Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/247156
Saturday, April 20, 2013 Chain Drugstore Daily Specialty Pharmacy (Cont'd. from p. 1) including hemophilia, cancer, transplants, Hepatitis C and Cystic Fibrosis as well as other serious conditions. In addition to being costly, these drugs will require an additional level of patient care, support and education from pharmacists and pharmacy support staff. They present other challenges, such as special handling and storage requirements and stringent regulatory requirements. All involved in the healthcare supply chain must find a way to meet patient needs, manage risk and balance the cost associated with such treatments. These drugs present an opportunity for retail pharmacies to diversify their businesses. However, they also bring with them a new level of complexity that retail pharmacy has not traditionally been Crossmark (Cont'd. from p. 1) Business analytics, including store and consumer-specific targeting and segmentation, help retailers and manufacturers make better decisions regarding assortments, adjacencies, promotional planning, pricing and targeted marketing support," said Tim Bennett, Vice President, CROSSMARK MPG Drug. As a division of CROSSMARK, a leading sales and marketing services company in the consumer goods industry, CROSSMARK MPG Drug has access to proprietary analytics with store-level data from the company's Business Insights group using data from The David Biernbaum (Cont'd. from p. 1) CDD: How would you describe the services you provide your branded clients? DB: I provide across-the-board consulting, national sales and marketing expertise, equity development, leadership and guidance, connectivity, industry resources, and in-depth marketing savvy; all at a sensible cost. I specialize with brands delivering innovation, product differentiation, and on-the-shelf productivity. I lead my clients through the retail minefield helping them avoid making the mistakes that can make the difference between success and failure. CDD: Do you handle national sales for your client companies? Do you hire and manage the reps and brokers? DB: For companies that need national sales and sales management services, I certainly do provide that. I work with an Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (Cont'd. from p. 1) deliver a full flavor with only 10 calories per 12-ounce serving. The new sodas follow up the successful launch last year of Dr Pepper TEN®, which is enjoying strong trial and repeat purchase rates. The five new TEN products were tested throughout 2012 in several markets and have received a strong response, with 40 percent of sales incremental to the soft drink category. The TEN platform gives DPS clear ownership of a previously uncharted space in the U.S. soft drink category—low-calorie 33 equipped to handle. Among the challenges are the need for much more indepth clinical interaction and data capture, intense reporting requirements, new inventory requirements, accreditation and the complexity of billing across pharmacy and medical benefits. The need to educate patients about therapy adherence and to help them with potentially significant adverse events while maintaining compliance with FDA-mandated REMS (Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategies) programs will be critical to successful expansion into this area. The use of genomics to drive effective therapies enables treatments to be more individually targeted; in many cases, the drugs must be injected or infused by a medical professional. Optimizing therapy and helping to provide the most cost effective site for care can help health plans improve patient outcomes at a lower net cost to their plan sponsors. Like any other drug, the compliant and safe management of returns must be addressed. Many of these drugs require controlled temperature storage. With limited shelf life and storage capabilities, the potential for an increase in returns must be considered and proper processes designed―from handling inside the retail environment through shipping and compliant disposition. Manufacturers and retailers alike must keep a close eye on these products and retailers, in particular, must also understand the manufacturers' policies regarding credits for any returns. In addition other complexities associated with specialty drugs include high patient out of pocket, complexity and high side effect profile and the fact that patients have access to a limited spe- cialty pharmacy network. The risk of "Return to Stock" can be significantly higher with these drugs. And, given the average cost of these drugs is typically approximately $2,500 per month, the financial implications from returns are much higher. Specialty pharmacy is one of the many industry trends challenging healthcare trading partners in the highly regulated and complex area of healthcare management. With specialty pharmacy gaining more attention in the marketplace, solutions must accommodate the complexity involved for patients and for companies adapting their businesses to accommodate this trend. Nielsen Company, Symphony IRI and other sources. In addition, CROSSMARK works with clients to analyze and provide insights on retailer-specific loyalty card data. CROSSMARK MPG Drug is the largest provider of headquarter sales and retail services in the U.S. drug channel. "We provide integrated, end-to-end capabilities to ensure seamless execution of a strong plan," Bennett said. Bennett joined CROSSMARK MPG Drug earlier this year and now, with Vice President of Business