I recently saw The Ting Tings, a British music duo known for their fun and highly danceable pop/rock arrangements. One of their signature songs, “That’s Not My Name”, is the quintessential catchy tune − high-spirited and effervescent. When the band played it as their finale, the crowd (including me and my hubby…!) immediately joined in, loudly singing along to the title line and chorus. Yes, it is a bit repetitious, but quite irresistible when you actually hear the song:
They call me ‘Stacey’
They call me ‘her’
They call me ’Jane’
That’s not my name
That’s not my name
That’s not my name
That’s not my name
They call me ‘quiet’
But I’m a riot
Mary-Jo-Lisa
Always the same
That’s not my name
That’s not my name
That’s not my name
That’s not my name
At that concert, it’s unlikely that anyone was paying a whole lot of attention to the rest of the lyrics or trying to import any great meaning from the song. But if you really listen (or look it up on a lyrics website) you might conclude that it’s about a girl who is frustrated that no one seems to take the care or time to learn her name or to understand her:
Although I’m dressed up, out and all
With everything considered, they forget my name
What can possibly be the connection between The Ting Tings and the pharmaceutical marketing world? Well, whenever we hear people refer to our Solutions at the Shelf™ dispensers as “shelf talkers” we inwardly cringe and think something along the lines of “That’s not my name!” In other words, the term “shelf talker” is somewhat archaic terminology that typically refers to a simple sign attached to a store shelf. The content is limited to drawing attention to a product on the shelf or announcing a promotion on a package.
The Solutions at the Shelf program, in contrast, is so much more than a “shelf talker”. The information dispensers are an ideal way for pharmaceutical brands to educate people about prescription products and to raise disease awareness. The dispensers themselves have stopping-power in the aisles, featuring identifiable design elements and prominent messages that relate to the needs of the target audience. The booklets inside each dispenser are a handy and user-friendly device for addressing a multitude of communication goals. They can be used to deliver discussion guides that help people have more productive conversations with their healthcare providers. Symptom identifiers are frequently distributed to encourage potential patients to assess their conditions. Standard content includes detailed information about patient support programs and prescription savings offers. Some brands have provided QR codes that link directly to more resources and to “find a doctor” pages. Unbranded initiatives enlighten consumers about certain conditions and alert them to associated symptoms.
THIS is a “shelf talker”
And THIS is considerably more….
So there’s much more to a pharmacy at-shelf program than a mere “shelf talker” moniker suggests!
We know that we can’t strike the term “shelf talker” from the pharma marketing lexicon, but we can at least create a little conversation around it. When all is said and done, it isn’t so much the name, it’s whats on the inside. And in the case of Solutions at the Shelf™, that’s quite a lot!