By Simon Ruini, London
Marketing strategies have evolved as a result of more complex healthcare systems. Payer’s restrictions, value based pricing, increased safety surveillance and ongoing regulatory support mandates a bird’s eye view strategy as well as sound contingency plans. Furthermore, the changes introduced by recent legislation on clinical trials, paediatric plans and drug safety (GVP) demand that you build your value proposition earlier, while maintaining an option to review and amend it later. All of this requires more complicated marketing than in the good old days. Brand teams today often divide responsibilities either by target market, communication channel, or other areas of the marketing mix. Which in turn results in a number of different marketing partners (not only advertising and promotion, but consultants, KOLs, CRM companies, and so on).
While it is reasonable to do your due diligence checks in sifting through the variety of potential candidates, avoid becoming pedantic. Being formally impeccable from a due diligence point of view does not guarantee that your vendors are the best ones for you. In the end, senior management has to make a call and too often that call is based on avoidance of risks. Such an attitude is dangerous.
What you should ensure above all is that your contract is flexible enough to easily get rid of an unfit vendor. Reduce the time spent on formalities and concentrate on value. The market, healthcare systems, regulators and prescribers are focusing more on real value. Branding is about building value for a product, a value that is created through positioning and communication. Also remember to bring your advisors into the planning process early, as waiting until you need creative concepts robs you of valuable insight during the critical strategy and planning stages. As advisors, they can operate outside of typical corporate constraints (politics) and make sure the customer and the brand has a clear path to market launch. Furthermore, they can begin putting together a strategy that combines trial endpoints, claims and brand messaging.
Ask them to voice alternative points of view during group meetings and prevent your internal personnel to interfere without been constructive. While they will certainly create some discomfort, their ability to play devil’s advocate and vet the group’s ideas can result in more solid thinking and robust reasoning.
Give them permission to tell you you’re wrong. A good advisor will not only challenge other partners’ thinking when appropriate, but they’ll challenge you as well. And as long as it’s done respectfully, professionally and in the best interest of the brand, you should listen.
And finally keep in mind the following four points:
- Collaborators, not competitors
Your advisors need to demonstrate the ability to work independently. Many large corporate agencies have a stake in many projects; are you sure you’re not in the way? Especially when your company is not exactly one of the big global players, you better make sure that the advisor you hire, gives you advice in your own interest.
- A unique, open voice
Your advisor needs to have the courage to speak up. And to ask the tough questions, to advocate alternative points of view, and to challenge consolidated opinions when necessary.
- Big picture thinkers
Their role of your advisors demands the ability and understanding to see and understand the bigger picture. Not just good planning skills or creativity, but an understanding of the process of enhancing value for the company, shareholders and stakeholders. (Remember though that you create value through your choices, your advisors can only assist).
- Common sense
Maybe most importantly, your agency needs to have common sense and know how to apply it. Because when all is said and done, you and your team need a marketing plan, program and campaign that are realistic, executable, and affordable.
The market is getting more complex by the minute, and with it our plans, our programs and our teams. One solution that may make it a bit easier is to redefine the role of your agency to one that can multitask, while maintaining an independent approach, which is safely tailored to your needs.