We develop practical strategic solutions with clear tactical applications. To see how we’ve helped our clients, take a look at these case studies and testimonials.
Our client faced a crowded and static market. Their drug, a triptan, was widely perceived as a me-too migraine product, and they didn’t have the sales force or budget to compete toe-to-toe with the bigger pharma companies in their therapy area. Sales were in decline.
We proposed an insights-driven strategy to develop a smarter, highly targeted approach. First, we conducted research with patients and primary care physicians to define their key needs, drivers and behaviors. Then we used these insights to develop new product positioning and new target patient and physician profiles for the groups defined as most likely to use the product.
The result of this new positioning and targeting was a sales turnaround – from a 3% annual decrease in market share to a 15% increase the following year.
As part of their commitment to patient welfare, one of our clients wanted to better understand the extent and nature of patient adherence to blood glucose monitoring. Their goal was to work with partners in the UK’s NHS to develop strategies to improve monitoring.
We ran advisory boards with key diabetes prescribers and influencers to generate insights on stakeholder and patient needs. We also facilitated internal client strategy development workshops.
The outcome has been the implementation of an insight-driven strategy incorporating:
The project has enhanced the client’s reputation and working relationships with primary care trusts, positioning them as a valued partner in healthcare delivery that really does put the patient first.
We were asked to develop an integrated strategy for a COPD drug entering Phase III. This was no small challenge. Our client had no heritage in the highly competitive respiratory area, and they would be competing against established giants.
We developed an insights-driven brand development process covering customer segmentation, KOL development, brand positioning and key message development. The plan even carried through into a strategic publications plan, tying practical, tactical delivery to robust strategic planning.
This comprehensive brand strategy and integrated 2-year activity plan (focused on key customer segments) has given the client a clear roadmap for their anticipated brand launch in 2008.
A top 10 pharma company with a portfolio of compounds targeting osteoarthritis in Phase I trials wanted our help in prioritising target product claims that would best address the unmet needs in this area.
We used our proprietary Claims Extractor™ process to develop a comprehensive list of weighted product claims. These were validated through robust processes and ‘filters’ that analyzed the views and needs of internal stakeholders, KOLs, regulators and payors.
As a result, we produced a market-centered framework for clinical trial design in osteoarthritis. This will ensure that new trials measure outcomes that can provide real and meaningful product differentiation for physicians, payors and patients.
We were asked to help develop a brand strategy for a first-class and potentially controversial MS treatment.
We employed a range of tools, including:
We produced a brand planning framework covering brand positioning, brand identity and key messages that:
New trial data indicated small but significant advantages for our client’s diabetes drug over the market leader in the same class. Our client needed help in how to best use the data to improve communications and positively differentiate their product.
We developed a customer needs framework and a clinical data audit to assess and contextualize the new data. We then ran an interactive key messaging workshop to match the new clinical data to real customer needs, before crafting a new set of clear, simple key messages.
The outcome was a powerful key message framework that could cascade into all sales and marketing messages. This contributed to a 15% increase in the brand’s share of new scripts in the following year.
Building brand strategy usually works best when key steps are taken in a specific order, but real life often demands a flexible approach. When our client needed to develop and implement a strategic communications plan for a stroke product (while developing the overall brand strategy in parallel) we pulled out all the stops to get the job done.
We collaborated closely with the client to quickly lead them through a SWOT analysis, key issues, strategic drivers, objectives and key messages. Simultaneously, we developed a strategic communications plan involving publications, advisory boards, meetings, congresses, symposia, KOL development and PR – all the while checking that the tactics matched the evolving strategy.
The result was a fully integrated global brand strategy and tactical communications plan, delivered on schedule for launch. This gave the client a clear cascade from strategy to tactics for local market implementation.
Based on promising Phase I results, a US-based pharma company submitted their breast cancer drug to the FDA for fast-track review. A communication strategy was needed to drive current and future communications, with only limited clinical data to work with.
We reviewed and audited the clinical data in their drug’s class to establish key competitor data claims and opportunities for a new treatment. We then used brand vision and key message workshops to establish aspirational data claims.
The result was a communication strategy that included: