Thomas Kopf – Klosterfrau Healthcare Group

Thomas Kopf is the Consumer Insights and Marketing Research Manager of the CDO (Category Development Organization) department at the Klosterfrau Healthcare Group. This department looks after the internationalisation and development of categories in which the group is represented, as well as the development of new concepts. The Klosterfrau Healthcare Group is one of the most important German pharmaceutical companies and was founded in 1826. The company is based in Cologne and is represented in several other European countries. The core business of the group is the manufacture and distribution of health products, OTC medicines, and cosmetics.

KPIs in the company: interesting insights through business intelligence (BI) data modeling

“Next to the classics of reporting such as turnover, sales, and market share, the most important KPIs at Klosterfrau include recommendation rates, preference, and ‘anchoring’ in the relevant set. Data modeling helps to gain important insights”, explains Thomas Kopf. He adds: “We look at the effects of recommendation rates among health care professionals for example, as well as usage and repurchase rates. Next to that we also have some qualitative criteria, for instance, the preference and relevant set, and do very intensive BI data modelling. We likewise measure all key variables from social media, public media, and earned media. The insights are always enlightening and sometimes sobering for marketing, and helpful in adjusting measures.”

“Insights are always enlightening and sometimes sobering for marketing.”

several moments of truth along the customer journey

For Thomas Kopf, the customer journey is not one-dimensional but always comprises small loops. Therefore, there are several moments of truth that can be used and controlled. He explains: “The customer journey is extremely important and generally also defines the KPIs along the journey that I can act upon. Hereby you control the so-called Moments of Truth as far as possible. It means you force certain experiences, which then lead to KPIs, such as repeat purchase rates or brand preference. The customer journey is never one-dimensional, there are always small loops in it.”

“The customer journey is never one-dimensional, there are always small loops in it.”

Klosterfrau’s close cooperation with doctors is a good example of using and controlling the MoT, says the experienced market researcher: “We take a close look at the interactions that a doctor has with the patient. In doing so, we try to find out exactly how these conversations take place, hereby we go as far as re-enacting these in role play. This process has turned out to be very effective. Some patients need a lot of care and attention, while others just want to get back to work as quickly as possible. This gives doctors a wide range of possible answers. And if we take all that into account, when it comes to the conception, the product, and its communication, then doctors also get good feedback. And good feedback is of course important for them. In this example, the MoT is the recommendation and the absence of negative feedback.”

Thomas Kopf also advises against one-sided promotional measures as these can damage the brand. “If I try to carry out a sheer price promotion campaign and I reward the wrong people, i.e. not the regular buyers but the bargain hunters, it can pull down the brand and the entire category. We experienced this with a very one-dimensional price promotion. In this case, in my opinion, you should at least integrate a quantity discount or a customer loyalty element.”

marketers don’t own brands and products

Sometimes marketers tend to forget that brands and products belong to consumers, finds Thomas Kopf. When it comes to brand communication, it is therefore important to build on the consumer’s existing knowledge: “Now and then the situation arises that I need a product. These are moments when you go into yourself and think about what you need and what is good for you. Sometimes it’s also friends or relatives who recommend something. This is where mental availability comes into play. Brands and products do not belong to the marketers, they belong to the consumers who have some concrete links to the content of a brand. That is why marketers not only have to communicate a brand but also link it to the knowledge and experiences of consumers. You must understand what is already there and build on it. Anything that impacts brand equity is super important. Brands are ‘tankships’ and difficult to move.”

“Brands and products do not belong to the marketers, they belong to the consumers who have some concrete links to the content of a brand.”

“One of the challenges is that marketers have to use many more channels than they used to”, says Thomas Kopf. He explains: “When I started there was TV, print, and POS. Nowadays, social media also plays an important role. At Klosterfrau, we conduct entrepreneur workshops in which we look at start-ups that are successful and some also come from other industries. We want to understand which touchpoints they use and which insights their business model is based on. Because one thing unites them all: They understand their customers and know their touchpoints, which are often outside of traditional retail. And that’s exactly where we want to go: We want to better understand and use these new media and touchpoints.”