Development Alex Yakulis, leads the division by creating strategies and delivering results in the drug channel. Yakulis said retailer, shopper and industry data are just part CROSSMARK MPG Drug's deep knowledge of the drug channel. "CROSSMARK MPG Drug is known for providing its clients with the best solutions for greater performance in the drug channel," Yakulis said. "Our strong market analytics capability – combined with headquarter and in-store execution in the drug channel – makes us a great partner for developing important insights. According to Yakulis, CROSSMARK MPG Drug knows what it takes from both a retailer and manufacturer perspective to be successful. "Our rela- tionships and expertise across all major drug chains provide insights that help us drive effective growth strategies for our clients." CROSSMARK MPG Drug provides manufacturers a range of solutions including insights and analytics, customer planning, headquarter sales support and in-store execution. Retailer solutions include management of coordinated merchandising programs, category resets and in-store events such as product demos and sampling. excellent group of rep firms and individual brokers covering every footprint and territory in the U.S. However, some of my clients already have an internal sales organization and for those clients I provide retail expertise and sales assistance. I know the retail channels extremely well and have outstanding connections on all levels and many departments within. item I touch needs to serve a new purpose. I work only with category expanders. Second, productivity. The true performers manifest the right blend of higher price points, margins, and profits. I like delivering the highest productivity index on a point of per distribution basis. Third, energy. Brands I work with are nationally advertised and deploy a highly skilled intelligent use of the social media. I will put folks in touch with the right resources to make those things happen. Fourth, destination. Simply put, these brands deliver the retailer's most coveted consumer with the most desirable shopping basket mix and results. Lastly, innovation. This is where entrepreneurs rock! Big brands will eventually buy out their products and innovations but rarely do the big companies invest in the initial groundbreaking. DB: Mis-management of brokers, incomplete retail presentation without the essential elements of a comprehensive proposal, not having the right package design and markings for the shelf environment, underestimating the true costs and commitments for retail distribution, pricing and promotion, being pressed into an unfavorable deal by a retailer or broker that they will never overcome, and having products hit the shelves prematurely without an action plan to drive sufficient velocity, therefore the product is delisted after just a few months. The five new TEN products are available at select retailers across the country. DPS expects to have broad national distribution ahead of an advertising campaign breaking in March. For more information, visit TenGetBoth.com. our 14 leading brands are No. 1 in their flavor categories. In addition to the flagship Dr Pepper and Snapple brands, DPS's portfolio includes 7UP, A&W, Canada Dry, Clamato, Crush, Hawaiian Punch, Mott's, Mr & Mrs T mixers, Peñafiel, Rose's, Schweppes, Squirt and Sunkist soda. CDD: Have you taken on clients that are already well beyond the startup phases; maybe even very well established branded companies? DB: Absolutely. Many companies have learned the hard way that bigger is usually not better, and that relationships with big national organizations were not the right fit. CDD: What are the main criteria you look for in a new branded client? DB: First, points of differentiation. Every sodas, which are neither traditional diet soft drinks nor considered "mid-calorie" offerings. The company is targeting consumers 25-39 years old who love regular soda but have cut back their consumption because they are watching their calories. "We truly believe we've hit the sweet spot with our TEN products, providing both a fully satisfying flavor and low calories," said Jim Trebilcock, Executive Vice President of Marketing for DPS. "This new platform gives shoppers a great tasting experience and a reason to visit the soda aisle and enjoy the brands they love more often." CDD: What are the most common mistakes that non-clients make in the CPG/retail business? About Dr Pepper Snapple Group Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) is the leading producer of flavored beverages in North America and the Caribbean. The company's success is fueled by more than 50 brands that are synonymous with refreshment, fun and flavor. DPS has six of the top 10 non-cola soft drinks, and 11 of For more information, please visit meeting space 330, send an email to solutions@inmar.com or visit www.inmar.com. For more information, contact Alex Yakulis at 469-814-1434 or alex.yakulis@crossmark.com. For more information, contact David Biernbaum at 314-434-6008, email david@biernbaum.com and go online to www.consultdavidb.com or www.biernbaum.com. Follow David Biernbaum on Facebook at www.facebook.com/davidbiernbaum, Twitter at www.twitter.com/david biernbaum and LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/davidbiernbaum. To learn more, please visit DrPepperSnapple.com. For the latest news and updates, follow DPS at Facebook.com/DrPepperSnapple or Twitter.com/DrPepperSnapple. DPS will be exhibiting at Meeting Space 44 at the NACDS Annual Meeting.