Most portfolios I have worked with carried at least one brand that took more than it gave.
Small sales. Recurring stock problems. Reps quietly leaving it to the end of the call. And nobody willing to say "stop", because stopping felt like admitting a failure.
I see it differently now. Stopping a brand is a leadership decision, and doing it well takes as much care as a launch.
How I approach it:
- Look at the whole cost. Rep time, stock, registration and management attention, not only margin.
- Ask the field first. First-line managers know what the brand really takes out of a call.
- Check the patients. Who still depends on it, and what is the alternative?
- Bring in medical and regulatory early. Supply continuity and any notice the authority needs come first.
- Agree it with headquarters with evidence, not frustration.
- Plan the stock. Stop sell-in in time so distributor inventory runs down cleanly. Never push a last large order into the trade.
- Tell doctors and pharmacists properly, from us, with a clear date.
- Move the freed time to brands that can grow, and tell the team why.
The last step is the one that pays for all the others.
“Stopping a brand is a decision. Keeping it out of habit is also a decision.”
Lesson 5 of 16 in Step 1: Setting strategy, with the full guide and a checklist for this week.