Case study – Positioning
OPTIMAL POSITIONING FOR A NEWLY APPROVED HEART FAILURE TREATMENT
BUSINESS OBJECTIVE
Product X has been newly approved for the treatment of HF, in addition to previous indications for T2D and CKD. Our client is seeking the optimal positioning platform, consisting of Premise and Promise/Proof, to provide a differentiated and compelling place in the hearts and minds of patients and improve the perception of Product X.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether an ‘umbrella positioning’, by which three patient groups, HF, T2D and CKD could be targeted, or if and individual platform for each patient groups would be necessary.
OUR APPROACH
Our initial qualitative research established a baseline understanding of how each of the three patient types view their condition, as well as spontaneous, emotional and rational reactions to each Premise, Promise, and Proof.
A Traffic Light exercise measured rational reactions to each Premise, where respondents ranked the statements they deemed most relevant to how they described their condition.
We used AdSAM to gauge initial emotional reactions to each Promise/Proof, as well as another Traffic Light exercise to rank the Promise/Proofs based on importance of the benefit described.
Respondents then completed a mix and match exercise to create their ‘optimal’ positioning platform consisting of a Premise and Promise/Proof. Finally, we probed reactions to a blinded TPP, and measured TPP fit with the newly created positioning statements.
The quantitative phase aimed to verify and ground the qualitative findings and included the same elements as the qualitative phase.
During the quant phase, we were able to segment the patients based on which condition or combination of conditions they had (T2D Only, HF Only, CKD Only, and Multiple Conditions with/without T2D), allowing us to determine not only the preferences for each condition but to analyse whether patients with a single condition showed different preferences than those with multiple conditions.
INSPIRATIONAL
OUTPUTS
We found that respondents across all patient types are generally motivated by and attracted to platforms that are positive and hopeful, rather than those that introduce worry and doubt.
The most popular Premise included themes of protection and prevention of future consequences, which was highly resonant across patient types. By contrast, Premises that conveyed feelings of defeat, isolation or being overwhelmed by their condition performed poorly.
There was more variability, both within and across patient types, in preferences for Promise/Proofs. The best-performing Promise/Proofs presented similar themes of prevention and protection, as well as simplification.
Statements that were perceived as vague or unclear in terms of the benefit the product provided were less resonant. Promises that explicitly mention all three conditions (T2D, HF & CKD) resonated most among those with T2D or with Multiple Conditions; however, those with only HF or CKD found the mention of T2D or reducing blood sugar somewhat dissuading.
Ultimately, we concluded that the most popular combined platforms can be used to create an umbrella positioning that resonates across groups, but an additional educational campaign may be necessary among HF and CKD patients to highlight their risks of additional conditions, and why a product like Product X might be useful to them.