Boston Fights Drugs (A): Designing Communications Research

V. Kasturi  Rangan

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Case | HBS Case Collection | October 1987 (Revised November 1994)

Boston Fights Drugs (A): Designing Communications Research

by V. Kasturi Rangan

Abstract

Describes in detail the research mounted by five individuals with a $20,000 budget to combat drug abuse among Boston's school-going population. Using the focus group methodology they discover that most of the current anti-drug advertising is useless. They create their own storyboards but are not sure if they are truly better.

Keywords: Budgets and Budgeting; Misleading and Fraudulent Advertising; Communication Intention and Meaning; Brands and Branding; Performance Evaluation; Research and Development; Segmentation; Pharmaceutical Industry; Boston;

Format: Print

33 pages

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Citation:

Rangan, V. Kasturi. "Boston Fights Drugs (A): Designing Communications Research." Harvard Business School Case 588-031, October 1987. (Revised November 1994.)

About the Author

V. Kasturi Rangan

Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing

Marketing

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Case | HBS Case Collection | March 2019 (Revised November 2019)

Gilead: Hepatitis C Access Strategy (A) (Abridged)

V. Kasturi Rangan, Vikram Rangan and David E. Bloom

Gilead had come up with an innovative drug for Hepatitis C, which affected 180 million people worldwide. The drug was priced at $1,000 a pill for the US market. Gilead had to decide how to price and market the pill in developing countries that bore the brunt of the disease. The company had earned accolades for its work in HIV/AIDS, where its innovative medicines now accounted for 60% of all patients on Anti-Retroviral (ARV) medicines. Much of this was accomplished through generic licensing, which brought a $10,000/year treatment regimen down to $100! Should the company replicate that strategy for Hepatitis C? If so, how would its US Healthcare customers, who were paying $84,000 per patient, react? On the other hand, Gilead had to balance the interests of its shareholders, who paid $11 billion for an acquisition that led to the new Hepatitis C drug.

Keywords: healthcare; Pharmaceuticals; pricing; Access to care;

Citation:
Rangan, V. Kasturi, Vikram Rangan, and David E. Bloom. "Gilead: Hepatitis C Access Strategy (A) (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Case 519-077, March 2019. (Revised November 2019.) View Details

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Gupta Media: Governors Ball Ad Spending and Ticket Sales Data

V. Kasturi Rangan and Courtney Han

Citation:
Rangan, V. Kasturi, and Courtney Han. "Gupta Media: Governors Ball Ad Spending and Ticket Sales Data." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 520-706, October 2019. View Details

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Gupta Media (B) Supplement: Governors Ball Overview and Promotional Materials

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Rangan, V. Kasturi, and Courtney Han. "Gupta Media (B) Supplement: Governors Ball Overview and Promotional Materials." Harvard Business School Supplement 520-039, October 2019. View Details

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Boston Fights Drugs (A): Designing Communications Research

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