Case Study
Embedding Digital Specialists with Client Teams Drives HCP Engagement in Top Euro Markets
In European markets, traditional face-to-face interactions between sales representatives and HCPs have long been the norm. But as digital technologies advance and the ways we communicate transform, there's been a pressing need for pharmaceutical companies to integrate digital channels into their outreach plans.
Our client, a global pharmaceutical company, wanted to complement the efforts of field representatives and meet HCPs via digital channels. However, despite the growing importance of digital communication plans, European brand marketers were reluctant to adopt these digital channels. Over time, this hesitancy resulted in a digital skills gap within the marketing teams, rendering them ill-equipped to execute a strategy that focused on leveraging digital channels.
The stakes were high: Failing to address this gap could result in diminished brand reach and influence in a competitive market, negatively affecting the company's ability to effectively communicate with HCPs and potentially weakening business performance and market positioning.
Our first step was to conduct detailed assessment studies, gaining insights into the systems, capabilities, and digital marketing maturity within the top five priority markets in the EU. Following this, we held multi-day workshops with top brands in each market. These collaborative sessions helped establish common goals and identify gaps in operations, technology, and strategic alignment that needed to be addressed to adopt the new digital framework.
We also gathered competitive intelligence to help our clients understand how their competitors were incorporating digital approaches into their brand planning.
With a clear understanding of the gaps and competitive environment, we partnered with each brand's marketing team to craft a tailored 30-60-90-day plan. This plan was designed to systematically modify their go-to-market strategy, ensuring a smooth transition to more digital-centric operations.
To address and overcome the identified challenges, Asentech took several actions:
- Assignment of Digital Specialists: We placed five country-level digital marketing specialists in key markets—the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland. These specialists were critical in driving the digital transformation on the ground.
- Content Development and Technology Enablement: Our specialists worked closely with brand teams and Centers of Excellence (COEs) to develop relevant content and help with technology enablement.
- Translation and Localization Management: They managed translation requirements to ensure that all digital content was appropriately localized for each market.
- Facilitation of the MLR Approval Process: Specialists helped navigate the medical-legal-regulatory approval processes for compliant market engagement.
- Project Briefs to Deployment: Their involvement spanned the entire project lifecycle, from drafting project briefs to the deployment of digital projects in the market.
- Post-Campaign Optimization: After the deployment, they managed post-campaign optimization to ensure continuous improvement in digital engagement.
Thanks to our joint efforts, our teams completed over 200 projects across five key markets, covering various therapeutic areas such as Women's Health, Cardiovascular, Biosimilars, Respiratory, and Dermatology. These projects ranged from launching interactive e-detailing aids and CRM-approved emails to developing websites, managing email marketing campaigns, synchronizing HCP master data, and conducting social listening.
We also celebrated when we fully integrated our digital marketing specialists into the client's teams. This expanded the volume of digital projects, enhanced the reach and frequency of interactions with healthcare professionals, boosted brand awareness, and laid the groundwork for future digital initiatives.
Ready to elevate your brand with a cutting-edge omnichannel strategy? Connect with Asentech today, and discover how we can guide you toward omnichannel excellence for a successful launch.