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Viral marketing magnifies marketing messages by passing them from user to user. The message starts small but gradually builds momentum and effectiveness as more users spread the

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

message.

The message then scatters to hundreds, thousands and even millions more users. Hotmail.com is a classic example. Using viral marketing, it managed to get 50 million us

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

rs in its first year of operation. It’s the online equivalent of word of mouth but spreads quicker because of the global reach of the Internet. When viral marketing is combined w

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

th other marketing efforts, the results are enhanced.

Main benefits of viral marketing are:

· Very low cost per acquired customer ratio

· Often spreads to ne

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

markets intentionally not planned for

· Creates enormous goodwill

· Generates excitement

Viral marketing doesn’t self-replicate as the name might suggest; i

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

t’s a totally proactive process. Putting up a site in hope somebody stumbles across it then forwards your URL to others is wishful thinking. Viral marketing requires special tool

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

that stimulate the whole process namely:

· Refer A Friend services

· Opt-In Newsletter services

Viral marketing has a critical effect on customers that othe

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

website promotion efforts don’t have: it produces advocates. Transforming customers into advocates is the best thing that can happen to any business. You don’t have to try and s

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

ll an advocate’s circle of friends anything, as it’s already done for you.

Once customers reach the level of advocacy, your message is spread with lightning speed producing your

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

own online sales force.

VIRAL MARKETING TOOL #1: ‘Refer-A-Friend'

You refer people all the time to places you have had pleasant experiences with. A movie you liked, restaurant

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

you enjoyed or country you've visited. 'Refer-A-Friend' or 'Tell-A-Friend' services simply take this concept, replicate and adapt it to online efforts. As the name suggests, the

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

ool involves people recommending their friends/associates to your website.

Overlooked Fact: Referrals are three times more likely to buy from you than those exposed to direct ad

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

ertising. So it makes sense to cultivate a strong online referral system.

Refer-a-Friend overcomes probably the biggest challenge businesses face when marketing online. Let’s

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

look closely at what happens when somebody refers a friend:

·They forward your website address to their friends. Trusting the source, the recipient opens the e-mail. This is th

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

key! Getting your e-mail opened and read these days is very difficult.

Customers have become more sophisticated in detecting solicitations like never before with the help of ju

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

k e-mail filters and software.

·The recipient clicks through to your URL.

·They navigate your site and will most likely buy from you, either immediately or later. But what this

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

has done is instill in the prospects mind that you are the company of choice to do business with.

·Their friends eventually buy from you, and forward your website address to mor

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

e of their friends. And the process repeats itself.

The snowball effect this tool creates is tremendous. Satisfying one customer may result in 2, 4 or more referrals. Those ref

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

rrals can refer more, and so on.

What’s even more appealing is it barely costs anything to receive these referrals – pennies. The magic of viral marketing is it does the hardest

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

part for you – getting your message delivered to a qualified prospect and ensuring that message gets read.

Ironically, it’s a low tech method that produces very advanced results

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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If you are thinking of starting a new business, or if you are just about to take the plunge, you will know that there is a lot that you have to do. Here are a few things to think about and do, before you dive straight into running your new business.

A carefully chosen Customer Value Proposition is essential to create customer value. Both value creation from the customer, as well as the corporate viewpoint gain from consistent and deliberate focus on key market segments and core competences. The result is a mutual exchange of value, thus stabilizing and strengthening the competitive position in the market. Reversely, failure to maintain a consistent focus puts value creation at risk, and potentially causes ones competitive position to break down. System Theory offers a useful framework to integrate value creation from both the customer and the corporate perspective.

That’s exactly the message I feel I am getting every time I visit Dmoz.org to try and list another website into its directory. You visit the site, leave your directory submission (your message), and never hear from them! Yes, it takes a long time to have your website reviewed for submission and it gets you thinking if they are even home in the first place. I have had many questions and complaints about Dmoz and have tried to answer them as correctly as possible. But the common question is “when will they return my call?”

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