Once the drug is approved, Pfizer's army of 8,000 well-trained reps are swarming hospitals and doctors' offices pushing the product. J. Patrick Kelly, senior vice president of worldwide marketing, says all employees involved are rewarded for alliance successes, not just the stars or leaders. This strengthens relationships in the trenches. You want to move the alliances into a smooth operational mode as quickly as possible and let decisions be made at the bottom. If Pfizer fears you may switch partners, as it did with Warner-Lambert, comarketer of cholesterol blocker Lipitor, it might decide to buy you out entirely.
Neutrality is key.
It's not that Oprah lacked for suitors. Publishers Time Warner, Cond Nast and Essence all wanted to create a magazine for her. Subscribers number nearly 2 million and ad pages in the six 2000 issues totaled 905. O's success is not unique. Marie Claire is a partnership between Hearst and French firm Marie Claire Album.