Pharmaceutical contract manufacturing organisation, SCM Pharma, used comic-inspired illustrations to create brand awareness and promote its services. Gemma Huckle reports
SCM Pharma, who offer outsourced manufacturing capabilities to both pharmaceutical and biotech companies, specialise in the production of sterile products (e.g. drugs in vials, syringes and ampoules). Its new super powers-themed campaign features two characters, ‘Radioactive Ray’ and ‘Potent Pete’. The illustrations currently appear on the company’s website and all promotional materials.
The characters were created after market and competitor research, conducted over 18 months ago by Ramarketing, revealed that SCM offered two specialist services that no other contract manufacturer in the world was offering. The first of these services was the manufacture of potent products, such as toxic cancer drugs. The other is C-14 radio-labelled products, which are used in early-stage trials to trace and understand the effectiveness of a new drug a patient is taking. Both specialist services formed the basis of SCM Pharma’s ‘super powers’ campaign to promote its services and help raise brand awareness. In addition, the business strapline ‘Delivering novel, difficult and dangerous drugs’ was also developed.
Export strategy
Branching out to grow the company’s global market knowledge, SCM Pharma and Ramarketing created an export strategy to help generate an international revenue stream. Using support and funding from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), a marketing strategy for the US and Europe was then planned and implemented.
The aim of the marketing push was to raise brand awareness and ultimately encourage the attendance of trade shows. Key decision makers in UK, EU and US-based pharmaceutical and biotech companies were targeted. This included hundreds of project, production, technical leads and sourcing specialists who identify, evaluate and select a contract manufacturer were contacted.
Direct mail postcards were sent inviting all key contacts to the SCM stand at the trade shows. Email was used to increase traffic to the website and get people along to the events, while both characters were given prominence on the homepage of the company’s website, newsletters, online adverts and sales support merchandise to reinforce the message.
The campaign was taken to six trade shows across New Orleans, New York and Paris to further heighten awareness. The marketing plan was essential to stimulate and fill the 12-month pipeline and generate international revenue streams.
New markets
SCM Pharma found keeping the campaign consistent across international markets a challenge at times. Giving US pharma businesses enough reasons to use an EU-based contract manufacturer, rather than a US one, was one particular challenge.
In terms of campaign results, export sales have had a big impact – SCM Pharma has already surpassed £1m for export sales in 2011. The success of the export strategy has also secured marketing and sales in US, Denmark, Italy, Ireland, Belgium and Switzerland. SCM Pharma reported sales of £2.7m in 2010 and says it is on track to hit £4m sales this December. The successes have seen staff numbers grow by 52 per cent and the opening of its first commercial office in the US.
SCM Pharma’s MD Dianne Sharp, says, “By investing in brand communications, focusing on our competitive differentials and penetrating the market through numerous avenues, we have been able to achieve tremendous export expansion. It helped safeguard and create jobs while achieving a more sustainable business that is not purely reliant on the local market.”
