Medical Device Link.

Originally Published MX September/October 2004

ADVERTISING, DISTRIBUTION, & SALES

In the ultracompetitive world of medical marketing, smart companies pay attention to every detail of their selling proposition. A particularly successful example of this kind of dedication is provided by Fujifilm Medical Systems USA Inc. (Stamford, CT) and its idea to put special emphasis on branding its DryPix line of dry imagers.

The DryPix Difference logo, developed by Marquardt & Roche and Partners, sets the DryPix line of dry imagers apart with its nontraditional design. (click to enlarge)

Fuji's national marketing manager for imaging systems, Robert Neary, directed the company's agency, Marquardt & Roche and Partners (MRP; Stamford, CT), to develop a logo that would set the stage for the differentiation his imagers needed. Medical imagers have been around for quite a few years, and in this mature product category Neary had seen a growing tendency for equipment buyers to think of them as a commodity. That might have been fine for some competing manufacturers. But when a company makes an imager that's demonstrably superior, it is clearly not a good thing.

Neary explains that Fuji's DryPix imagers offer three key differences over competing brands. They provide enhanced diagnostic capabilities. They increase department efficiency and revenue. And, surprisingly, they do all this while offering the lowest cost of ownership.

MRP answered Neary's challenge with the "DryPix Difference" logo, which won a gold award in the Medical Marketing Association's 2004 In-Awe competition. The logo captures DryPix imagers' three fundamental differences by using three bold primary colors presented in a dramatic, primitive design. The logo also addresses the company's marketing challenge by establishing that DryPix is not a commodity item. That theme is expanded upon in trade show panels and brochures, in which each color is tied to a specific DryPix difference. The logo also offers an attractive bit of flare and whimsy, with the nice touch of the two reverse fs.

"I had a clear idea of what I wanted to achieve with the logo from a marketing perspective," says Neary. "I handed the ball to MRP and, as usual, they took it over the goal line."

The logo's nontraditional design sets Fuji's anything-but-ordinary product apart, and has helped Fuji change perceptions about the category. And most important of all, since the introduction of the logo in various communications pieces, sales have exceeded expectations.

Image courtesy MARQUARDT & ROCHE AND PARTNERS

Copyright ©2004 MX