alli Branding: Product + Experience

Are you ready? That is the question that alli, the only FDA approved diet pill, asks prominently on their website, MyAlli.com. “Have you got what it takes to follow the alli™ program? Before you begin, be sure alli is right for you. You don't just try alli to see what happens. You have to commit to a plan that's realistic; one based on gradual weight loss.”

Honesty. What a concept. But this is a perfect example of branding – a quality offering combined with a quality experience. GlaxoSmithKline knows that there is no wonder pill that magically makes you skinny. And they know that consumers know that (even if they don’t want to admit it).

So they have designed the alli brand with honesty as the cornerstone. You have to work to get thin. The OTC drug can help, “but it’s more than just a pill. It’s an innovative weight loss program. The pill works by preventing your body from absorbing some of the fat you eat. And the program includes an individually tailored, online action plan to help you lose weight safely and gradually.”

By painting an honest picture, they are not creating false hopes. And by including the customer in the overall experience, they are tying that customer to the brand in a powerful way.

This is the kind of branding that could move more pharma products “Forward. Fast.”