NEW JERSEY, February 18, 2002: This week we salute the latest recipients of pharmaceutical marketing's highest honor: induction into the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame. On Tuesday, February 12, four more industry giants were welcomed into the hallowed Hall: Mark Dresden, Mike Lyons, Jim McFarland, and Frank Hughes.

Mark Dresden: Before 1962, media planning was a business of influence, and often times, cronyism. Enter Mark Dresden. Helping turn the business into more of an evidence-based science, he and Sam Davis launched Media-Chek, a national survey company that measured ad readership and linked it to physicians' prescribing habits. To say Dresden's work revolutionized the industry is something of an understatement. But perhaps his greatest achievement lies in executing his idea. At the time he conceived Media-Chek, Dresden's concept for proof in media planning was not warmly embraced. To have succeeded in realizing such a valuable vision in a market that did not necessarily welcome it is an acheivement in itself. Today, much of Rx media planning can be attributed to Dresden's work. For his pioneering work in this important field that Dresden has earned a place of distinction among the industry's biggest contributors.

Mike Lyons: Simply put, Lyons was a creative genius. Some of the most compelling and revered pharmaceutical advertising campaigns can be credited to Lyons. He is best remembered for his work as an art director at Sudler and Hennesey, and later for striking out on his own in 1979 as founder of Dorritie, Lyons, and Nickel (later Lyons Lavey; and still later Lyons, Lavey, Nickel, & Swift.) Lyons' work on Pfizer's Feldene, which took place at the height of the industry's "NSAID wars," is legendary. Combining a knack for simple visualizations with powerful layouts, Lyons' brand of branding stood out -- and helped boost prescriptions. With a strong desire for only the best and a tenacity for defending good creative, Lyons work propelled him into the Hall of Fame -- one more acheivement in a career that defined pharmaceutical marketing brilliance.

Jim McFarland: Take tons of talent, miles of vision, and a passion for excellence -- and mix it with one of the most pleasant, compassionate, and humble guys you'll ever meet -- and you have the recipe for Jim McFarland. Having made a name for himself as an art director at S&H, McFarland also took the plunge -- and along with John Lally and Ron Pantello, founded Lally, McFarland, & Pantello in 1980. The rest is pharmaceutical marketing history. And McFarland is proof positive that being driven doesn't mean being a tyrant or dictator. McFarland, says colleagues, had a way of gently coaxing the best from his people. He never raised his voice, but he made sure that only the best work made it out the door. McFarland is perhaps best remembered for creating a warm, friendly environment that fostered great creative. His incredible ability to sketch just the right visual and his excellence in typographic design set standards that remain standards today. A nicer man has not been inducted into the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame.

Frank Hughes: Writer, creative director, and Rx advertising legend, Hughes is not only famous for great advertising campaigns. He is also well known for his many senses: his sense of style, his sense of humor, and sense of decency. Having earned his stripes as a writer of distinction at Bologna, in 1986, Hughes became a founding partner at Girgenti, Hughes, Butler, and McDowell. A writer's writer, Hughes work was marked by brevity, economy, and simplicity. His laugh was also legendary -- and reflected his joy and enthusiasm for his work. As his colleagues will tell you, Hughes was a fun guy to work with. But perhaps what best sets him apart was that Hughes he had it all: Clients who looked up to him, doctors who where influenced by him, peers who respected him, and a staff who loved him. Hughes was huge -- and during his distinguished career, his ability to lead, encourage and inspire great creative work has made a tremendous difference in the lives of patients and professionals, clients and colleagues. Hughes is without question a true leader in the field of pharmaceutical marketing, one that richly deserves this industry's highest honor.

We at RxME would like to congratulate Dresden, Lyons, McFarland, and Hughes for their inspiring examples of leadership, compassion and ingenuity. Their contributions to the business, along with all the other members of the Medical Advertising hall fof Fame, are worthy of our praise. And we speak for the entire pharmaceutical marketing community when we say that we hope to carry on the traditions and standards set by these adventurous, courageous Rx "explorers" the true pioneers who helped make Rx communications the fascinating and rewarding industry it is today.

The mission of the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame is to presere the history of healthcare advertising by honoring those whose contributions have made a positive difference to the intellectual growth and prosperity of the healthcare communications industry. For more information about the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame, visit http://www.mahf.com.

PositionInk is a weekly column that addresses issues relevant to pharmaceutical marketing. If you want to contribute an article, or suggest one, please call 908-507-7379. Or email to info@rxme.com.

Pharmaceutical marketing executives use RxME: THE HIGH-POTENCY RxPORTAL: RxME is the pharmaceutical marketing executive homepage, and the premier online information resource for healthcare marketing professionals. Specializing in decision-support information for pharmaceutical marketing personnel around the globe, RxME is designed for pharmaceutical marketers of every type, inlcuding product directors, sales managers, sales representatives, advertising executives, writers, art directors, market research analysts, and all personnel involved in the marketing of ethical pharmaceutical products. The only Rx portal designed for pharmaceutical marketers by pharmaceutical marketers, RxME is dedicated to helping men and women in the Rx industry to build their brands, their businesses, and their careers. Edited by veteran pharmaceutical marketing professionals, RxME delivers relevant, potent content...unlike other sites featuring automatic content delivery, RxME selects only the news stories that are pertinent to Rx marketing. There's no need to dig though reams of news stories or layers of navigation to find the information you need. If you haven't already told your colleagues about RxME, we invite you to do so today. But we understand if you don't. After all, there can ony be one "smartest person in the meeeting." Thank you for visiting RxME. Just be sure and visit QD -- because the most important brand you're building is You.®