Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 44

Marketing - Essay Example A research conducted by the City analysts has predicted that Sainsbury’s is likely to register a decline in its grocery sales by 2.5% for the preceding three months. This is with the exclusion of fuel. This is going to be a big setback for Salisbury’s given that it has, for the last decade, registered only an increase in the sale of its groceries. Salisbury’s used to record all these profits until the consumers in the U.K changed their shopping habits. This was also due to the emergence of Aldi and Lidl which are discount chains. It is also noted that the prices of food fall considerably. With these changes in the markets, the big four supermarket chains in the U.K, Salisbury’s Tesco, Asda and Morrisons, have lost their market share was almost a fifth in the previous two months. Despite the fall in the market share, Morrisons is however indicated by the latest Kantar sales figures to be growing. This is unlike the other three chains of supermarkets. James Anstead, who is an analyst at Barclays, has predicted that predicted that the sales in like-for-like products for Salisbury’s are likely to drop by 25%. This is due to the coming on board of the discount chains which have offered immense competition to the supermarkets. It is indicated also that the brand of Aldi is more worth than that of Tesco. Tesco having reported a similar decline as Salisbury’s, it therefore means that the brand of Aldi is also more worth than that of Salisbury. It is predicted that in the next five years, the sales for the supermarkets are going to drop as the discounters and online shopping double their sales. The increase in sales for online shopping and the discounters is estimated at 92.9% and 82.2% respectively. This is unlike the supermarkets whose sales are expected to drop by 2.9% until the end of the year 2020. The increase in the

Budget Development Analysis Summation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Budget Development Analysis Summation - Essay Example In fact, from an examination of the report on the school budgets it is clear that schools which managed to make cuts in their budgets and reduce expenditure while offering the same level of services are applauded for their actions. The Houston school system managed to reduce expenditure while the school systems that showed an increase in expenditure were criticized for it. This situation is quite similar to the one experienced by other school systems around the country as discussed by Williams (2008) and Romanek (2008). Essentially, school budgets need to show that the schools are spending money in the right direction but it can be difficult to do so in times where rising costs are a fact of life. Romanek (2008) discusses how some schools are facing pressure on their budgets from rising fuel costs and need to move towards alternative fuels in order to make sure that they can meet the needs of the students while remaining within the funds that have been budgeted for their expenditure. While school busses run on diesel instead of gasoline, the prices for diesel itself have risen by almost three hundred percent in the last five years. While schools in the country are being forced to maintain their spending within the same budgetary constraints, schools systems are dealing with increased prices which automatically create a reduction in services. Schools may have to run fewer routes, eliminate positions for technology related teachers or even have to reduce the extra programs which they may offer to their students. The school systems’ budgets describe the reality of what it means to go through a recession and it seems that we all need to be a part of the solution in order to ensure that our education system does not

Ego Theory vs Bundle Theory

Ego Theory vs Bundle Theory Derek Parfit discusses two separate theories of personal identity, the Ego theory and the Bundle theory. The common question between these two theories is What is a person? In this paper, I will introduce the Ego Theory and the Bundle Theory, then I will go over Parfits teletransportation example. I will explain what Parfit and the Ego Theorist disagree about when it comes to teletransportation. Then I will argue in order to defend the Ego Theory and explain why I feel it is more persuasive. To begin with, I will discuss the foundation of the Ego Theory. This theory defines a person as a single unified subject of experiences.  In other words, this theory believes there is something in this world that is you and that thing is basic. Mental events exist (such as memories, sensations, emotions, desires, experiences, etc.) but are not basic. The basis of what makes up a person is something other than those mental events. This theory states that a persons continual life is described through the purpose of a specific subject of experiences, a person is an ego (unit basic quality) that a bunch of experiences happen to. On the other hand, the Bundle Theory is very different, it believes that we are not a particular subject of experiences, but a bundle. The foundation of this theory is that mental events exist but they are basic. A Bundle theorist believes there is no unit that is a person that exists in the world.  