Docs Rock the Vote

The pharma industry is filled with awards that take note of the best and brightest companies have to offer. But there's one pharma award that marketing agencies seem to especially appreciate—and that's because doctors dictate the vote. This year's Doctors' Choice Awards, sponsored by the Association of Medical Media (formerly the Association of Medical Publishers), was judged by nearly 6,000 docs, who examined 327 professional ads in 13 product categories. The winning journal ads were showcased at a New York Palace Hotel gala in September. Ads were judged on their ability to communicate clearly and quickly, help with clinical decisions, prompt physicians to seek more information or re-examine treatment, generate interest, add to information provided by company sales reps, and underscore the value of the promoted product.

"I think it is the most meaningful because it's not a jury of our peers or a popularity contest," says Alan Topin, president of Topin & Associates, whose agency stole the show, winning three awards for its four-page Dusa ClindaReach (Clindamycin) launch ad for acne. "[These awards] deal with ethics—so in that sense we are triply delighted with our work."