Pharmaceutical Brand Name Approach

1. Brand Matters
The Lingua Franca of Pharmaceutical Brand Names
Prepared By:
Md. Masum Chowdhury
Manager, Strategic Brand Management
masum.pha@gmail.com_017176-42874

2. What is Lingua Franca ?
• A lingua franca is a language used by
different populations to communicate
when they do not share a common
language.

3. Why Brand Name is Important ?
• Words have the power to inspire, to
motivate and trigger a call to action. Words
are the cornerstone of how we
communicate.
• That’s why - when we try to develop a
brand name, we have to take this matter
creatively, precisely and effectively.

4. The value of good Name
• New brand name depends upon – selection
of letters, making the word and meaning of
names. Finally the value of words and
language. It seems only logical to begin by
looking to the semantics of the word brand.

5. How Brand Name originates ?
• Brand originates from the Old Norse Brandr,
meaning ‘to burn’. From the branding
Livestock – a mark of distinction and
differentiation.

6. The value of good Brand Name
• Good Brand Name is – a mark of distinction and
differentiation.
• Good Brand Name is – a sign of quality and trust.
• Overall, Trustmark has been established as a
relationship.
• Relationship securing preference and loyalty.
• Loyalty sustains future earnings.

7. Foundation of good Brand Name
• The strongest brands are built on foundations
which are –
– Credible
– Differentiated
– Sustainable,
for the lifetime of the brand.

8. Credibility
• The foundations of a brand needs to start
with a –
• Clarity of values – What a brand stands for
• Clarity of vision – Where a brand is going
• Clarity of mission – How it is going to get there
• Crucial window of brand opportunity is vital to
ensure, from the outset. A brand proposition that will
be relevant and credible across all target audience.

9. Differentiation
• Differentiation is the name of the game and a
distinctive name will play its part in enabling
stand-out from the competition.
• A brand needs to work harder and to shout
louder in order to be noticed.

10. Sustainability
• Where might a brand ultimately be going ?

11. Brand Name – An art and a Science
• For many years, naming a drug was considerably
less complex than today. With fewer drugs on the
market, trademark classes were less crowded and
there was greater opportunity for ‘newness’ in a
name.
• GP and prescribing audience were the core focus of
Pharma Companies’ naming efforts, brand
monikers became predictable with many brands in a
given category sounding like everyone else.

12. Brand Name – An art and a Science
• Brand Name spoke largely to the science –
referencing the generic and/or to the
specificity of a drug’s indication.
• MIMs and MPR will bear witness to certain
trends that can be charted in pharma naming.
For example – once upon a time maximum
pharma brand names beginning with ‘A’.

13. Brand Name – An art and a Science
• As competition grew, however, companies
looked to new ways to signal something new
and different in their brand name. The shock
of the new came in the form of brand names
beginning at the other end of the alphabet –
‘Z’.

14. Brand Name – An art and a Science
• Under-utilized letter-prefixes of Z and X are
widely used from corporate brand to product brand.
• Visually distinctive and phonetically dynamic, Z and
X had the double-edge benefit of sounding NEW ,
DIFFERENT. Z and X is the most under-
exploited letters of the alphabet.

15. For effective Brand Name –
pharmaceutical lingua-franca is very
important skill for
a Product Executive.

16. Few Scientific way for
Pharmaceutical Brand Name
1. Benefit-led Name/Benefit-driven name
2. Linking Strategy Brand Name (Encode AA
(Angiotension Antagonist), Hyzaar, Cozaar.
3. Franchise Approach Brand Name
4. Terminology Specific Brand Name (For example –
Namenda – An NMDA receptor agonist, encoding
NMDA (N-methyl-D-Aspartate).
5. Therapeutic Class driven Name
6. Corporate Heritage Brand Name
7. Broad Spectrum of Name
8. Abstract Approach
9. Palindromic Approach

17. Few Scientific way for
Pharmaceutical Brand Name
1. Benefit-led Name/Benefit-driven name: Celebrex
(Celecoxib) is the Benefit driven band name. Celebrex
speaks to a quality of life message.
Celebrex – Celebrating the Science of Celecoxib.
Lee – Levofloxacin for Excellent Efficacy
Lexnil – Let Anxiety nil (Quality of Life Concept)
Antison – A New dimension for treating Anxiety and Depression
Enbrel – Enabling Relief (Quality of Life Concept)

18. Few Scientific way for
Pharmaceutical Brand Name
Linking Strategy Brand Name : The Anti-hypertensive brands
Hyzaar (Losartan Potassium) and Cozaar (Losartan
Potassium+Hydrochlorothiazide) both encode AA
(Angiotension Antagonist) within the brand name.