A person is just a bundle or collection of mental events. These bundle of ideas are attached to a person. We organize our notions about what is in the world by categorizing different things ad giving them a label. People decided to call the idea of what makes up a person a person. We give notions their meaning using language. This is human beings basic way of organizing and defining things in the world depending on their relation, but it is our creation. Parfit agrees with the Bundle Theory and goes on to argue that  we have defined what a person is incorrectly. Parfit goes on to discuss a scenario that involves teletransportation. He discusses a device called the teletransporter, which can read the design of a persons material while destroying it, then transfer the information to Mars at the speed of light. The receiver reads this information creating an exact copy of your material there. Parfit argues that you will die during this process, however you will have a replica of yourself who will pick up where you left off with your life. The replica will be someone who will be exactly similar to you, but it will not actually be you. It will have all your attributes such as your look, personality, memories, etc. This occurrence raises questions regarding whether the replica would be the same person as you, and hence what truly makes a person what they are. Both the Ego and Bundle theories agree that you will die during this process of teletransportation and that the replica created will not be you. They disagree why the replica will not be the same person. The Ego theory believes the replica created on Mars is not you because it is just a copy of you. No one who will exist in the future would have my ego, no one in the future will be this particular subject of experiences. In other words, no one in the future will ever be me. A replica by definition is not the same as you, its a reproduction of you. Destroying the person teletransported does not somehow make the replica of that person the same. What makes a person is their ego. A person that believes in the Ego theory would be crazy for getting in a teletransporter because it would destroy them. On the other hand, the reason the Bundle theory believes the replica created on Mars is not the same as you is because it argues there is no self, there is no such thing as a person being teletransported. There are only ideas and when your collection of ideas is teleported, your collection of ideas will disappear and a new set of ideas will appear. The replica created will have the experience of knowing what the person teletransported is like, what memories they have experienced, what emotions they process, etc. but it is not the same as actually experiencing those things. The person teletransported has memories because that person created them in a specific way. Making a replica of those memories will still not be the same as actually having those memories personally. So a person that believes in the Bundle theory would have no problem getting in the teletransporter as opposed to the Ego theory. Parfit then goes on to assert, Ordinary survival is about as bad as being destroyed and having a Replica.  What Parfit is trying to say is that teletransportation is just as bad as ordinary survival. If we believe in the Ego Theory we are worried about nonsense, because the way we perceive what defines a person is incorrect. He believes we  do not understand what we are and that our continued existence should not really matter to us. Once we understand that we are just a bundle of ideas, it should not matter whether that bundle of ideas lives or dies. In my opinion the Ego theorys line of reasoning is much more persuasive. I believe there is something special that makes each and every person different, which we call the soul. Our  consciousness is the indicator there exists a soul. We are rational beings that have a conscience which tells us right from wrong.  Also, there is something that is the foundation of a person that existed before we were born and that carries on after we die. We can decide whether we want to behave or act in a certain way, hence we have free will. All those things were in existence before we were born, they are installed in our genetic makeup.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  I believe that in order for something to exist, something else must have caused it. Our genetic make up did not just appear out of nowhere, we were created by an external force. I believe that the soul is the basis for that existence.  The soul is beyond the range of the senses of the ego, but is a part of the ego.

Essay :: essays research papers

LeBron James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio. His mother was Gloria James who was only 16 at the time. His father was Anthony McClelland. Gloria raised LeBron on her own. Life was often a struggle for LeBron and his mother. LeBron James, who has been called "the best high school player ever," is a creative dunker with the explosiveness of Jordan and the passing ability of Magic Johnson. Not since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a high schooler in the '60s has a high school sensation gotten so much exposure and generated so much excitement. He is known as a call showstopper" who has, during his tenure at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, exhibited the kind of fan-pleasing ability that will likely make him the NBA's No. 1 draft pick on June 26. James, who has a 32-point scoring average and 3.75 grade-point average, is a cordial, sometimes engaging youngster who is characterized by his unselfishness on the court that's mixed with a bit of flamboyance. And it's those credentials that elevated him to the level where he was the focus of what was called the "Fantastic Scholastic LeBron James Tour," an 8,500-mile, cross-country road schedule that included stops in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Dayton and Greensboro, N.C. But with so much attention devoted to James, it has created the sometimes circus-like environment that surrounds him. Even so, he has been able to handle it with the maturity of one who is much older than his 18 years. "Sometimes it's tough because you don't get to be a kid anymore. But I've chosen this lifestyle and you have to take it for what it is," he says. "I love every moment of it. I'd rather people know me as a great basketball player than see me on the news [and people] saying something bad that I did." The McDonald's High School Player of the Year is a unique package of athletic ability and charisma that has enthralled spectators in ways not seen before at this level. This spring, for example, sellout crowds of 20,000 or more attended several All-Star games in which he played, and some paid upward of $85 to see him. There are nearly 1,100 LeBron James items listed on eBay. And when was the last time that a high schooler has generated so much excitement that his regular-season games were nationally televised?

