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At times it can seem as though the airwaves (especially late at night) are saturated with commercials touting the latest cure for hair loss. Some of the most ubiquitous advertisements are for hair transplant surgery.
Hair transplantation surgery is a controversial business. In 1996 Wholesale Authentic NBA Jerseys , Bosley Medical Group settled a lawsuit leveled against it by the district attorney of Los Angeles for nearly $650,000. The attorney general alleged that the company had engaged in "dishonest and harmful advertising" about its services. Specifically, the attorney general said that before and after photos of hair restoration surgery were misleading and that the amount of pain the procedures caused was minimized.
Despite these allegations Wholesale NBA Jerseys Free Shipping , Bosley Medical Group continued to attract clients. And, in August 2001, the firm was sold to the Aderans Group Wholesale NBA Jerseys From China , a Japanese wig manufacturer, for $45 million.
How can we explain consumers?continued uptake of hair transplant surgery, despite the risks and uncertain results associated with the procedure? The success of the hair restoration business can be partially attributed to the power of emotional branding.
Continue reading for an overview of emotional branding Wholesale NBA Jerseys China , an analysis of how it drives hair replacement surgery sales and how pharmaceutical companies have employed it in product advertising. The final section provides guidance on how you can utilize emotional branding to boost uptake of your products and services.
Emotional Branding: What Is It?
Emotional branding refers to marketing communications activities that seek to connect a brand to specific consumer feelings and emotions. Marketing expert Marc Gobe has suggested that successful emotional branding "brings a new level of credibility and personality to a brand by connecting powerfully with people at a personal and holistic level." Gobe cites Ben & Jerry s, Nike and MTV as a few of the brands that have successfully identified their customers?most basic needs and moved to satisfy them.
Emotional Branding and Hair Replacement Surgery
Drs. James Harris and Emmanuel Marritt, authors of "The Hair Replacement Revolution Wholesale NBA Jerseys ," have asserted that men unconsciously associate hair loss with death. Specifically: "Loss of hair = Loss of youth = Inevitable aging = Death."
The powerful emotions associated with hair loss are significant drivers of behavior. Hair replacement surgery marketers have learned to leverage these emotions. Their advertisements suggest that hair restoration surgery is a safe, highly effective procedure that can forestall death. This brand of emotional marketing speaks to the most basic of human desires: long life and prolonged physical attractiveness.
The emotional branding associated with hair transplant surgery has driven sales of procedures despite their expense, uncertain results and safety concerns. It appears that the procedure s ability to mask the appearance of aging is enough to convince people to undergo it ?in spite of the risks.
Emotional Branding and the Pharmaceutical Industry
While the hair transplant industry has successfully utilized the power of emotional branding Wholesale Authentic Jerseys , pharmaceutical companies have had mixed results with this marketing tactic.
Traditionally, pharmaceutical marketers have sought to differentiate medications according to their functional attributes. For example, Kos Pharmaceuticals has differentiated its cholesterol medication Wholesale Jerseys China Free Shipping , Niaspan, by focusing on the fact that it significantly raises "good" or HDL cholesterol. Other cholesterol medications like Lipitor primarily lower "bad" or LDL cholesterol.
Since 1997, pharmaceutical companies have increasingly used DTC (direct-to-consumer) advertising to tout the emotional benefits of their medications to patients. Some of these benefits include increased vitality and mobility (anti-pain medication Vioxx) Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping , freedom (allergy medication Claritin) and empowerment (acne medication Differin).
The pharmaceutical industry has been roundly criticized for its advertising efforts. Critics have suggested that DTC advertisements have boosted sales of expensive drugs. In addition, they have noted that some heavily advertised medications have been proven unsafe. Commercials for Vioxx, which Merck removed from the market in 2004 Wholesale Jerseys From China , have been cited as an especially egregious example of irresponsible pharmaceutical marketing.
Pharmaceutical marketers have responded to calls for more responsible DTC advertising. In August 2005, the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA) announced new industry guidelines. A key objective of the recommendations is to educate patients more effectively about the benefits and risks of medications.
These developments have prompted significant changes in the tone and tenor of recent pharmaceutical advertis