19. Few Scientific way for
Pharmaceutical Brand Name
• Franchise Approach Brand Name : Livial (Tibolone) is
the Brand name of Wyeth International. But Nuvista
marketed this brand in Bangladesh. Concor
(Bisoprolol) is the brand name of MERCK,Germany but
this brand marketed in Bangladesh by Popular
Pharma. This is Called Franchise Approach.

20. Few Scientific way for
Pharmaceutical Brand Name
• Terminology Specific Brand Name (For example –
Namenda – An NMDA receptor agonist, encoding
NMDA (N-methyl-D-Aspartate).
For example
– NTZ (Nitazoxanide)
– CP (Cefpodoxime Proxetil), Brand name of Acme
– OP (Omeprazole) Brand Name of Globe Omeprazole

21. Few Scientific way for
Pharmaceutical Brand Name
Therapeutic Class driven Name :
• 3rd Generation Cephalosporin (Cef-3 is the
brand name of Square).
• PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor), Brand name of
Acme Omeprazole.
• Erbitux () Referencing ERB
• Herceptin () Encoding HER 2
• Terceva () The ‘tar’geted approach of Tarceva.

22. Few Scientific way for
Pharmaceutical Brand Name
Corporate Heritage Brand Name : Rochipine is brand
name of Roche Ceftriaxone. Roche is the originator of
Ceftriaxone. So, Rochipine is the Corporate Heritage
Brand Name.
- Asitrum, Asilac represents the Asiatic. So Asitrum,
Asilac is the Corporate Heritage Brand Name.

23. Few Scientific way for
Pharmaceutical Brand Name
Broad Spectrum of Name :
- Names which are indicative of the generic
- Unique mode of Action
- Names which suggest certain benefits
- Names which suggest certain advantages
- Names which suggest certain features
- Names which suggest specific category

24. Few Scientific way for
Pharmaceutical Brand Name
Abstract Approach : The term ‘abstract’ harks to names
which do not encode any overt, inherent meaning.
• For example – within the anti-emetic category, classic
articulations of an ‘abstract name’ include Zofran and kytril.
Neither is linked to generic, speaks to the category or
references a specific benefit.
• These six letter success stories are built on the simple
dynamics of sound and tonality. They exemplify the fact
that names communicate as much via construct as
content.

25. Few Scientific way for
Pharmaceutical Brand Name
Palindromic Approach : as exemplified in such brands as
XANAX, LOZOL, MERREM, KETEK,LEXXEL.

26. Few Scientific way for
Pharmaceutical Brand Name
‘Classic’ vowel/consonant constructions have ceded
to more innovative approaches, such as the
conjunction of consonants, as exemplified in brands
such as Vfend, an antifungal and Qvar, an asthma
treatment.

27. Criteria for Ideal
Pharmaceutical Brand Name
• Fit with the brand proposition
• Relevant for all target audiences
• Distinctive, unique and memorable
• Future-proofed for the life of the brand

28. Criteria for Ideal
Pharmaceutical Brand Name
• Linguistically acceptable and
appropriate
• Registrable and protectable as a
trademark and URL
• Approvable by the requisite regulatory
authorities.

29. Asiatic introduces...
A Sign of Quality and Trust

30. A Sign of Quality and Trust
Brand mark – the part of the brand that is a symbol or brand name – it may
include distinctive coloring or lettering. It is usually not spoken

31. A Sign of Quality and Trust
Linking Strategy Brand Name
A teno lol BP + Amlo d pi in e
teno

32. A Sign of Quality and Trust

33. A Sign of Quality and Trust
Benefit Driven Brand Name
Atebit
Keep the Beat ! ! !
Atenolol Balance It

34. A Sign of Quality and Trust
Terminology Specific Brand Name
Angiotensin Receptor Blocker
Losartan Potassium

35. A Sign of Quality and Trust
Terminology Specific Brand Name
A rb i um
Angiotensin Receptor Blocker
Losartan Potassium

36. A Sign of Quality and Trust
Terminology Specific Brand Name
Angiotensin Receptor Blocker
Losartan Potassium

37. A Sign of Quality and Trust
Arbium Plus
Hydrochlorothiazide
Angiotensin Receptor Blocker
Losartan Potassium

38. A Sign of Quality and Trust
Benefit Driven Brand Name
A trusted option of remedy

39. A Sign of Quality and Trust
Benefit Driven Brand Name
One of the best Calcium channel blocker
to control blood pressure.

40. A Sign of Quality and Trust
Benefit Driven Brand Name
Perindopril ensures cardiac safety

41. A Sign of Quality and Trust
Benefit Driven Brand Name
Perindopril ensures cardiac safety

42. FAQ

43. Prepared By
Masum Chowdhury
Manager
Strategic Brand Management Department
masum.pha@gmail.com, +880-0171-7642874
Thanks