1.Situation

In MYPRODUCT50 I detailed how between 2012-2015 the portfolio of anti-parasitic products for dogs / cats marketed by Veteco increased from 12 SKUs to 32 SKUs Merial, so range management became one of my priority responsibilities as Commercial Director Veteco.

In this context, I explained that a successful range management that involves the transition from mono-brand to multi-brand has to address three essential dimensions: commercial policy, shelf differentiation and psychological impact at the sales team / organization level.

2.Task

But what were the foundations for which Merial put this movement into practice?

3.Action

The launch of new products represents an important moment in the history of any company with major direct effects in the future trajectory.

In the case of pharmaceutical companies, such decisions involve a complex process addressing affections, treatments, molecules, spectrum and mode of action, presentation forms, adverse effects, requiring significant investment in research, development, innovation, testing, legal compliance, pharmacological vigilance and forecasts about the dynamics, the behaviour of markets, consumers, all in a time scale of the years or even decades.

4.Results

In order to have an image regarding the complexity and long-term implications of launching new products, I will outline in just a few examples the market dynamic of anti-parasitic products for dogs and cats.

Dynamic of Products: from collars and Frontline to dozens of products / brands

Dynamic of Presentation Forms: from collars and spot on solutions to oral treatments

Dynamic of Spectrum of Actions: from fleas and ticks to flying insects and internal worms

Dynamic of Recommendation / Purchasing: from old to new

5.Key Leanings

In the mirror of this macro perspective, it becomes obvious that the emergence of new products represents for any company a critical inflection point in which the entire organization must show determination to ensure the success of launching new products.

Otherwise, the start may be lost with major influences in the company’s future evolution.

Notification: MYPRODUCT reflects my real professional experience and expertise as well as my subjectivity. I do have a profound respect for all the companies I collaborated to and for all the people I worked with. It is not my intention to approach any sensitive, confidential or offending information related to companies, projects or people. If you the reader deduct or recognise companies, projects or people in my examples, I kindly ask you to respect MYPRODUCT and my professional and ethic approach and to not share any detail, information, situation, name, company.