Dear Sig,

As a Brand Manager for a prescription medication about to go into clinical trials, I’m worried that when we ultimately go to market we won’t understand which benefits will motivate patients to mention this to their doctors, and which benefits will motivate physicians to prescribe…and to make matters worse, even if we do find out what’s important, I’m having terrible dreams that the FDA won’t let us talk about the most important benefits.
Sincerely,
Sleepy in Saratoga

Dear Sleepy,
I know things move fast in your industry so kudos for your forethought, dear reader. Luckily, I know a lot about dreams and what they mean…and, as it turns out, I’ve dabbled in pharmaceutical marketing, too.
Right before I turned 30, I researched the medical effects of coca. I started my project by first talking to my town physician and my neighbors. We sat in my living room together and talked about wellness and medical ailments. I then came up with a short list of points I thought were worthy of communicating about coca and how it can improve the body. I asked the mayor, Andreas, to approve my ads for use in a few gathering places. Since I could tell him the community leaders came up with the list, and promise to encourage its infrequent use, he was on board.