New report examines how companies educate employees, prepare for new product launch

Dec 7 2014

When a pharmaceutical company is gearing up for a new product launch, effective brand and communications leaders focus not only on external communications but also internal disease state communication and education directed at employees.

Internal communications about products nearing launch can help pharmaceutical companies as they build a credible external message regarding new products, especially first-in-class therapies for new or socially sensitive conditions. Communications teams must overcome numerous hurdles to inform employees adequately about a disease state that a new medical product will treat.

A Best Practices, LLC benchmarking report, Best Practices for Internal Communications Regarding Brands & Disease State, examines how companies communicate at the brand and disease state levels in order to educate employees internally and build a consistent external message surrounding new products.

Effective internal disease state communication requires a structured approach, including clear education objectives, tight processes for message control, and prepared responses to product questions that employees may encounter in social situations.

The study found that for all employee groups except sales and manufacturing, most companies start communicating internally before filing a new drug application. Sales communications often are delayed to prevent pre-approval selling.

This study was produced from in-depth surveys of 32 top biopharma companies and a series of executive interviews. It will enable marketing and brand team leaders to implement the type of well-timed and well-targeted communications strategies essential for cementing both the medical and commercial framework for a new product's market entry.

Key topics covered in this research include:

• Ten best practices for internal disease state communication excellence
• Effective communication channels & use of new communication technologies
• Timing of communication activities by product development phase
• Advantages & disadvantages of employee message segmentation
• Tracking internal message effectiveness
• Preventing sensitive-information leaks
• Using KOLs to influence employees
• Special challenges for products treating socially sensitive conditions or diseases, first-in-class products, or new disease states or conditions
• Needs creation marketing tactics

SOURCE Best Practices, LLC