October, 2008 SMM-034
Make your move
Received wisdom has it that a first-mover – the first significant product in a class – has an advantage over its followers. This assumption drives pharma companies to push hard to launch sooner rather than later. My research at the Open University Business School looked for evidence that first-movers make more money than those who follow them into the market and at what the experiences of leaders and followers can teach us about how we manage our products. The answers may surprise you and could help improve brand management.