AMERICAN INTERCONTINENTAL UNIVERSITY-ONLINE
UNIT 3 INDIVIUAL PROJECT
MKTG 205 – PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING
OCTOBER 21, 2012

Abstract
There are several people on medications many of them have no job or have jobs but are living pay check to paycheck. With knowing this Sanofi is a company that strives to provide the assistant and health information needed to all our consumers. We not only want to provide them with free medication but we want to provide those that don’t qualify for the free program assistant with obtaining the medication they need.
Keywords:
Lantus, Sanofi, distribution, Medicare Part D, and copay

Program Assistant
Introduction
Sanofi is a leading pharmaceutical company for many medications including Lantus diabetic insulin. Within the last year Sanofi has re-launched their Patient Assistant Programs which helps out a lot of diabetic patients that have no insurance or are underinsured. Knowing that within the next year or so every American will have to have insurance; we at Sanofi have decided to implement a new program called Copay and Medicare Part D Assistant Program. This program will assist those patients that have insurance therefore do not qualify for Patient Assistant, but need assistant with paying there copays. It will also assist the elderly with paying for their medication once they have reached the donut hole (this is when a Medicare Part D patient is responsible for the full cost of their medications). The Medicare Part D patients will need to have applied with Extra Help/ Low Income Subsidy (LIS) program which is offered through Medicare. If denied they will need to submit their letter of denial from Extra Help/ LIS to be eligible for Medicare Part D program assistant through Sanofi Patient Connection.
Overview of Distribution Channels There are two distribution channels they are direct and indirect distribution channels. The direct distribution channel would be a consumer purchasing Lantus directly from Sanofi. Indirect distribution would be a consumer purchasing the Lantus through a pharmacy or a mail order pharmacy. Some people choose to purchase their medication through mail-order, because a lot of times it cheaper to purchase a 90 day supply than a on a month to month bases. There are also several ways to market your product companies can now market through multimedia marketing which is using the internet like advertisement on Facebook, Media takeout, and sites like VH1 this is way to attract the younger consumers. There’s the conventional way of marketing, this is when manufactures use all their chains of marketing including wholesalers and retailers this way they can attract a variety of consumers. You also have horizontal and vertical in a horizontal market the manufacture will target a variety of consumers based on their needs like with Sanofi we target not just the Patient Assistant Programs but, insurance verification, reimbursement counseling, health information, food and nutrition and our new market of copay assistant, and in the vertical market targets specific group consumers with specific needs.
Analyze Target Market’s Needs in Distribution Channels With Sanofi’s new program we will target the elder who have prescription drug coverage through Medicare Part D and patients who have insurance but cannot afford their copay’s for Lantus. I know that there are several elderly patient that have prescription drug coverage through Medicare Part D, and since I work with these patients on a daily bases I hear the complaints, I understand their frustration when they get to their gap or donut hole and are unable to afford the full cost of their medication because many are on a fixed income. This is why Sanofi wants to provide them with some assistant. We also understand the need for patients to have assistant with copays, there are many families and individuals that are insured some on several medications and need help paying their copays. I believe our consumers want to be able to directly and indirectly purchase their Lantus straight from the manufacturer as well through their local pharmacy.
Determine Channel Members with Explanation Knowing our consumer and with the great success of our current program will continue to channel members through indirect distribution using our sales representatives, pharmacies, physician offices by continuing to make them aware of the available assistant Sanofi has to offer their patients. Also by advertising our new programs on the provider portal so that any of the physician offices that are registered on the site may also be aware of the new programs we have to offer.
Discuss How Many Channel Members with Explanation Sanofi deals with many different consumers of all races, ages, and geographical areas. We have decided to use both intensive and exclusive. This way we can get our program information out to all consumers but they will only be able to sign up for our program through pharmacies and their physician offices. Since having to be unable the care of a license medical provider is one of the requirements for the program we can then be sure that if the physician is referring the patient to our program they are being seen by that particular physician. With our pharmacies as well as physician Sanofi will not deliver directly to the patient home so having the patient go through their local pharmacy or physician also guarantee’s the orders will be delivered to one of our sites.
Channel Organization Multichannel marketing system would be a recommended channel organization simply because the use of internet and cell phone internet is on the rise. This is a great way to get our product and program information out to the many consumers that are diabetic and use Lantus. We could also use the multimedia as a way to correspond this information with our physician offices through presentations instead of sending information out through a fax blast. By providing them with a presentation we’re able to give them more detail information on our existing as well as new programs. Conclusion Sanofi is aware of the growing demand of families and individual that take not only just Lantus but a variety of products and we want to be there to assist and provide with helpful information along the way. Referenence Distribution channel. (2006). In Collins Dictionary of Business. Retrived from http://www.credoreference.com.proxy.cecybrary.com/entry/collinsbus/distribution_channel

Business Dictionary. (2012). Exclusive distribution. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/exclusive-distribution.html

Business Dictionary. (2012). Intensive distribution. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/intensive-distribution.html Business Dictionary. (2012). Selective distribution. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/selective-distribution.html Marketing, 11th Edition. (2013). Kerin, Roger, Hartley, Steven, Rudelius, William