The Evolution of Sales Models in the Indian Pharma Industry

The Evolution of Sales Models in the Indian Pharma Industry By AmArdeep Udeshi, engAgement mAnAger, ims ConsUlting groUp And mohit BAhri, ConsUltAnt, ims ConsUlting groUp Dear colleagues, We are proud to present to you the outcome of a unique initiative jointly undertaken by OPPI and IMS Consulting Group (IMSCG). As part of the OPPI Committee on Sales Force Excellence (SFE), a decision was taken last year to understand the prevailing practices and emerging trends with respect to Sale Forces, aimed at driving SFE across the Indian Pharma industry.As part of this study, OPPI and IMS Health undertook a survey amongst key senior management personnel, wherein information was captured related to sales force structures, the principle behind their set ups and the challenges faced therein. Fourteen companies responded to this survey. What is presented here is a brief glimpse of the findings of this survey, within the context of changing sales models in the Indian pharma industry. Supporting t his data are insights provided by IMS Consulting Group based on their expertise and knowledge of the industry and its changing dynamics along with inputs from other industry experts associated with OPPI.What this paper attempts to do is to showcase how sales models are being, and will continue to be, reinvented and redesigned across the Indian pharma market landscape in the years to come. We do hope you find this article and the subject as interesting as we found it to be while bringing this paper to you. Thank you, Tapan Ray Director General OPPI Ram Kalyana Country Principal, India IMS Consulting Group 2 the only ConstAnt is ChAnge itself The ever changing face of the Indian pharma industry and its ability to adapt innovatively has reinforced the fact that adaptation is the only way to survive.With every passing decade, a new commercial challenge has emerged; which in-turn has provided the industry with an opportunity to ride the waves to reach newer heights. An annual turnover of Rs 600 Bn with a CAGR in excess of 15% is a testimony to the fact that key players have emerged, winning over time. With time, newer and innovative commercial approaches have been adopted and implemented, thus demonstrating that the companies have adapted themselves to the fluidic nature of the Indian pharma market. As Fig. below indicates, following the announcement of a formal patent structure in 1995, Indian players started gearing up for the product patent regime. During this time, a transition from conservative sales models to ag- gressive and innovative sales models was observed. Companies geared up their R&D efforts to meet the product patent criteria, and undertook an aggressive expansion in early 2000s from a gradual ramp up of portfolio and sales force in late 90s. So aggressive was the portfolio expansion, that the average number of new brands launch increased from nearly 700/year in the late 1990s to >2,500/year between 2000 and 2005.At the same time, companies expanded their sales forces aggressively in attempts to reach out to the geographical corners of the country, including rural markets in the late 2000s. In a bid to increase revenue further, innovators engaged in co-promotion of their patented products and out-licensing. At the same time, with limited options to expand portfolio and near saturation in the top cities in India, companies started adopting newer commercial models and sales force structures (like task forces, therapy experts, Key Account Manager structure, Contracted Sales Operations, etc. to more efficiently target the market. Figure 1: Changing Sales Dynamics in the Indian Pharma Industry Announcement of patent regime massive restructuring and scale up product patent implemented shrinking pipeline and rise of pharmerging markets †¢ Companies start gearing up for expansion †¢ sf and portfolio ramp up †¢ Avg new products launched/yr 650-700 †¢ started investments in r&d †¢ rapid adoption of business unit structure †¢ expansion to extra-urban geographies †¢ emergence of newer sales model like taskforce, therapy experts †¢ Co-promotion/licensing agreements kicked in †¢ rise of organized retail vents likely to impact future sales models †¢health insurance †¢govt. adopting health security measures for certain sections of society †¢ gst regime †¢ Aggresive portfolio & sales force expansion, >2,500 new products launched/yr †¢ gradual adoption of business unit structure †¢ mnCs entering india and also launching global portfolio 1995-2000 Source: IMS intelligence 2000-2005 2005-2010 †¢ emergence of new stakeholders, sales channels †¢ likely adoption of newer sales model like channel management, KAm, Cso, etc 2010 and beyond Future 3 Companies who aggressively ramped-up were able to (See Fig. below) shows that these initiatives have maintain their bottom line, thus indicating that these proved to be fruitful and provided healthy bo ttom strategies paid off. A Top-level financial assessment lines. Figure 2: Profitability trends – Key companies MNCs 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 40% 35% 30% Indian Companies operating profit % 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% -5% -10% 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 novartis Astra merck Abbott pfizer Aventis ranbaxy glenmark drl sun pharma CiplA % operating profit = operating profit/ operating income source: www. money. rediff. comHowever, in an ever changing market environment, the drive up efficiencies, be it through streamlining operasustainability of these models in terms of profitability tions, adapting their sales model to market realties, or needs to be carefully considered. Hence, it’s imperative enhancing efficacy of initiatives. for the industry to look within for the opportunities to As an industry executive says, â€Å"We moved from a Sales and Marketing structure to a Business Unit structure to bring more accountability, manage evolving busi ness needs and use equity of organization for reaching to the middle of the accessible pyramid.We have also created a horizontal strategic excellence team across these BUs for process evaluation. † Another industry executive mentioned that adopting