“FROM DR. MEDICUS RATIONALIS TO BRAND RESONANCE: A FRAMEWORK FOR EMOTIONAL BRANDING IN PHARMACEUTICAL MARKETING

Abstract

In pharmaceutical marketing, data has long been the core essence of brand communication. The industry’s default assumption, what this paper terms “Dr. Medicus Rationalis”, presumes that healthcare professionals are purely rational decision-makers influenced primarily by clinical evidence. The assumption that prescribing decisions are solely rational, based on factual information, is challenged by contemporary research.
This research aspires to have significant implications for pharmaceutical companies by highlighting the significant impact that emotions can have on physicians' prescribing choices and offer practical recommendations to pharmaceutical companies on how to adapt their marketing strategies in a way that can resonate more effectively at an emotional level with the healthcare providers. The framework consists of 30 practical applications and was developed through a mixed multi-method doctoral research approach. The findings suggest that incorporating emotional elements into pharmaceutical marketing, presents considerable opportunities to reinforce brand differentiation.
Keywords: Emotional branding, Pharmaceutical marketing, Brand Resonance, Prescriber decision-making.