A drug company therefore, may focus on () in service over those of competition and capture a bigger share of the market in this area, or any of the aforementioned, or all of the competitive edge factors.

is the set of controllable marketing variables that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market.

Practically everything that we do in business or marketing as individuals or groups or as a firm, to induce or influence the demand for our drug products and services, revolves around the four groups of variables popularly known as the four P’s of the marketing mix:

In giant corporations like United Laboratories, Inc., a fifth “P” is included which means (). While all the four major marketing variables are normally done by people, the Filipino-owned drug company, considers its human assets as its greatest asset. Hence, it provides its people utmost fringe benefits, welfare program, and compensation package over and above industry practices.

stands for the “goods and services” combination the company offers to the target market

Thus, Revicon Forte Tablet, a nutritional supplement, a product for the active people who are always on the go all day, contains 21 vitamins and minerals, for ()”

, is anything that can be offered for sale; that can be marketed for attention, use consumption, or acquisition by individuals or groups for the purpose of obtaining value or benefits to satisfy and delight needs and wants of target consumers, in the pharmaceutical arena.

stands for the amount of money customers have to pay to obtain the produc

Price, stands for the amount of money customers have to pay to obtain the product. Thus, the retail prices of the following Ampicillin capsules 500mg, sold at Mercury Drug are: UL Ampicillin is (); Penbritin is (); Pentrexyl is ().

 stands for company activities that make the product available and visible to target consumers at the right place, right time, right quantity, right cost, and right condition.

Thus, (), a Division of Uniter laboratories, Inc., the makers of high quality generic drugs, ensures availability of its product lines in such outlets as drugstores, hospital pharmacies, and industrial clinics. Outlets like Merced Drug chainstores keep an inventory of generics products, sells them to patients or end-users or potential buyers either in retail or wholesale basis at reasonable prices

stands for activities that communicate the merits of the product and persuade target customers to buy it. Thus, many drug companies spend millions of pesos each year to tell end-users about drug products, about the company and its product lines.

(), promote respective drug products to physicians, dentists, and allied professionals by way of sampling, detailing, product symposia, or scientific fora, and the like. The salesmen in addition to their sales and collection functions, conducts merchandising, product displays, and in-store promotions for the company’s products in assigned sales outlets.

An effective marketing program blends all of the marketing mix elements into a () program designed to achieve the company’s marketing objective. All of the marketing variables may not be allocated equal marketing effort, but to a large degree, rely on available marketing opportunities, specific target markets, desired market segments and sub-market segments the company wishes to enter in order to attract and satisfy the needs and wants of these segments.

Companies normally base their marketing strategies on specific consumer () on the company’s industry position, and available resources relative to competitor’s products, prices, channels, and promotion.

All these marketing programs and actual results are continuously (), evaluated, and measured against standards or goals set for a period of time and place. The actual marketing strategy is periodically reviewed, modified, realigned, and further strengthened if need be, by way of additional logistics or rechanneling resources towards early realization of desired goals. A continuing marketing analysis, planning, implementation, and control are deemed mandatory to maintain or further improve marketing competitiveness, for short term or long term objectives pitted against the major players in the industry.

Each drug product or product line must be managed()from other products of the company, singly as business unit by itself, and its contributions measured separately against assigned goals for the period.

Market leader strategies. When a firm dominates the market, is a leader in the industry or has the largest market share, the leader can virtually: (1) () the total market by looking for new users and more use from current customers, or (2) pursue heavy() to defend or strengthen its current business and eventually dislodge competitors by getting their customers and markets, or (3) lead an(), competitive effectiveness and value to consumers, or (4) carefully assess () threats, counter-attacking when necessary, or (5) the market leader may launch () or a marketing program to strike down competitors because they become major threats

, on the other hand, are runner-up companies that aggressively attack competitors to get more market share. The challenger might attack the market leader, other firms its own size or smaller local and regional competitors. The challenger may choose from several market-challenger strategies as follows:

) () its resources against the competitor’s weaknesses, or (2) () the competitor and develop new products, new markets or new technologies.