specialized field forces to promote super-specialty products, using a traditional field In a survey jointly undertaken by IMSCG and OPPI force to promote other less specialized products, and a CSO amongst leading companies related to sales practices (Contracted Sales Operations) model for rural geographies and models, it was observed that nearly 80% responded has worked well for them.Thus, the industry has seen an to having changed their sales model at least once in the adoption of multiple kinds of sales forces – an improvelast 5 years. Nearly 80% of the companies contacted ment over having a ‘traditional sales force only’ model. by IMS have already adopted multiple business unit models, with or without addition al specific task forces; While most of the companies have adopted this Business with the number of business units ranging from 2 to Unit structure, a few pushed further ahead by adopting newer innovative promotional models like patient activa10, depending on portfolio width. ion teams, therapy specialists, or creating patient awareness through mass media. CUrrent sAles models The sales force continues to be the biggest promotional investment for pharma players. Industry has evolved around making most use of this resource and has adopted innovative commercial models, from sales and marketing structure to business unit structure to specialized task forces, as per their needs – often proactively adapting existing sales models to market realities 4 As seen in Fig. below, while key determinants of the and target doctor specialty, a few companies have also sales force structure are therapy focus, portfolio width, aligned their models around geographies and profitability. Figure 3: therapy focus portfolio (number of brands) specialty focus nature of product (otC/hospital based) geography focus stage in lifecycle of the portfolio mix of different profibility brands realignment of brands due to merger/acquisition 0 2 4 5. 5 6 8 7. 2 6. 9 6. 9 6. 7 9. 2 8. 9 8. 7 10A few of the models seen in the pharma industry (see Fig. 4 below) are: †¢ therApy foCUs promotion: Generally seen where a portfolio is specialized, therapy focused, and scripts are driven through chosen few doctors; generally in chronic segment. †¢ ChAnnel mAnAgement: Mostly in OTC /OTX business; mature products with wider portfolio width. †¢ hospitAl tAsKforCe: Exclusively to manage hospital business. †¢ speCiAlty driven sAles model: Applicable in scenarios where portfolio is built around 2 or 3 specialties. tAsK forCe: Generally adopted for niche products in urban areas, such as fertility clinics or for new launches where the focus is on select top rung physicians only. †¢ o Ut-soUrCed sAles forCe: Generally used for expansion in extra-urban geographies or with companies for whom medico-marketing is secondary (such as OTC or Consumer Healthcare companies). Figure 4: Newer Sales Force Models adopted task-force institutional sales force Channel sales multiple BU sales force therapy focus specialty focus Acute vs chronic focus geography focus others Urban GeographyUrban + lower town classes therapy experts rural superspecialty focus/ niche hospital focus distributor sales force otC rural sales force (owned / outsourced) multispecialty broad portfolio Portfolio non-exhaustive indicative overview of indian pharma sales models 5 Different companies have adopted different strategies, but the key reason cited for adapting these changes remains the same: to provide better customer focus and targeting, enhance efficiencies, facilitate expansion to newer business areas (both therapies and geographies), and increase accountability of the resources.One of the execut ives surveyed said, â€Å"We created multiple structures to expand coverage to new markets and therapy areas in line with growth expectation, support new launches, and strengthen key markets & institutional sales. † For specialty products driven companies, task forces account for nearly 15% of the total sales force. Key determinants of adapting these models are therapy focus, width of product portfolio and target doctor specialties.Interestingly, responses of those companies having mature products tending to an OTX profile suggest that channel management has already made inroads into pharma sales, accounting for nearly 20% of sales forces, second only to traditional sales force. Geography also emerges as one of the key determinants of sales model adoption, which shows that companies are also looking at realigning their sales model around the varied need of various geographies. An industry executive contacted by OPPI-IMS said â€Å"A new BU was created in our company to tap t he opportunity in the lower town classes.The BU contribution to the overall business is close to 20%. † Another executive said, â€Å"Emerging and untapped business in the Class 3 or 4 towns and rural sector will impact the future selling model,† thus Figure 5: Key benefits and challenges with various sales structures acknowledging the seriousness around rural consumers. MNCs like Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis, Pfizer are actively expanding to Tier IV cities and below, creating profitable business models around rural geographies. Extra-urban geographies require different sales models in addition to a different strategy in terms of portfolio, distribution, pricing and promotion.It has also been observed that many companies have adopted a multi-pronged commercial model to target specific needs of the various customer sets. One of the industry executives said, â€Å"We adopted multiple strategies, like divisionalization in different therapy segment to bring better focus on fie ld implementation, creation of channel management to manage late life cycle brands, launch of an extra urban division to increase reach, and launch of super specialty division like Derma & Cardio. Previous studies from IMSCG suggest that this is not an isolated case, but is now a common practice followed by both Indian and MNC players. No one model fits all. As seen in Fig. 5 below, different models have their share of benefits and challenges; innovative sales structures increase customer focus, but with additional investment. Hence, one needs to study financial feasibility