Business and Economics

Product Team Cialis: Getting Ready

Brief background

Mark Berbato is the product team leader and executive director of Cialis. He has for a long time worked to provide a remedy for impotence in men competing existing leader, Viagra. The team is structured according to the function of its members. The product and marketing team works day and night to provide differential marketing strategies in order to survive the competition. Viagra has been used for a long time to treat erectile dysfunction in men. Despite this statistics, Mark’s team is optimistic about the uncertainties involved. Lilly management decided to find a better erectile dysfunction treatment by first understanding the market. The medical, regulatory, legal, manufacturing, financial and marketing managers report directly to the executive director. The drug is expected to go through various tests to ensure that it is safe for consumption by human beings. The test involves three phase trials after which it can be available in clinics.

Decision dilemma

Decision dilemma for Leonard Blum and his is team is whether to market Cialis in the already competitive market or go for the niche strategy. If the team decides to compete with Viagra, then their marketing strategy will involve reaching out to the loyal Viagra customers, dropouts, and those who have never consumed it at all. Health practitioners are also important because they are the ones who prescribe the drug to their patients. The management will also have to consider targeting the partners of the male patients with erectile dysfunction. The niche strategy however involves choosing a specific target group.

Contradicting case facts

The German leading erectile dysfunction drug, Levitra, was more effective than Viagra hence posed a challenge to Cialis. Bayer’s market research showed that 76% expressed some interest in Levitra. However, in 2001, its sales dropped by 2%. The team was forced with a task of clearly choosing a market for Cialis...