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Honson Tran
Professor Tieka Harris
English 101: KF
16 September 2015
The Profit of Purpose
Viewing our world as a whole, one can observe the many different cultures from each
and every country. Similarly, just as cultures are different from one another, so are their
medicinal practices and perception. Although there are many different types of drugs and
medicines for a vast majority of diseases, psychiatric diseases still seem not to have been figured
out to an exact science. One major illness that is often overlooked today is depression. Generally
speaking, many cultures seem to have different perceptions on depression and how to diagnose
it, but there does not seem to be a standardized knowledge-base of depression. In Ethan
Watterss text The Mega-Marketing of Depression in Japan, Watters discusses Kirmayers
personal experiences of being invited to a potential mega-marketing pharmaceutical drug named
Paxil and its producers intent to spread across multiple cultures in order to eventually
monopolize the industry. Although creating Paxils mega-marketing can standardize the
psychiatric drug industry, the companys implications of changing the narrative on depression in
Japan actually decimates the cultures knowledge of depression. As a result, GlaxoSmithKline,
the manufacturer of Paxil, and their intentions is actually disregarding the knowledge of other
cultures and is ignorantly insisting on theirs for profit instead of purpose.
Initially, for GlaxoSmithKline to spread this significant cultural change and Japans
views on depression, the companys intentions were to change the overall perception in Japan
with the intention to mega-market. Mega-marketing, the act of controlling a companys external

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environments such as competitors and consumers, was used to invite Japans massive
pharmaceutical companies. Japan was considered an untapped market by the psychiatric drug
market and seen more of a profit than a purpose to help others. As stated by the president of
Meiji Seika, Japans pharmaceutical company, people in the company said there are too few
patients in Japan but I looked at the U.S. and Europe and thought this is sure to be a big
market (Watters 516). From the very initial stages of the attack on Japans pharmaceutical
market, companies have been viewing the nation as more of a huge profit rather than statistically
analyzing depression rates from other countries. For this reason, the bigger interest of profit
overcomes their purpose, which is shown clearly from their influence of profit instead of a need
to help other depressed countries. Instead of solving the depression of Japan solely with the pure
intention of aiding in Japans problem of depression, GlaxoSmithKline intended to mega-market
the industry and gain huge profits from it. As a result, the companys evil intentions were to
change the views of the Japanese people and their culture of how Japan views depression. In
regards to marketing strategies, [GlaxoSmithKlines] representatives identif[y] the cultural
challenges, such as the undertreated depression of suicide (Watters 519). With a set plan an
action, the pharmaceutical companys implications are to rid of all other medicines for
depression and replace it with theirs through the use of three minute surveys to help diagnose
mental illness to inform patients not meeting the criteria for depression should still be
considered sick (Watters 520). Through market strategy and the implementation of cultural
challenges, GlaxoSmithKlines intention is to sell Paxil is to convince others of a miraculous allin-one remedy.
Likewise, Paxel is also continuing to harm Japans own culture, medicine views and
knowledge by forcing upon their own research and results. The drug company wants the

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Japanese to view depression as more of an inner related issue than a physical issue. Through
GlaxoSmithKline, the companys message wants to change Japans views of depression as rain,
dark, [and] suicide into loneliness, down, [and] unhappy to sad or sadness, lonely or
lonliness, and gloom (Watters 521). Although the company states a fine line of differentiation
between U.S. and Japans views of depression, the companys research and implications are
barely synergetic to each other. Watters states that depression was so broadly defined by the
marketers that it clearly encompassed classic emotions and behaviors formerly attributed to the
melancholic personality type (Watters 525). At first, the pharmaceutical company focused on
Paxil, a medication which boosts the neurotransmitter serotonin in efforts to prevent depression,
as a medication to help severely mentally ill patients. On the contrary, the drug is also being
advertised as a daily supplement to people are stressed from work or are suggested by a three
minute survey to take the medication. Japans views of depression are mostly defined by
sensations that are felt physically, such as the loss of energy in ki ga meiru, the feeling of
headaches or chest pains in ki ga fusagu, and many more. As a strategy to market Paxil, ads on
newspapers media throughout encouraged people to see professional help regarding their
depression. This was accomplished by attempt[ing] to distance depression further from the
endogenous depression as it was understood by Japanese psychiatrists for most of the century
(Watters 525). By changing the cultural perception of depression through these advertisements,
Japans knowledge-base of multiple depression symptoms will cease to exist over the course of
time. Depression that was once defined as a significant physical symptom could possibly now be
classified as anything that seems negative through these ads. Paxils impact on the culture will
only brainwash the cultures perception of its cures by combining all symptoms under one

