After reading Kay Napier's compelling story of her struggle with cancer and bone loss I decided that the best approach to this assignment would be to discuss how her personal struggle affected the four p's of marketing. Ms. Napier, being the vice president of Proctor and Gamble's North American pharmaceuticals, and overseeing 1,300 employees shows how her personal struggle was a huge influence on P &G's new marketing strategy towards the product Actonel. Actonel is drug that is designed to increase bone mass caused by cancer, as well as osteoporosis, a condition that causes bone loss in nearly half of women. This is a very serious condition that Ms. Napier took a unique approach to marketing. The product, price, promotion, and place were all intertwined in an approach that differed greatly from their main competitors at Merck and Co.'s. Fosamax, Merck's product is well established in the market for bone loss and is backed by many doctors. The aggressive approach that Napier took to promote the new product was innovative and successful.
             The product, Actonel, is a product that P&G hoped to use to make its drug division a player in the industry by making Actonel a "blockbuster". Actonel is a drug that is a second mover in the industry behind Fosamax but serves the same purpose. The drug, which is taken by Ms. Napier to reverse her bone loss due to chemotherapy, is one that she pursued and made her own. The time, effort, and image that Napier made for the drug is largely to her own struggle. Napier working on the products development during her illness created the product success and good image. By going to work during months of chemotherapy and handing off responsibilities of other drugs made Actonel Napier's prime concern. Napier development of the image of Actonel is a large reflection of herself.
             ...