Best Practices for Internal Communications Regarding Brands & Disease State

This study is designed to help product teams avoid common pitfalls in internal communications that can hinder brand performance. The research also identifies and details 10 best practices for internal brand and disease state communications. Also covered are tactics, strategies and channels that are most effective for pre-launch disease state communication to employees across all job levels, corporate functions and therapeutic areas.

Study Snapshot

The research involved a total of 32 research participants who referenced their combined experience with more than 100 product launches at 22 different companies. Best Practices, LLC, used a two-pronged approach for this benchmarking--an online benchmark survey and in-depth interviews with pharmaceutical brand and communications leaders. In all, 11 executives were interviewed. The survey focused on capturing quantitative data. Interviews harvested executive insights, process descriptions, best practices and pitfalls.

This report is intended for pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device managers and executives who supervise or interact with brand communications or new product development teams. The research will help pharma leaders to communicate the right internal message to the right employee segments at the right time to give the best possible support to product launch.

The following key topic areas are covered:

• 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
• Developing science-based communications
• 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
• Success factors & guidelines

• Timing of first communication to key employee groups
• Most important topics of communications before and after NDA filing
• Relative effectiveness of internal communication channels for disease state education
• Best metrics for evaluating internal message effectiveness for three product types:

• Expected usage levels of new communication technologies and channels
• Companies customizing disease state communication for various management groups
• Most important types of employee segmentation for three message types:
  --Established disease state products
  --New disease state/ first-in-class product
  --Product treating socially-sensitive disease
• Top challenges in internal communication about new products before launch

• A majority of companies begins internal communication before NDA filing for senior leadership, middle management, brand/marketing teams, R&D/ clinical staff, Medical Affairs and Manufacturing leadership.

• Key Findings 6
• 10 Best Practices for Internal Disease State 12

• Survey Response Data 64
• Insights & Recommendations 75
• Research Participant Demographics 80

• Summary of Internal Communication Challenges & Tactics
• Communication Channel Effectiveness Ratings
• Least Used Communication Channels
• Anticipated Use of Social Media & Other New Channels
• Communication Focus Before NDA
• Communication Focus After NDA
• Companies Providing Customized Education for Management
• Use of Employee Segmentation in Messaging:
  • Top Ranked Segmentation Types for Products in Established Disease Areas
  • New/First-in-Class Products
  • Products Treating Socially-Sensititve Diseases or Conditions
• Importance of Managing Message Alignment, Compliance, Science Education for Employees, Internal Message Effectiveness and Message Segmentation by Job Function
• List of Participating Companies
• Average Experience of Participants
• Experience with Product Launch
• Average Number of Product Launches per Participant
• Participant Function/Department & Job Level
• List of Products Participants Helped Launch