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medication instead of aiding and adding onto the knowledge-base of cures that Japan has already
established.
As a solution to the predicament regarding Japans depression, the most effective
implications to change the Japanese cultures views of depression is not only through advertising
cures, but also by building upon other knowledge bases and medicine practices purely on the
focus of solving depression. By involving profit and marketing into their goal of solving
depression, many can be blinded with the greed of profit. The combination of purpose and profit
can lead to impure intentions. This is best displayed through GlaxoSmithKlines presentation. In
the text, Applebaum states that [GlaxoSmithKline] believe[s] their products were effective and
they were baffled that anyone should question their value (Watters 528). By combining profit
and purpose, the result is a marriage of the profit-seeking scheme in which the disease is
regarded as an opportunity to the ethical view that mankinds health hangs in the balance
which can convince other marketers that they are going a good deed as well (Watters 528).
Conceptually, GlaxoSmithKline is trying to present their research to other cultures in order to
persuade the population that their research is accurate and correct. In a way, the pharmaceutical
company is attempting to change Japans perception of depression to theirs as a method a way of
standardizing Japans views of depression with GlaxoSmithKlines perception through megamarketing. Although standardizing knowledge regarding depression will help gain order and
proper procedure to specific diseases and illnesses, the practices of GlaxoSmithKline are unjust
and ignorant. Through selectivity, the pharmaceutical company is only educating and advertising
to others of the benefits and studies which support the research instead of being direct and
straightforward on their research. An example of this is clearly displayed by company marketers
who quickly reproduced and widely disseminated articles in newspapers and magazines

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mentioning the rise of depression, particularly if those pieces touted the benefits of SSRIs
(Watters 525). With the use of media and selective research, GlaxoSmithKline is striking
paranoia and awareness of depression to others who are not even diagnosed with depression. For
genuine change to the health of the Japanese and the world, the true variables to changing the
narrative of depression in Japan should be honesty with research data and directness with
messages and goals. Although the past intentions of GlaxoSmithKline have been only for
monetary gain, not all of the companys plans are unjust and wrong. If executed properly and
honest, one is able to spark change through genuine intention. Eventually, through genuine
intentions, GlaxoSmithKline could potentially be a collective example of implications needed to
wholesomely strike change into the culture of Japan.
In other words, having a greater want for purpose over profit is what truly creates a
strong foundation for a company. By having a strong message, its purpose will carry on to not
only the citizens of Japan, but to eventually to the world. Cultural views on issues, such as
depression, will soon be solved through this message. It is absolutely critical for Japan to hold
onto their perception of depression and add onto it instead of having it be completely replaced by
the United States. By doing so, the past research and medications will have room for
improvement whereas having another perception imported from another country will only slow
down the process of solving the issue. Having the knowledge of both the United States and
Japans teachings and research of medicine will greatly improve through the collaboration of
other nations as well. Eventually, through the observation of others and their opinions on
GlaxoSmithKlines product, many will invest. A product that is wholesomely effective and true
to its purpose will last a lot longer than a product that is made purely for the intentions of profit

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and monopolization. Nevertheless, the true implications of changing the narrative of depression
in Japan should be purely for the profit of purpose, not for the purpose of profit.