7 Requirements for Choosing a Pharmaceutical Marketing Agency

Pharmaceutical marketing is a complex process that involves many moving parts.  To impact revenue, marketers have to succeed on several fronts.  They must convey new treatments to healthcare professionals, and do so in a manner that’s compelling.  They also have to translate complex treatments into simple messages for consumers, educating individuals about the drug’s impact to their body and the disease being treated. 

To complicate this, marketers are restricted in their tactics by PhRMA Code and FDA regulations.  These limitations put pharmaceutical marketing agencies in a challenging position to deliver results for their clients.

With the cost to develop new drugs averaging $1.2 billion, choosing the right marketing agency is a big decision.  Below are seven requirements to consider when selected a pharmaceutical marketing agency:

1. Global pharmaceutical experience: Drug launches are big bets for your organization.  Make sure you select an agency that has global pharma experience.  This ensures you benefit from the agency’s prior campaign success.

2. Understanding of PhRMA Code and DDMAC  guidelines: Regardless of how clever a marketing campaign may be, it doesn’t matter if it’s not approved by the FDA.  Select a company that is trained in PhRMA Code and DDMAC, so their staff clearly understands these important guidelines.  This ensures your campaigns are more likely to be accepted by the FDA.

3. Digital marketing: Avoid marketing agencies that don’t have a strong in-house digital marketing team.  Whether it’s interactive development, iPad/iTouch applications, or lead analytics, you simply can’t do these things effectively without digital marketing expertise.

4. MOA & MOD video production:  Diseases and drugs work on the body in complex ways.  Find an agency that uses animation to show the mechanism of disease and mechanism of action.  The more skilled the agency in MOD/MOA video production, the more effective your marketing will be.

5. Partner to in-house legal: During the launch of any campaign, your agency will work closely with in-house legal to interpret compliance with FDA regulations.  Make sure you find an agency that adds value to your attorney’s work on your marketing plans—collaboration is key to a successful launch.  

6. Medical writing: Don’t confuse copywriting with medical copywriting.  It’s a unique skill.  Make sure the agency utilizes a trained medical writer—ideally an MD or PhD from your field.  This increases the effectiveness of your marketing and saves you editing time. The best writers identify their target reader and follow a consistent process to create content.

7. Healthcare professional and consumer track records:  Successful pharmaceutical marketing agencies are skilled at marketing both to healthcare professionals and consumers.  Seek an agency that can show examples of their success with these two distinct groups.  

Choosing the right pharmaceutical marketing agency is a key decision.  As you interview your next agency, remember that there’s a way to get great results and maintain the peace of mind of having a trusted partner.  You just have to ask the right questions.