In the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries, the journey from product development to market introduction is a complex one. Not only does it require significant investment in research and development, but it also demands effective communication of the product’s value to key decision-makers such as payers, providers, and policymakers.
To navigate this complexity, companies need centralized platforms to streamline collaboration, create and manage content efficiently, and optimize execution when working with agencies. By leveraging the right platforms, companies can overcome common challenges, achieve consistency across markets, and accelerate time-to-market.
The Role of Agencies in Value Communication
Agencies play a crucial role in the pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors, offering specialized expertise in areas such as health economics, market access, value communication, and digital tool development. They help companies translate complex scientific and economic data into compelling value propositions that resonate with stakeholders, through tools ranging from interactive presentations to comprehensive value stories.
However, while agencies bring fresh perspectives and technical capabilities, the success of value communication requires more than just expertise. Effective collaboration, streamlined execution, and scalability are key factors. To truly unlock the full potential of agency partnerships, a platform that centralizes collaboration and management is essential.
Challenges of Working with Agencies
Despite the invaluable support agencies provide, working with them presents its own set of challenges. These challenges often stem from fragmented capabilities, dependency on external resources, and the complexities of customizing content for different markets.
- Fragmentation of Capabilities: Not all agencies are equipped to handle every aspect of value communication. Some may excel in health economics modeling, while others might specialize in medical or marketing communications or market access strategy. This fragmentation leads to multiple agencies working on different aspects of a single project, which can result in coordination challenges, misalignment of messaging, and increased costs.
- Dependency on Agencies: Over-reliance on agencies can create bottlenecks if an agency fails to meet expectations, experiences high turnover, or goes out of business. This dependency can also become problematic if a company becomes locked into a relationship where the agency controls critical tools and data, making it difficult to make periodic updates or adaptations.
- Customization Challenges: Global pharmaceutical and medical devices companies often need to tailor their value communication tools to different regions and markets. However, a tool developed by an agency at the global level may not easily translate to the local context, market dynamics, payer expectations, and regulatory requirements. This results in costly and time-consuming customizations. Furthermore, if the original agency lacks the expertise for local adjustments, additional agencies may need to be involved, adding complexity.
- Difficulty in Measuring Impact: Measuring the effectiveness of value communication tools created by agencies can be challenging. Without proper analytics and integration with content management systems, it is difficult to assess whether the tools are achieving their intended impact. This lack of insight can hinder the ability to make data-driven decisions and optimize future communication strategies.
Optimizing Agency Partnerships with a Platform-Oriented Approach
To address these challenges and make the most of agency partnerships, a platform-oriented approach offers a strategic solution. Such platforms enable seamless collaboration across multiple agencies while maintaining consistency, control, and flexibility across different markets.
- Centralized Collaboration: A platform brings together the diverse expertise of multiple agencies on a unified project. This ensures that all aspects of the value communication—from modeling to design—are aligned and integrated, reducing the risk of inconsistencies and improving the overall quality of the output.
- Flexibility and Control: With a platform-based approach, companies can maintain greater control over the tools and content developed by agencies. This flexibility ensures that tools meet both global and local market needs without over-dependence on any single agency. Companies can easily update or customize tools as needed, without compromising the global value proposition.
- Efficient Resource Utilization: Platforms allow agencies to build on existing tools and content rather than starting from scratch, saving time and costs. By leveraging best practices and successful strategies across markets, companies can achieve better results with less duplication of effort.
- Enhanced Measurement and Analytics: Platforms with integrated analytics capabilities allow companies to track the usage and effectiveness of the tools developed by agencies. This data-driven insight helps in evaluating the impact of the communication strategies and making informed decisions for future engagements.
Leveraging the BaseCase Platform
A platform that effectively addresses these challenges is BaseCase, designed specifically to optimize the creation, distribution, and maintenance of value communication tools. BaseCase empowers pharmaceutical and medical device companies by keeping the editable versions of tools within the company’s domain, ensuring that ownership and control remain entirely with the company. This feature provides companies the freedom to make updates and modifications independently, without relying on any single agency.
Additionally, BaseCase enables multiple agencies to collaborate seamlessly. Agencies can be easily trained to use the platform, ensuring smooth execution, maintenance, and distribution of tools across various markets. This flexibility allows companies to work with a variety of agencies without losing control or facing bottlenecks. Moreover, by utilizing BaseCase, companies are no longer dependent on the first agency they partner with; they can easily onboard new partners as needed while maintaining continuity in their projects.
Beyond control and flexibility, BaseCase integrates analytics, allowing companies to track tool usage and effectiveness. These insights empower companies to measure the impact of their communication strategies and make informed, data-driven adjustments. The platform also promotes the reuse of successful tools and content across regions, further driving efficiency and ensuring consistency.
By adopting BaseCase, companies can break free from the limitations of fragmented, agency-driven workflows. They can ensure scalability, adaptability, and long-term success in value communication, all while retaining full control of their tools and reducing dependency on individual agencies.
Conclusion
Agencies play a critical role in value communication, but challenges like fragmented capabilities and over-dependency can limit success. By leveraging BaseCase, companies maintain control over their tools, streamline collaboration, and ensure consistency across markets, while agencies can accelerate development and shorten time-to-market for digital tools. This platform-based approach not only strengthens agency partnerships but also drives better commercial outcomes—ultimately benefiting both the industry and the patients it serves.