of a adopting a new commercial model. While a few companies have started to reassess their selling model, many players still rely on traditional promotional channels, where doctor coverage, call frequency, and working ays still define the KPIs for the sales force. Benefits Account management Channel management hospital management task force structure Cso †¢ high Customer focus †¢ Customer management â⠂¬ ¢ Wider reach and frecuency †¢ helpful in managing large portfolio †¢ high focus on potential hospitals †¢ high productivity for speciality business †¢ high impact and productivity †¢ service to focus customers †¢ geographically better reach †¢ flexibility in operation & reduces managerial cost Challenges high investment †¢ delay in payments †¢ lower margins †¢ resource constraint for the wider reach †¢ price war †¢ formulary listing for new products †¢ scattered geography †¢ Cost of operation †¢ Compliance and quality of operations †¢ tough to coordinate and align Cso to parent company 6 A closer look at current models show that these models, though they would have provided an edge to the players, have largely focused around single stakeholder, primarily doctors. A study by IMSCG shows that decision making power of other stakeholders, including patients, hospitals, payers, and insurance companies, ha s Figure 6: een on a steady rise in recent years. Rising influence of new stakeholders in deciding treatment pathway will force the market players to look at newer touch points with new stakeholders and hence the promotional channels. KPIs for the sales team need to evolve to include these new key stakeholders. International Scenario Media Promotion Influential Influential Indian Scenario Doctors Media Promotion Doctors Patient Groups Payors Consumers Distribution channels Distribution channels Existing Consumers Insurance Patient Groups New Weak Existing NewMoreover, there are fundamental differences in stakeholder evolution between Western and Indian markets, which to an extent explains the difference between commercial models in the West and in India. While doctors are still the center of healthcare in India, the West has seen an emergence of consumers, payers, private insurance and patient groups as strong stakeholders in healthcare management. With Westernization of the Indian healthcare market, newer stakeholders are likely to gain more importance, and thus will be the need for newer ways and means of targeting them.Leading MNCs like Sanofi-Aventis, Roche, Lilly, MSD, and GSK have already started engaging newer stakeholders (patients) to maintain their leadership in the market. Awareness campaigns, as adopted by MSD for Gardasil or by GSK for its vaccine portfolio or by Sanofi-Aventis for its top end brands have helped route the patients to their products. Weak 7 emerging trends in the heAlthCAre system OPPI-IMSCG has identified six key trends in healthcare which are likely to influence the way pharma companies adopt their sales models in the next decade.These trends will see emergence of new stakeholders and promotional channels, that no company may afford to ignore, impacting future commercial models. These key trends are: 1. pAtients inCreAsingly BeComing strong stAKeholders: Increasing education, awareness, and income have prompted patients to active ly seek a healthy life-style. Patients have emerged as stronger stakeholders in the overall treatment chain, commanding what they want, at the price they want, where they want and by whom. Demand for preventive treatment, rather than curative, is increasingly becoming prominent amongst patients.Vaccination is a case in study, where companies like GSK and MSD have targeted primarily the end-user to ramp up patient acquisition. Increasing use of health check-up packages, awareness creation through media promotion, and government initiatives in rural healthcare will only lead to further strengthening of patients as key stakeholders in the healthcare system. †¢ Engages patients by providing services at their home for products like Arava and Actonel †¢ engages patients by providing services †¢ Program is called as SPARSH Typical is called as spArsh †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢program services include †¢ Counseling †¢ Diagnostic tests t their home for products like Arava †¢ Typical services include and Actonel †¢ Counseling †¢ Delivery of starter kits †¢typical Insurance †¢ Medicalservices include †¢ Exercising equipments †¢ Counseling †¢ Physiotherapy sessions †¢ delivery starter kits †¢ Diagnostic Tests †¢ medical insurance †¢ Personalized visit †¢ exercising equipments †¢ Emergency help †¢typical services include call center †¢ Query handling via †¢ Counseling †¢ diagnostic tests †¢ Patient doesn’t has to pay anything †¢ Query handling via call center extra †¢ patient doesn't has to pay anything extra Doctors are reported about the status of the †¢ diagnostic tests patients †¢ personalized visit †¢ physiotherapy sessions †¢ doesn’t has to †¢ Patient emergency help pay anything extra †¢ doctors are reported about the status of the patients †¢ patient doesn't has to pay anything extra MNCs have been act ively engaging customers by providing disease management services to retail patients taking their products. Counseling, physiotherapy sessions, and diagnostic tests are all services being provided to patients. Patient reach programs will require different set ups and servicing teams with specific skill sets.A leading MNC vaccine player reaches out to their patients through an SMS reminder service. An industry executive mentioned use of call centers for chronic disease management as a possibility. Thus, implementation of patient engagement programs will require adoption of different sales and service models, and hence newer capabilities by market players 2. emergenCe of neW heAlthCAre delivery ChAnnels The hospital segment is strongly emerging in the Indian healthcare sector. Private and corporate hospitals have grown at a 15-20% on YOY basis, and the trend is expected to continue for the next 5 years as well.Penetration in Tier II cities and medical tourism will further boost growth of corporate hospitals. The upcoming increase in number of corporate hospitals will result in a structure where players will not only require a hospital sales force, but also the key account managers to handle relationships with wider set of stakeholders like purchase managers, administrative staff, and nursing staff. Most of the companies surveyed by IMS either already have a hospital division, or are planning to have one in next 2-3 years. 