Billboard Campaign Addresses Youth Access to Tobacco
A Los Angeles billboard and poster campaign is addressing youth access to cigarettes by raising awareness about merchants who do not sell cigarettes to minors. This campaign, launched by the Los Angeles Department of Health Services last month, fills a major information void not adequately addressed by the national tobacco settlement.
At least 450 merchants throughout the county currently have agreed to display posters that read "We care about the health of our community. We do not sell cigarettes or alcohol to minors." To support this message and the participating merchants, the health department purchased 158 billboards that read "Support neighborhood stores that care about our community. They do not sell cigarettes or alcohol to minors."
The billboards and posters feature a photo of four youths of differing ethnic origins celebrating a soccer victory. The Los Angeles County Tobacco Control Alliance, a coalition of community-based organizations, is distributing the posters to area merchants.
So far, the alliance has contacted 1,110 stores, 40 percent of which have agreed to display the posters. In addition, 16 percent of those stores are using the posters to replace recent tobacco and alcohol advertising.
Chevron, which has agreed to place the posters in 100 of its gas stations, is a leading campaign supporter.
(Durazo Communications, Dan Durazo, 213/239-6555, ext. 206)
Promotional Battle Lines Drawn
A marketing battle is raging between two pharmaceutical companies over claims that an osteoporosis drug is being sold to prevent breast cancer.
Last week, Zeneca Inc. filed suit against Eli Lilly and Co. in New York, accusing the rival pharmaceutical manufacturer of improperly selling an osteoporosis drug, Evista, to treat breast cancer.
The lawsuit contends that Lilly has reduced demand for Zeneca's Nolvadex, the first FDA-approved drug to reduce the risk of breast cancer in healthy women. Federal law prohibits drug companies from promoting prescription drugs for a purpose that has not been approved by the FDA, although doctors can prescribe drugs for any use they deem necessary.
Lilly is denying the allegations, maintaining that its Evista promotion is "100 percent appropriate" for its labeled indication - osteoporosis.
But Zeneca is crying promotional foul play. Its case in point: a market study that found physicians have begun prescribing Evista at least as frequently as Nolvadex to reduce the risk of breast cancer. And sales numbers haven't been encouraging. Since October, when the FDA approved Nolvadex, the number of U.S. prescriptions written for the drug has been flat at approximately 66,000 per month, according to IMS Health, a market research firm. In the same period, the number of Evista prescriptions rose to 261,000 from 220,000.
(Zeneca, Steve Lampert, 302/886-7862; Eli Lilly, 317/276-2000)
Marketing First Aid
Flex your marketing muscle with these resources that recently hit the healthcare scene.
- Get the latest online expert news and advice on PR and marketing spanning several industries, from healthcare to interactive. The PR and Marketing Network (http://www.prandmarketing.com), developed by Healthcare PR and Marketing News parent Phillips Publishing International, is a communications Web site, providing tips and advice in the key areas of crisis management, marcom, interactive marketing and measurement. You can also learn about industry seminars/conferences, career news and job listings, link to newsletter editors and sign up for free trial newsletter subscriptions.
- Expand your strategic planning knowledge base with new market surveys published by the Health Care Market Research Group (HCMRG). The surveys, "Hospital Management and Strategic Planning" and "Consolidation in Health Care Systems" provide analytical insight in the key planning areas of business management trends, emerging technologies expected to have the greatest impact on hospitals in the next 10 years, and a forecast on consolidation activities in the next three years.
The reports cost $325 each. (HCMRG, 770/416-0006; Web site: http://www.hcmrgroup.com)
- The Web/Online Services 1998-2002: Market Analysis & Forecast, published by Simba Information Inc., provides valuable insight for developing a Web business plan and understanding the online marketplaces. The report costs $1,895. (Simba Information Inc., Megan St. John, 800/307-2529, ext. 344; Web site: http://www.simbanet.com)