Swiss Medtech Report 2012 - Medtech Switzerland

Invention
Product
Development
18
Manufacturing
Facts & Figures
From product sellers
to solution providers
Marketing &
Market Access
Regulation &
Healthcare
Funding &
Financing
Six medtech production companies operating in Switzerland discuss
their marketing organizations and strategies. Despite growing price
pressures, they continue to focus on personal advice, a high degree
of professional competence and product quality. Extra and bundled
services are increasingly important. And more communication is
taking place electronically.
Highest demands for quality and safety along with
mounting cost and competition pressures, the medtech
industry is in a state of upheaval. So marketing
and sales become more important. On that, Smith &
Nephew, Covidien, Zimmer, Ziemer Ophthalmic
Systems AG, Seca and B. Braun (Medical) all agree.
Whether a global conglomerate or a Swiss small-tomidsize
company, the six manufacturers surveyed
cover the classic range from market research to distribution.
As always, field sales activities are of primary
importance. Here, there has been a clear shift
away from pure product sales to target-segment-spe -
cific communication focusing clearly on added value
for the customer. Above all, personalized support on
site is increasing. Thus physicians and surgeons are
accompanied in the operating room in their use of
medtech products. Just as important are the training
and advice that are also included in the provider’s
service bundle. Precision work, in-depth knowledge
and a high level of motivation on the part of the professional
personnel are decisive elements for success.
COUNTRY-sPECIFIC IMPLEMENTaTION
Smith & Nephew, a British marketer of orthopedic,
endoscopic and wound care products, Zimmer,
a US manufacturer primarily of orthopedic implants,
and Covidien, an international manufacturer
of medical and pharmaceutical products with group
headquarters in Ireland, maintain marketing and
sales units worldwide. The three companies carry
out market research mainly in their key markets,
while customer service and product management
are locally performed. For Covidien and Zimmer,
Switzerland holds a strong position in trade and
sales. The latter company serves the EMEA sales
region from its European headquarters and pro-
duction site in Winterthur. Each of the three
manages its global marketing strategy from its
Anglo-Saxon parent company, but the implementation
is country-specific and the products, customer
events and training sessions are adapted to the
various local customs and practices, cultures and
languages. Seca, a supplier of medical scales and
measuring systems, is also transferring its marketing
activities from its home base in Hamburg to, among
other places, Switzerland. Ziemer, the specialist in
femto second laser devices and diagnostics for ophthalmology,
manages its worldwide marketing and
sales from its headquarters in Port. B. Braun, located
in Lucerne, has one marketing department for
each sales division in medical consumer goods.
BETWEEN PUsH aND PULL All those surveyed
emphasize a healthy marketing mix, consisting
of “product, price, place and promotion”. They
alternate between push and pull approaches – depending
on the product’s life cycle, sales are promoted
and priced accordingly. For certain innovations,
the market must first be sensitized and developed
(push). At the same time, customers’ needs must be
elicited via market research or direct contact (including
after-sales) and the products adapted accordingly
(pull).
The six companies all pursue a competitive strategy
so that the manufacturers and distributors of more
exclusive products are differentiated from their
competitors through the use of varied forms, materials
and innovative technologies. Part of the profiling
concept is to take over the market leadership in
an area, to be the “original” or, like Seca with its
bioimpedance analysis, to specialize in new areas of
medicine. There is a tendency towards standing out