8 3.UptAKe of generiCs By government hospitAl seCtor Mandated prescribing of generics by government hospitals is expected to strongly impact the sales of branded drugs in the long run. Mandated generics prescription in the West has already led to emergence of new sales model aimed at generics promotion. Though IMSCG does not see this trend impacting India much in next 5 years, over next decade or so it will be interesting to see what new commercial models pharma players adopt. Pharma companies may also need to engage aggressively with governmen t bodies like pricing authorities, or approval committees. . groWing otC seCtor Use of media in driving brand promotion and reaching out to masses has opened up a new avenue for Pharma players to grow beyond traditional channels. Revital, Gelusil, Liv 52, Volini, No Marks, Crocin are the classic case studies, where pharma players expanded their reach through newer promotional channels like media promotion or in-store branding. Because OTC implies reaching out to patients and consumers without doctor intervention, it necessitates focusing attention on pharmacies directly, developing new distribution models, pricing and consumer targeting.Healthcare FMCG companies like GSKCH, Nestle and Britannia have a dedicated medical detailing field force meeting doctors and nutritionists to promote their brand too. Emergence of OTC is further expected to catch-up in next 5-10 years, with many more companies eyeing to acquire a broader patient base through multi-channel marketing. Hence, pharmacos need to adopt a different model for targeting customers 5. orgAnized retAil phArmACy ChAins Increasing spread of organized pharmacy chains like Apollo, Guardian and 98. 4, will make pharma players think about managing the growing power of newer distribution channels.According to industry estimates, organized retail pharmacy chains already account for nearly 5% of pharma sales in India, and their share is increasing year on year. These chains cannot be ignored any longer. Over a period of time, the role of organized players may evolve from mere distribution of drugs to managing patients’ health. Pharma companies may need to think about how to engage with these chains to deliver more and more services to their patients. With increasing share of sales, the demand for further discounting by these chains is not far away.Not only will these pharmacies demand price discounting, they will impact the way the supply chain is currently structured. With media promotion driving the custo mer pull, merchandising will take a bigger role in overall sales promotion at these pharmacies. Thus, the association between pharmacos and these chains needs to grow in a manner that both parties benefit from the inter-play. 6. rise of heAlth insUrAnCe Increasing penetration of health insurance will increase power of insurance companies to decide inclusion or exclusion of drugs in re-imbursement list.It is expected that the total population covered under health insurance will increase from 2. 3% in 2007 to 20% by 2015. The possibile emergence of a drug re-imbursement list by Indian insurance companies cannot be ruled out, which may eventually lead to dictating the business terms by insurance companies to pharma players. †¢Companies like ICICI Lombard are now eyeing to launch disease specific insurance covering cost of medications as well. One such policy, called Diabetes Care, is already in the market. 9Including insurance companies as a key stakeholder in ers,† while an other mentioned â€Å"Sales force will have to Pharma commercial model products will increasingly manage end customer connect besides marketing brands become crucial. to doctors†. Another executive feels patients will gain more importance in future, saying, â€Å"Most companies will Each of the above trends will impact the pharma sales have focused approach and work towards better customer model in their own way, paving the way for new com- service leading to patient benefit. OPPI-IMSCG feels mercial models in the pharmaceutical industry. Industry that as the momentum of evolution of these trends gather also seems to acknowledge these trends as one industry pace, so will the evolution of pharma commercial models executive stated, â€Å"Sales structures will evolve to manage in the next decade. With these changes, the industry has new channels like corporate hospitals or modern format witnessed an emergence of the concept of SFE – Sales retail. Government policies, pa yers and healthcare pro- Force Excellence. iders will influence the sales models of pharma play- are seriously looking to have a dedicated team for rural markets. Each of these models clearly points towards targeted approach to new stakeholders, though it’s too early to predict the nuances of each of the models. The role of existing resources will also evolve from †¢Ismycurrentsalesmodelsustainableinthefuture? mere touch points with customers to engaging final †¢Ismycurrentsalesmodeloptimalforfuturemarket consumers and managing the health of the patients. cenario? One industry executive points out, â€Å"Pharma sales †¢HowshouldIevolveandadapttothesechanges? structure will slowly move towards a more scientific dialogue between the sales force and the doctor. This Answers are not easy to come by, but a few compa- would require highly trained MRs with good ability nies will lead the way. According to the OPPI-IMSCG to engage doctors more effectively. † stu dy, key players in the industry believe that adaptation of current sales model will be a must for survival.This question will be even more pertinent going forWith the emergence of innovative sales models like ward; especially keeping in mind how difficult it is getkey account management, hospital task force, channel ting to find good talent in the market and how to make management, therapy specialist, and media