John Kamp: Be aggressive, transparent, careful, and proud

John Kamp: Be aggressive, transparent, careful, and proud

The pharma industry should adhere to the "Four Bs:" be aggressive, be transparent, be careful, and be proud, said John Kamp, executive director of the Coalition for Healthcare Communication, during the HMC Council's May Industry Forum in Philadelphia last week. He said pharma needs to be aggressive with good product marketing and ensure that policymakers fully understand the industry's platform. In being transparent, companies should always be truthful and straightforward because the brand of pharma is in trouble. "If we're not truthful, our brands are dead," he said. The industry needs to be careful about current and emerging laws, public policy, and public perception. Finally, despite the backlash from the media and policymakers, the industry needs to be proud and tell its critics that marketing is not a sin. "A pill is just a poison if it's not surrounded by information," said Kamp. The Coalition for Healthcare Communication filed a Citizen's Petition with the FDA last month proposing new rules for pharma DTC.