This month’s published document for The Orange Pages sets forth some of the issues that should be considered in establishing, managing, joining or contracting with a pharmaceutical marketing research agency that will best be able to deal with change in our industry. In particular, it spells out 10 dimensions that will need to be evaluated in determining a marketing research organization’s ability to provide optimal performance in the age of Pharmaceutical Marketing 2.0.
The key takeaway of this module is that each of these issues, and perhaps several others as well, should be considered to ensure a match among agency, associate and client considerations and concerns. Failure to do so early on can lead to significant disappointment later, and both the pharmaceutical industry in general and marketing research agencies in particular are already under sufficient pressure from a number of sources that they have little or no time to deal with mismatches in such important areas. In brief, the 10 dimensions include:
- Geography – agencies with the means to conduct global marketing research versus those focused on local business
- Size – “mega” agencies and smaller agencies will exist, but midsized firms will be in peril
- General versus specialty – agencies that cover the entire spectrum of treatment areas versus those that specialize in particular treatment areas
- Methodologies - emphasis on project cost rather than the nuances of the methodology employed
- Field versus full service – data collection agencies versus those that provide consultation and treatment area expertise
- Secondary data – usage dependent on the kinds of marketing involved, but not in great demand
- Sales model – pros and cons for three existing models: over-the-transom, seller/doer and account management
- Client contact – all team members have client contact versus contact limited to senior associates
- No-compete agreements – to have or not to have, and considerations involved for both companies and potential employees
- Training oriented versus “black box” – more client demand to know what is going on inside the “black box” of research methodologies
To download the complete June 2008 discussion on the structure and function of the pharmaceutical marketing research agency of the future, please click here.
The monthly issue-based discussions that we publish in this newsletter
can also be distributed to you in hardcopy format via a complimentary
subscription-based resource we publish for our clients called The
Orange Pages. The Orange Pages is intended to serve
as a living, breathing resource of “Information, Education and
Issues Exploration for Today’s Pharmaceutical Marketing Researcher”
that we hope will be read with interest and kept within reach for
ongoing reference.
The format is a three-ring binder designed to hold packets of content
that we will develop and distribute on a variety of topics. Content
packets will come to you in an easy-to-identify (and appropriately
colored) orange envelope and be delivered on a monthly basis. The
materials will be three-hole punched for convenient one-click assembly
into your binder.
If you would like to receive a complimentary copy of The Orange
Pages binder, and get on our distribution list for monthly addendums,
please fill out the form below.
