Contacts:
Alyssa Schaier
Public Relations
(914) 589-6904
Patrick Aysseh, for
Informed Medical Communications
(646) 358-1304
pr_at_informedmedical-dot-com
For Immediate Release:
Informed Medical Communications Network Launches MRxHealth, a Market Research and
Consulting Firm Focused on Alternative Marketing Channels
New York, NY and Seattle, WA - October 18, 2005 -
Informed Medical Communications (IMC) announced today the launch of MRxHealth, a
new market research and consulting firm within the IMC medical marketing network.
MRxHealth provides biopharmaceutical marketers with insights into the development
and effectiveness of non-traditional marketing programs for physicians and patients.
“Pharmaceutical marketers understand how to measure traditional physician
and patient promotion, but a more rigorous approach is required to provide insights
in the more sophisticated channels of alternative marketing,” said Nancy Adams,
the newly appointed President of MRxHealth. “As the industry evolves with
companies spending increased promotional dollars on more personalized relationship
marketing vehicles such as large in-person forums, small group physician and patient
meetings and Web programs, there is a growing need for critical assessment and analysis
to measure return on investment.”
MRxHealth's expertise in this area can be leveraged to assist clients in determining
the appropriate use of these non-traditional channels in the marketing mix. Furthermore,
MRxHealth enables continuity in all phases of marketing programs by providing a
stream of data measuring program performance and giving insight into audience attitudes.
This will allow clients to measure how their messages resonate in the real world
and refine the dialogue as needed.
MRxHealth’s highly targeted and customized research provides instrumental
information for strategic planning, program development, channel selection and performance
tracking. MRxHealth utilizes the following methodologies to supply these services:
-
Ethnographic (On-Site Observational Research) of Patient-Physician Interactions
– On-site observations of the interactions between targeted physician and
patient populations provide a comprehensive understanding of the critical and dynamic
relationships that influence treatment decisions. The researcher plays a passive
role and doesn’t interfere with the dialogue. The obtained information is
then utilized to make recommendations for effective interventions.
-
Moderated Dialogue for Focused Content Development – Qualitative research
is conducted with highly targeted samples to determine the most effective marketing
content, messaging and communication channel. For optimal validity, MRxHealth conducts
its research in the same channel that is being evaluated. After collecting the data,
MRxHealth has developed techniques that can identify critical assumptions and issues.
-
Regional Physician Online Panels – MRxHealth develops proprietary physician
panels for clients to evaluate and refine marketing strategies and tactics to gain
a competitive advantage at the regional level.
-
Real-time Online Program Performance Tracking Across Marketing Channels –
MRxHealth develops normalized real-time rating models to compare the performance
of diverse marketing programs and different marketing channels, providing rational
support for timely decision-making, resource allocation and continual quality improvement.
-
Textual Analysis – Textual analysis uses sophisticated software to
discover revealing word and phrase patterns in written or spoken communications.
By looking at such objective data as word counts, word use/frequency, word context,
length of sentence, frequency of interruption and qualitative categorization, MRxHealth
analysts can help identify unmet needs and critical objections, deliver fresh perspectives
and reveal attitudes among key groups to guide the development of brand messaging.
“Nancy brings a strong marketing perspective and in-depth knowledge of the
pharmaceutical industry. She has been instrumental in facilitating physician education
programs at The Peer Group,” noted Robert Goodman, CEO of IMC. Ms. Adams,
formerly President of The Peer Group, is backed by an accomplished team of market
research experts. Jo Anne Jensen has been named Vice President, Market Research.
Prior to this Ms. Jensen was Vice President of Clients Services, Global Market Insite;
Associate Vice President of Access at Market Measures, and Senior Research Director,
Response Analysis. Geoff Penney has been named Vice President of Business Development
for MRxHealth. Mr. Penney’s prior sales management experience includes positions
at NOP World, Foster Higgins and Opinion Research Corporation.
“The launch of MRxHealth strategically complements IMC’s network of
companies,” adds Mr. Goodman. “We will be able to tap into the resources
of our exclusive patient networks and physician databases to combine highly valuable
audiences with custom research and consulting capabilities.” MRxHealth is
based in Seattle, WA and Edison, NJ.
About Informed Medical Communications Informed Medical Communications (www.informedmedical.com), headquartered
in New York City, was formed in 2005 through the merger of The Peer Group, an industry
innovator and leader in conducting peer-to-peer medical programs, and HealthTalk,
a pioneer in providing disease information and support resources that empower patients
and caregivers coping with serious medical conditions to proactively and effectively
manage their diseases. Since the merger, IMC has launched RxDialogue, a consumer
relationship marketing company designed to give patients a deeper understanding
of benefits and risks of treatment options in a highly personalized format not provided
in traditional advertising and MRxHealth, a market research and consulting firm
that provides biopharmaceutical marketers with insights into the development and
effectiveness of non-traditional marketing programs for physicians and patients.
The IMC network of companies delivers integrated marketing programs for patients
and medical professionals, with the goal of improving the dialogue among patients
and physicians in understanding health conditions and their medical options. IMC
is a private-equity backed, privately held company.
