Anything but Generic: The Rise of Service-First Rx Brands

Brought to you by YuzuYello

With DIY health on the rise comes a plethora of healthcare companies offering a range of generic medications across therapeutic areas—wrapped in a veil of aesthetically inviting, simple-to-navigate experiences. Many of these companies share a vision centered around enabling patient choice and making access to prescription medications easy and approachable.

How do they realize that vision? Rather than focusing on the product, what these brands truly stand for is outstanding service:

  • Instant digital access to a physician who can prescribe “customized” treatment to your needs
  • Affordable and transparent pricing
  • The promise of a no-fuss onboarding process
  • Monthly memberships that work just like the subscriptions you’re already used to

All while taking something that used to look like this:

Three medicine bottles

And transforming it to this:
 

A bottle of Rory Valacyclovir on a small stand

Image Source: hellorory.com

Let’s take a look at a few examples.
 

Thirty Madison1

A screenshot of 30 Madison's website with a picture of a family and text that reads Thirty Madison is building the premiere specialty healthcare for people living with chronic conditions

Image Source: ThirtyMadison.com

Thirty Madison introduces itself as a human-first healthcare company that is powering access to affordable specialized healthcare for people living with chronic conditions.

Combining telehealth with personalized treatment plans, Thirty Madison’s offerings reduce the patient burden so much that a patient can receive their prescription, treatment and support without ever leaving their couch.

The Thirty Madison portfolio includes:

  • Keeps – Hair loss
  • Nurx – Women’s sexual health
  • Cove – Migraine
  • Evens – Gastrointestinal
  • Picnic – Allergies

The benefits:

  1. A quick and easy prescription process

  2. Skipping the pharmacy with doorstep delivery

  3. Support throughout the treatment experience via access to doctors and pharmacists
     

Ro2

A screenshot of Ro's website that reads At Ro, we put you in control of your health

Image Source: Ro.co

Ro's mission is to be a patient's first call for all of their healthcare needs. Ro believes that in 10 years “more healthcare services will be provided online or at home than in a doctor's office or pharmacy.”

The way they are working toward future-proofing healthcare: a vertically integrated primary care platform that enables patient-centric services from diagnosis, to delivery of medication, to ongoing care.

Of Ro’s direct-to-consumer offerings, Rory and Roman offer a range of women’s and men’s health products, respectively. However, instead of leading with the product range—they brand Rory and Roman “digital health clinics” and often refer to them as “healthcare without the waiting rooms.” The product is secondary to the experience of receiving the prescription and taking the medication.

A screenshot of Rory's website that reads Women's healthcare without the waiting rooms. From the online visit to the contact free delivery with ongoing care, expect a seamless experience. Menu items include Skincare, Latisse,  weight management and genital herpes

Image Source: hellorory.com

A screenshot of Roman's website that reads Men's healthcare, without the waiting rooms. From the online visit to contact free delivery with ongoing care, expect a seamless experience. Menu items include erectile dysfunction, hair loss, premature ejaculation and testosterone support

Image Source: getroman.com

One additional differentiator for Ro is its interlacing of generic product offerings with a select few branded products (Plenity® for weight management and Latisse® for eyelash growth).
 

Hims & Hers Health3,4

A screenshot of Her's website that reads your living room is the new waiting room

Image Source: forhers.com

Founded in 2017, Hims & Hers Health, Inc. has significantly expanded in the past few years. Once focused on hair loss and erectile dysfunction disorder, now it spans across primary care, psychiatry, women’s health, dermatology—along with over-the-counter supplements and personal care offerings.

New customers are prompted to “start a free visit” upon arrival, and they are met with messaging around:

  • Customized treatment plans
  • Quality products
  • 100% secure online support
  • On-demand content and tutorials

The secret sauce: approachable services

These above examples are just a few of the many brands that have essentially created an enhanced product out of services. What these brands lack in Rx brand recognition, they make up for in the customer experience.

What can we glean from the experiences they create? What is special about their services?

In summary, what all of these brands do well is:

  1. Make it easy: Reduce the number of customer-dependent steps in the process (often taking undesired tasks off the patient’s plate)

  2. Make it enjoyable: Transform the remaining steps to familiar and rewarding interactions

  3. Set expectations: Provide upfront transparency in pricing, along with savings that truly function like online retail coupons

Here are some examples that show this approach in action:

Friendly Registration

Making opt-in easy and similar to everyday text conversations—using visuals and emojis, and by providing one question at a time.

An image that says before we get started, how are you feeling today? Emotions, with emojis, are happy, worried, tired, stressed, sad, angry, pensive and not sure

Image Source: forhers.com

Normalizing Prescriptions

A dermatology prescription product next to a dark spot corrector? The only difference: the “buy now” button is replaced by “start visit” on the Rx product.

A photo of a person with text overlay that reads acne, and an acne Rx cream and fast fader dark spot corrector next to it

Image Source: forhers.com

Amazon Prime-like Shipping

Shipping time frames that compete with Amazon—plus, the additional benefit of discretion.

A picture of a box with text that reads free, discreet 2-day shipping

Image Source: hellorory.com

Coupon Codes

Demystifying the ability to save on prescriptions via familiar coupon codes.

A screenshot of Roman's menu that reads How it works, FAQ and pricing. A coupon for $15 off is on the top

Image Source: getroman.com

Trial Periods and Subscription Pricing

A 30-day trial for $5? Yes, please. Not to mention the peace of mind that comes with knowing exactly how much you will pay every month even before the consultation.

A person holding up products and smiling. Text reads Get a 30-day trial of the full system for $5. If you love it, we'll keep the momentum going with bimonthly shipments. Custom Rx treatment is $29 per month. After your 30-day trial ends, you will automatically be shipped a new order every two months thereafter. You will be billed $58 for each order. Cancel anytime in your Ro account. Custom Rx System is $41 per month. After your 30-day trial ends, you will automatically be shipped a new order every two months thereafter. You will be billed $82 for each order. Cancel anytime in your Ro account.

Image Source: hellorory.com

The wrapper is just as important

While this new generation of Rx products revolves around service—not unlike product commercialization—great services without the right branding may not reach or connect with the intended audience.

The “ease” and “approachability” of the experience is communicated through warm and inviting brandmarks, optimistic color palettes and packaging akin to luxury skincare.

Branding unlocks the opportunity to depict the core benefits, purpose and personality of service-first brands across each interaction: from the first impression to unboxing.

What’s next?

The service-first model is one we expect will take off in the years to come and one that will continue raising customer expectations around healthcare services.

Now more than ever, branded Rx products have an opportunity to elevate their services to anticipate customer needs and expectations.

 

Sources:

  1. Thirty Madison Website
  2. Ro.co Website
  3. For Hers Website
  4. For Hims Website