Product Team Cialis: Getting Ready to Market

Case Write-up on

Product Team Cialis: Getting Ready to Market

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I. PROBLEM STATEMENT

Lilly ICOS LLC’s (Lilly ICOS) marketing team must decide the most appropriate marketing plan for Cialis, its new drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. By doing so, the team must design a strategy that sustainably positions Cialis to compete in a market dominated by Viagra, a Pfizer drug with a strong financial profile and excellent brand recognition.

II. SITUATION ANALYSIS

A. Potential Customers and their Needs

a. Segmentation

Segmentation must be focused on two distinct needs: (i) patients with ED and their partners, and (ii) physicians that prescribe the drug.

Although there are various sub-groups of men with ED (based on age, health condition, level of sexual dysfunction, etc.), the profile mindset of men with ED across all sub-segments is the general reluctance to seek treatment for the condition as a result of embarrassment. It is therefore important not only to target the men that suffer from the condition, but also their partners as well since they act as important centers of influence in buying decisions to improve their lifestyle.

In addition to the users and their partners, physicians are an important segment that must be included in an effective marketing campaign. As Cialis is a prescription drug it is the physicians that will ultimately have a large role in deciding what treatment is prescribed for an individual’s erectile dysfunction. This segment is most concerned with the safety profile of the drug (side effects) and its overall effectiveness in treating the condition.

b. Targeting

The potential market for medication in the treatment of ED is significant: An estimated 30 million men in the U.S. and 150 million worldwide suffer from chronic ED. Cialis’ specific strengths (for a detailed SWOT analysis of Cialis please refer to Exhibit on page 5), particularly its long half-life that allows...