“Hoosier” Media? – An Intern State of Mind

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Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

What even IS a Hoosier? I’ve learned that it is a designation for a native of Indiana and really all things Indiana. While I am not from Indiana, I proudly wear the red and white stripes at Indiana University.

There are numerous things I love about IU: having dinner at the many great restaurants on Kirkwood Avenue, taking pictures by the Sample Gates, attending a Hoosier basketball game, and meeting friends from all over the country. I especially love attending what Wikipedia calls, “The Greatest College Weekend in America,” also known as the annual Little 500 bike race. However, most of my time in Bloomington is spent at Hodge Hall, which is the building name for the Kelley School of Business.

This past year I took two marketing classes at Kelley: Marketing in our World Today and Consumer Behavior. Both classes were interesting and full of engaging content. A few topics we covered were 1) how to attract consumers’ attention, 2) experiential marketing, and 3) types of marketing medias. I had the opportunity to apply what I learned at Kelley to my summer internship at Rx EDGE Pharmacy Networks.

My summer internship: applying the classroom to the real world

To attract a consumer’s attention, I’ve learned that it is important that the information is presented in a way that is surprising, relevant, pleasing, and easy to process. This is exactly what Rx EDGE applies to their Solutions at the Shelf™ programs. The information dispensers are placed in aisles where the largest amount of potential patients can be reached. The store-section decision is often based on the presence of a corresponding OTC product that relate to the symptoms a consumer may be experiencing, or on other factors like audience demographics. To attract the customer’s attention, the information dispenser usually has a surprising graphic or fact on the callout. If the information appears to be relevant, the person takes and reads the booklet. The booklets are laid out in an eye pleasing manner and are intriguing to read while easy to process.

One characteristic that most successful consumer companies have in common is giving the customer the full experience. I’ve found that this principle applies just as much to pharmaceutical companies as it does to other consumer-goods companies. Most potential patients may not realize that there is a prescription drug that might help them. Pharmacy delivered Solutions at the Shelf™ programs help fill in the information gaps related to risk factors, disease information, age recommendations and treatment options available. The purpose of these programs is to educate potential patients and encourage conversations with their doctor. Rx EDGE gives the consumer the full experience by encouraging them to take it a step further and take action for their health.

In my marketing classes I learned about the different types of marketing vehicles, such as television, magazines, and outdoor signage. However, we did not touch on in-store marketing, or at least not yet. In-store marketing is a form of Direct-to-Consumer marketing to ensure the product reaches the largest audience. Solutions at the Shelf™ speaks directly to shoppers in the pharmacy. It was fascinating to see the behind the scenes work of a DTC marketing company and all the effort put forth toward the company’s success.

A meaningful experience

My internship at Rx EDGE was a brief four weeks, but I am happy to have gained exposure to a number of functions – Marketing, Operations, Sales, Finance/Accounting, and CEO. Working with many of the employees, I have seen each person’s

Cookies, anyone?

Cookies, anyone?

enthusiasm and commitment. On one of the days during my internship, the marketing associate celebrated her 1-year anniversary with Rx EDGE and brought delicious logo cookies to share with everyone.  Rx EDGE has a cohesive environment and it is evident that everyone enjoys coming to work.

Looking back at my experience, I realize how much I have learned and what information I was able to apply from my classes at IU to my internship. I would like to thank everyone at Rx EDGE for the time they took out of their days to teach me and answer my questions. I am grateful for this opportunity. This real world work experience was beneficial and rewarding. I look forward to bringing my newly acquired knowledge back to the Bloom.