In a TV ad for osteoporosis medication Boniva, I've noticed an interesting choice of words: "Boniva works with your body to rebuild bone..." Phrasing and word selection are not by accident in a big corporation's advertising, and should be just as deliberate and intentional in yours.

You're paying to send this message, so make sure you get it just how you want it.

Almost before I could analyze the why behind their choice of phrasing, I heard it again -- this time for the laxative Miralax: "Miralax works with your body to..." well, you know what it does.

It's clear that pharmaceutical marketers have picked up on something their customers want to hear.

The market is cool to the idea of putting chemicals into your body, but warm to the idea of things that are natural or appear to work naturally. Hence the rise in use of homeopathic remedies for a variety of ailments -- and the very logical repositioning on the part of drugmakers.

In this environment, a phrase like "works with your body" resonates more positively than it may have five or ten years ago. Then, it may have sounded weak; now, it sounds almost organic. And organic is very fashionable right now!

It takes a certain sensitivity to know what matters to your customers, what allays their fears or motivates their buying decisions. Do your best to recognize trends in attitude so wherever those attitudes move, you will be right there speaking their language.

Labels: advertising, customer centered, marketing, messaging