Vanity 800 numbers are telephone numbers that utilize letters to spell out words and phrases, rather than a random set of meaningless digits. They can be used to describe a business, a product, or a benefit such as 1-800-FLOWERS or 1-877-CASH-NOW.
There are some benefits of vanity 800 numbers that are very specific to the pharmaceutical industry. When used strategically, vanity numbers can help manage inbound call traffic, advertise new products, track success, highlight the specific benefits of individual mediations, and promote new clinical trials.
One: Manage Sensitive Inbound Call Traffic
The effectiveness of the pharmaceutical industry depends, perhaps more than any other industry, on clear communication. It’s not just important for sales that drugs are marketed clearly and accurately; unclear communication can literally mean life or death for the consumer. With such high stakes, there is simply no room for ambiguity.
Vanity 800 numbers can help pharmaceutical companies effectively manage urgent and sensitive inbound call traffic. Companies can set up unique numbers for:
- Potential customers inquiring about a specific medication.
- Current customers who have questions about the medicine they are taking.
- Customers with serious problems or concerns.
- Doctors who have questions about a medication.
- Vendors, suppliers, and other partners.
When vanity 800 numbers are put into play, pharmaceutical companies can divert inbound calls properly, avoiding potential problems surrounding serious patient concerns. Customers with urgent issues won’t have to be shuffled through complicated menus in order to reach the right department, and it reduces the chances that a caller will be disconnected or forced to place a second call.
Two: Advertise, Market, and Track New Products
Pharmaceutical companies must constantly bring new products to market. The United States is one of the only countries in the world that allows drug companies to market their products directly to consumers through traditional advertising channels. In order to make those marketing campaigns work and generate patient interest, campaigns must not only pique interest but must also drive inquiries.
While calls-to-action and snappy ads are critical to generating leads, the most well-planned media blitz cannot possibly gain traction if patients cannot remember the telephone number to call for more information. Vanity 800 numbers significantly improve customer recall and give patients an extremely easy way to remember that drug when they need relief from a particular medical condition. Incorporating vanity 800 numbers into a new product marketing campaign can significantly improve its success.
Using Vanity 800 numbers, product managers can also track the results of specific medications and their associated marketing campaigns. Virtual 800 numbers often come with real-time call tracking capabilities, so administrators can measure call volume to help them measure the success of specific marketing and targeting efforts.
Three: Promote Benefits
Sometimes the names of individual drugs can be difficult to remember. Even when a pharmaceutical company makes every effort to simplify a chemical name to make it consumer-friendly, patients can have a difficult time remembering the name of a particular medication. Vanity 800 number can be used to promote the benefits of a particular drug and help to improve recall.
For example, a pharmaceutical company may have just come to market with a medication designed to stop snoring. Since it’s a new drug, patients may not be able to remember the name quickly when they decide they want to learn more about the product. If that drug is marketed with a telephone number such as 1-800-N0-SNORE, not only will they remember the number, but the major benefit of that medication is reinforced with each dial.
Four: Promote Clinical Trials
Before a new drug can be released to the market, extensive clinical trials must be conducted. In order to gather enough evidence for a successful round of trials, patients must be recruited. Vanity 800 numbers allow pharmaceutical companies to utilize a memorable, direct response telephone number in their clinical trial marketing materials. Those numbers can be further customized to allow companies to track geographic interest. This is important to ensure a truly representative sample for a trial, and this data can also be used for future use when the drug comes to market.
If, for example, a company is getting ready to conduct trials for allergy medication, they may decide to advertise the trials in 10 major markets across the country. If a separate vanity 800 number is used for each market, the company will be able to track the exact number of inquiries from each region. They may find that there is far more interest in the Mid-Atlantic states where they experience all four seasons, as opposed to states in the northeast that typically experience cooler temperatures. That information can come in handy when the drug finally comes to market. Advertising dollars can be budgeted accordingly to ensure information about the medication is getting in front of the market segment that needs it the most.
In the pharmaceutical industry, clear communication is critical not only for profitability but for safety, as well. Vanity 800 numbers can be a versatile and effective tool for managing inbound communication, helping to improve marketing effectiveness as well as overall customer satisfaction.
