NEW JERSEY, September 4, 2001: Is there a "most creative agency?" Well, there could be...

It's an interesting question. In Rx marketing, being creative means many different things. Creating great ad concepts. Clearly communicating highly clinical data. Solving competitive issues Dealing with budgetary restraints. Mergers. Layoffs. FDA regulations. All these hurdles require "creative" solutions. So is it possible to objectively evaluate the level of creativity required to overcome these hurdles -- and select one agency as the "most creative" in the business? A daunting task to say the least. In this issue, we try and define what "creativity" means in pharmaceutical marketing and suggest a list of objective criteria we can use to determine which agency is the most creative.

Should it matter which agency is considered the "most creative" agency? Answer: An agency that is known for its creativity attracts new business. So yes, it matters. A lot. And the definition of creativity should also matter. We would like to suggest: "Creativity is the agency's ability to consistently create campaigns that build unforgettable identities for their brands, communicate the unique benefits of the medications, and result in measurable market success."

Why consistently create campaigns? Because that's the agency's product. Original ideas. New concepts. New campaigns. Why unforgettable identities? Because when you have only a milisecond or two to communicate a message, a creative campaign has the best chance for success. Why communicate the unique benefits of the medication? Because it's not enough to be memorable -- the campaign has to be on strategy, and communicate why your brand is preferable over the others. Why market success? Simple: the campaign should help motivate physicians to write prescriptions.

Assuming these criteria are correct, is it possible to objectively rate the agencies -- and choose one -- as the "most creative?" We say yes. But we should follow a few ground rules:

First of all, the time frame should be a year, starting in January.

Second, we think it's time to democratize the process. Let's initiate a system by which executives can nominate their agencies. Nominations would be made through the mail or through online ballots. The ballots would solicit copies of the work along with some pertinent statistics -- the number of campaigns the agency introduced within the year, how the campaigns performed against the norms for recall and message communication tests, and data on how the brand performed in the market after the campaign was introduced. All of these stats are likely available, or they could be compiled. It's just up to the brand teams or the agency teams to submit them.

Third, let's get a panel to evaluate all the nominations. A panel would consist of members of the pharmaceutical marketing community, including brand directors, market research analysts, creative directors, even those on legal and regulatory committees. That way, they can select the top three ballots, and then allow the entire industry to vote on the top choice through an objective online voting system. HMC, you interested?

Creativity is the lifeblood of the industry. Selection of the "most creative agency" is something in which the entire industry should be involved. Don't you think?

NEXT WEEK: PositionInk #5: Attracting new talent: Is it a crisis yet?

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