promotion, existing talent more effective and productive through it is clear where sales models are heading. Companies skill-set enhancement. AdApting neW CommerCiAl models Emerging trends in healthcare delivery will force the pharma players to re-think about their go-to-market strategy.Some key questions to ask are: Figure 7: yesterday sales representative roles fairly standardized reach and frequency paradigm share of voice sf main promotional channel molecular targeting individual incentives technology used by innovators sfe function infrequent empirical decision making to day/tomorrow different roles: (KAm, relationships rep, sample dropper and power rep) relationship paradigm share of relationship mC2 = multi-client/multi-channel Atomistic targeting team incentives effective use of technology sfe function contributing to roi evidence-based decision making 0 The OPPI-IMSCG study predicts the gradual shift of the traditional approach of meeting the customer, to future approach of relationship building and engaging with customers. Much will change. â€Å"Managing the patients together† is perceived to be the key to success. Delinking the role of sales force from stockist management will help sales teams to focus exclusively on customers. Engaging multiple stakeholders through multi-channel promotion and touch-points will be the crucial.Segmenting the customers, from current Potential-Support Model to more evolved models like Behavioral Segmentation will provide the cutting edge to the players. e-detailing, e-seminars, e-doctor meetings, and onli ne awareness campaigns will drive the patient flow to the healthcare system. Thus, KPIs for the sales forces may evolve as well. ing in-depth analytics so as to lead to scientific decision making; from coordinating sales force activities to managing ROI through informed decision making with an end objective of improving efficiencies of existing systems.As one executive said, â€Å"There will be a concerted focus on SFE. Analytics will take over an important role in deciding sales force size and predicting sales forecast. † Measures of success will shift from PRPM model to carry-over models, thus, each incremental sales rep being added to sales force will have its own justification. With eroding product differentiation the sales and marketing capabilities will be the key differentiator. The Indian pharma industry will need to develop sales force competency and elements of SFE will take the driving seat.The reward systems will incorporate balance of sales achievement Industry e xperts also predict that evolving and harvesting with equal emphasis in effort parameters. newer touch points with patients will be a key to success. Study of patient flows in healthcare is likely to gain Considering that the largest resource allocation in comimportance. Not only will patient flow study impact the panies takes place on sales teams, it becomes important sales model, it will also impact the portfolio choice for the that SFE as a function be evaluated ore seriously. In players. An industry executive pointed out,â€Å"Key Account order to institutionalize the discipline of SFE, companies Management will have increasing importance for MNCs will need to build capabilities for an enterprise-wide SFE with pipeline of patented products and strategic partner- setup which will be actively engaged in enabling investing initiative will also impact sales models. † ments into innovative and hybrid sales models or demand generation models.To do this successfully and build a Within the last 5 to 6 years, companies have also created better business case for the same, companies will need a dedicated SFE function, with the purpose of improv- to closely examine how investments are channelized into ing the productivity of the sales forces. The role of SFE is each of the various initiatives – balancing financial rigour expected to evolve strongly over the next 5 years, involv- with overall implementability. Figure 8: Smaller field forces: removal of mirrored field forces Right sizing: each rep seeing 30-40 doctors more oftenAccount based selling: managing groups of prescribers based on % effort and not reach & frequency Key Account Mgt: relationship rep can call in specialized personnel as needed Prescriber Knowledge opportunity – Accessibility – responsiveness the sales model of Today Organizational Models therapy focused – team based – outsourcing specialist – Key Account mgt. new bonus and compensation models patie nt flow – local guidelines/Bodies influence to diagnose & prescribe the sales model of The Future Portfolio Treatment Pathways & InfluenceMNCs are expected to lead the change and that trend of micro-targeting has already begun. Companies like MSD, Sanofi-Aventis, and Roche have shown that value, and not cost, drives the healthcare choice. Januvia, (though much lesser than international price) is priced much higher and entered recently in the market, has already clocked sales of >Rs 100 crs. Thus, its well said by a pharma executive: â€Å"The way of marketing differentiated products, depending on their life cycle stage, will be of utmost importance.Newer ways of promotion too will have to be considered. † 11 Conclusion Declining effectiveness of current sales models will only lead to emergence of newer approaches in pharma selling. Though the approaches will vary vastly from company to company, the trend has already started. Pharmaceutical players should seriously star t evaluating their options and envisage how their sales models should evolve in the next 10 years to maintain their competitive edge. Where doesthefuturelie? IsKAMthesolution,orisittheCSO that will emerge?Willchannelmanagementgainmost importance? Towhatextentshouldmarketcoveragebe increased? How would one need to balance this with costeffectiveness? Theanswerswillemergeonlywiththe time, but with market maturing, patients actively seeking healthcare, and newer stakeholders emerging, another round of adaptation in pharma sales model is inevitable. No single business model may suffice in future. The future will belong to hybrid business models, with different structures co-existing together.We would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following OPPI – SFE Committee Members : Mr. Rajan Tejuja, Chairman, OPPI SFE Committee and President & Executive Director, Johnson & Johnson Ltd. Mr. Vinay Gokhale,Vice Chairman, OPPI SFE Committee and Sales Training & Development Manager , Abbott India Ltd. Mr. Sekar Sabapathy, Member, OPPI SFE Committee and Senior Director – Cardiology & Hospital BU, Aventis Pharma Ltd. (Group Sanofi Aventis). Mr. Biplab Chatterjee, Member, OPPI SFE Committee and Vice President – Sales, Solvay Pharma India Ltd.Mr. Partha Ghosh, Member, OPPI SFE Committee and Director, Commercial, Pfizer Ltd. Mr. Vivek Padgaonkar, Director, OPPI. ABoUt ims ConsUlting groUp: inflUenCing the fUtUre of gloBAl heAlth IMS Consulting Group (IMSCG) is the pre-eminent global life sciences consultancy. Distinguished by our sector and client focus, international reach, world-class methodologies and unrivaled talent, we provide clients with Powerful Insights that inform Smarter Decisions. Within IMSCG, we have a bold vision – To Influence the Future of Global Health!Who We Are: †¢500+specialistbest-in-classconsultants †¢AdvisingLifeScienceleadersoncriticalbusinessissueswithsingularfocus †¢Cadreofhealth/pharma-relatedbackgrou ndsandadvanceddegrees Where We Are: †¢Combiningglobalreachwithlocalmarketstrength †¢KeyhubsinLondon,NewYork,ShanghaiandTokyo †¢Localexpertsonthegroundinpharmergingmarkets-China,Brazil, India, Russia, Turkey, and more hoW We mAKe the differenCe: †¢Maximizingproduct&portfoliovalueineveryphaseofthe pharma lifecycle †¢Deeptherapy-areaandindustryexpertise †¢Passionforlifesciencesandcommitmenttoclients ms ConsUlting groUp IMS HEALTH INFORMATION & CONSULTING SERVICES INDIA PVT. LTD. ICC Chambers, 4th Floor, Saki-Vihar Road, Powai, Mumbai – 400 072 India www. imsconsultinggroup. com 12

Creation of suspense is a characteristic feature of narrative in the gothic tradition Essay

‘Creation of suspense is a characteristic feature of narrative in the gothic tradition. Discuss the uses and effectiveness of this device in The Woman in Black and compare them with those that you have noted in one other gothic text. Susan Hill’s ‘The Woman in Black’ is the ultimate ghost story which relies on the use of suspense, intensity, atmosphere and drama, interwoven in a plot full of intrigue which keeps the reader eager with anticipation. Susan Hill has created a chilling novel which translates into a magnificently eerie and genuinely distressing read. Although everpresent, suspense is cleverly built slowly throughout to create a mounting atmosphere. Furthermore, atmosphere is built through place, strong narrative and dialogue. Hill’s calculated timing of events is also crucial in creating the mood of anxiety. The first hint of atmosphere building up was when Mr Kidd meets Mr Bentley for the job of sorting out Mrs Drablow’s papers. From the start of the dialogue between Arthur Kidd and Mr Bentley it is obvious that the latter is intent on seeing how much Mr Kidd knows about Eel Marsh House. There are many short questions, avoiding the reader’s attention. Then Mr. Kidd asks â€Å"Children?†, this demonstrates how Susan Hill spans the question out to draw the reader’s attention, and it is clear Mr Bentley most probably knows the answer but is reluctant to tell it. This hints that there might be something wrong or odd here. This withheld information is almost characteristic of the whole foundations of Dracula as character fail to share vital information with eachother which lead to fatal consequences. This technique is very powerful in stirring up emotions as the reader begins to almost urge the characters to share the information which they withold. In the passage from ‘Across The Causeway’, Kipps sees the Woman in Black for the second time however this time, she has a look of pure malevolence and evil on her face. Kipps begins to question whether the hatred is directed at himslef however he is soon afraid and eventually angry. Susan Hill builds up tension and suspense in this extract by controlling the pace, this gives the extract the required tension since events seem to go by slowly and gradually build to their climax. This can be linked back to Dracula as events surrounding Lucy and her dramatic death are steadily explained and her death comes a long time after her first encounter with Dracula. General events in Dracula can also be linked back to Susan Hill’s slow paced build up as Mina tries to put together the pieces of the puzzle throughout while characters often are shown to be naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve in there thinking and do not come to obvious conclusions so as to be able to sustain the tension of the novel. Even after Kipps has emotionally broken and he is being comforted by Spider, Kipps can still hear the wailing child across the marshes, This gives the reader an image of unrelenting pain and haunting which only succeeds in adding to the suspense and tension. This can also be clearly seen within Bram Stoker’s Dracula as Dracula’s attack on the individuals does not result in a sudden death or transformation but rather begins the cycle which is only completed later in the novel as Lucy is attacked multiple times until she is beyond the point of saving. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, is indeed a successful ghost story, but what makes it so, is not violence, gore, or even bloodshed; It is the underlying, psychological fear of the unknown, which almost every person possess. From right at the beginning when Arthur Kipps strangely shows his anger in a sudden occurrence which is not made clear as to the reasons why, the reader is asked to try and anticipate consequently creating suspense. Such a theme can be seen Bram Stoker’s Dracula frequently particularly during the early stages of the novel as Harker visits the count. During these stages it is not made clear the full extent of the count’s objectives and the reader is only given slight hints through the characters viewpoint so that they are just as helpless as Harker. In Conclusion, Susan Hill has used a number of various techniques to invoke a sense of suspense into her novel. With these techniques she has created an immense atmosphere which is the foundation towards her chilling novel.