Adrian Brown, a training consultant in healthcare communications, provides an overview of the role of the medcomms agency in supporting the strategic communications planning process in the pharmaceutical industry.

Recorded 5 April 2017 at a MedComms Networking event in Oxford. Produced by NetworkPharma.tv

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ABSTRACT:

Strategic communications planning is about gaining product adoption and prescriptions through systematic, planned dissemination of key messages and data to appropriate target audiences at the optimum times, using the most effective communication channels. Fundamental to such a plan is ensuring successful differentiation of a product from its competitors, and ensuring that the correct messages are tailored to address the needs of different audiences, whether patients, prescribers, pharmacists or payers. Before beginning to put together a strategic communications plan, pharma companies need an in-depth understanding of the potential market, through specialist market research. Clinical studies are likewise pivotal in providing the data on which such a plan is based. Medcomms agencies can play a vital role in supporting companies at this stage, through providing editorial support for study protocols, organising clinical study meetings, and ongoing liaison with key opinion leaders (KOLs).

Key elements of a strategic communications plan include facilitating expert input from KOLs, particularly through advisory board meetings; publications planning, development and follow-through; presentations at meetings and congresses; and identification and liaison with patient advocacy groups. Ensuring appropriate pricing is usually managed by the pharma company market access team, while public relations and advertising are often outsourced to specialist agencies. Medcomms agencies have a key role to play, often having broad involvement across a range of communications initiatives that form part of a strategic communications plan, including publications planning and support, working on meetings and congresses, KOL identification and support, and the development of internal and external education materials.

Written by Penny Gray, Freelance Medical Writer

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We are building a library of free webcasts, like this one, for the global MedComms Community and others at http://www.networkpharma.tv and we’d welcome your suggestions for new topics and speakers.

Full details of this MedComms Networking event are at http://medcommsnetworking.com/event87.html

Adrian’s presentation (PDF format) is at http://medcommsnetworking.com/presentations/brown_050417.pdf

Adrian’s Linkedin page is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-brown-88b4224/

More about Adrian Brown Consulting can be found at http://adrianbrownconsulting.com

More about Adrian’s regular Landscape Training events for new starters in MedComms can be found at http://adrianbrownconsulting.com/index.php/consultancy-training-and-coaching/#/ms-1/7

Filming and technical direction by Mario Crispino, Freelance Cameraman & Editor

[For the avoidance of doubt: this video is intended to be freely accessible to all. Please feel free to share and use however you like. Cheers Peter Llewellyn, Director NetworkPharma Ltd and Founder of the MedComms Networking Community activity at http://www.medcommsnetworking.com]