

Strategic Planning is a core capability at Blue Latitude. We work across many different therapy areas, helping our clients to position, launch, and support their brands through the full product lifecycle. For many years, pharma have reduced the impact of loss of exclusivity (LOE) by launching alternative molecules to treat the same condition. Whilst the commercial intention of this is to maximise the value gained from a therapy area, the execution of a portfolio strategy can impact this if done poorly. With Pharma in the midst of a patent cliff, portfolios of treatments are becoming more and more common, and the need for a clear co-positioning strategy has never been greater. A large client of ours recently approached us to understand how they could maximise the value of their gastroenterology portfolio. For several years, they had been focused on supporting one blockbuster brand with great success. However, with the impact of LOE fast approaching, it was vital that they widen their view to consider other brands in the pipeline, and how the portfolio would deliver value as a whole. Head of Brand Strategy Jenna Earl talks us through the three most important things to understand about portfolio positioning in pharma.  

1. Position the portfolio as a whole – collaboration trumps competition

When you have a portfolio that includes multiple brands with overlapping patient groups, positioning requires an additional dimension; positioning of the portfolio as well as of the individual brands. If portfolio brands are positioned in a silo, it creates unnecessary competition between the brands, and ultimately, creates confusion for prescribers and payers. ...