What do you do when everything is OTC?
Jim RyanAbstract
In the markets of the Arabian Gulf a consumer can walk into a retail pharmacy and buy almost any mainstream pharmaceutical product without a prescription. That in itself is not unique, but when it is combined with high levels of disposable income in markets such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, you have an extremely interesting case study in consumer choice. Jim Ryan’s paper will present a brief overview of the market before discussing the implications of direct consumer purchasing for marketing and promotional strategy in the region.Jim Ryan
Jim Ryan is a highly experienced international marketing and market research specialist with particular involvement in the markets of the Middle East. He first became involved in the region in 1980 and in 1981 was a co-founder of the research agency Merlin.
Operating from offices in London and Jeddah, Merlin began life specialising in new product development related work and in research for the pharmaceutical industry. It grew to become recognized as the leading healthcare research agency in the Middle East region and became part of IMS Health in July 2007.
On a personal level, Jim has a Masters Degree in Marketing from the University of Lancaster following which he conducted further postgraduate research at the Management Centre of the University of Bradford.
He has worked in a corporate planning function for the Anglo-American Corporation of South Africa and as Group Head for PAS Business Surveys in the UK. His Middle East experience encompasses all the major markets of the region and ranges from standard research surveys through to manufacturing feasibility studies.
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