The document discusses best practices for communicating disease state information internally at pharmaceutical companies, highlighting the importance of a structured approach including clear objectives, tight message control, and testing messages. It provides insights from interviews with industry executives on topics such as effective communication channels, success factors, and challenges of products treating sensitive conditions. The report is intended to help brand leaders understand how to deliver the right disease state information to employees.

1. Raising Disease State Awareness: Best Practices in Internal Brand Messaging for New Products
Raising Disease
Benchmarking Report
at-a-Glance
State Awareness: Featured Study Participants
• Abbott
Best Practices in •
•
Acetelion
Boehringer Ingelheim
• Eli Lilly & Co.
Internal Brand •
•
Genentech
GlaxoSmithKline
• Janssen
•
Messaging for New
Merck
• Merck Sharp & Dohme
• Nektar
• Novartis
Products •
•
NovoNordisk
Pfizer
• ProPharma
• Roche
PROJECT BACKGROUND • Sanofi-Aventis
• Schering-Plough
• Takeda
Disease state education is a widely recognized critical • Vertex
success factor in the launch of a new pharmaceutical • Watson
product—particularly if the product treats a disease or • Xanodyne
condition that is previously unknown, socially sensitive or
stigmatized or if the product is first in its class. When
executed effectively, disease state communication establishes the need for a novel medical
treatment and prepares the way for a new brand to enter a receptive market.
Today’s brand leaders communicate new disease state
Industry Analysis
information to their own employees as well as to their
22 benchmark companies representing
physician, patient and payer customers. Most companies the biopharmaceutical industry
rely on tried and true external communication practices to participated in this study.
reach internal audiences, but leading brand teams develop
specialized internal communication processes, channels, Information Types
guidelines, timing, segmentation standards and success • 38 Information Graphics
metrics to customize their messages for employees. • 15+ Data Graphics
• 30+ Metrics
Best Practices, LLC undertook this research to capture • 30+ Executive Narratives
quantitative benchmarks and qualitative insights that will
help communicators and brand leaders understand how to
Report Length
• 63 pages
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2. Raising Disease State Awareness: Best Practices in Internal Brand Messaging for New Products
deliver the right information to the right employees at the right time for maximum positive
impact on the brand. The research also highlights pitfalls to avoid and best practices to emulate
in developing or improving internal brand communications. 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.
This research to identifies the best practices of veteran pharmaceutical executives for all aspects of
communicating disease state information within their companies. The study gives particular
attention to communication challenges around products that were first in class or that treat
conditions that are largely unknown or stigmatized including HIV, erectile dysfunction, high
cholesterol, overactive bladder, restless legs and others. Specific topics covered in this report
include:
• Effective internal communication channels
• Emerging communication media and tools
• Communication topics appropriate for each product development phase
• Advantages & disadvantages of internal message segmentation
• Measuring internal message effectiveness
• Preventing sensitive information leaks
• Managing science-based communications
• Engaging Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and executives to influence employees
• Needs creation marketing tactics
• Success factors & guidelines for internal disease state communication
• Use of message customization for management groups
• Special challenges for products treating socially sensitive conditions or diseases, first-in-
class products, or new disease states or conditions
• Best practices & participants’ lessons learned
STUDY METHODOLOGY
This report is conducted from research that involved a two-pronged approach. Best Practices,
LLC researchers surveyed a total of 33 executives, directors and managers representing 22
leading corporations in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. The
survey collected benchmark data on preferred internal communication channels/media, the use
of emerging communications technologies, message effectiveness measurement, and key
communication topics before and after NDA filing, customization approaches for management
and business functions, segmentation practices and key challenges.
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3. Raising Disease State Awareness: Best Practices in Internal Brand Messaging for New Products
In addition, the research team conducted in-depth interviews with executives and directors at 11
of the surveyed companies. Interviews focused on best practices for delivering disease state
information to internal audiences as well as process descriptions and tactics for avoiding
common hazards.
SAMPLE FINDINGS
Among the findings that emerged from this research are the following:
Internal Communications Channel Effectiveness & Use
• Study participants use a multi-channel approach to disease state communication and
education to maximize their employee reach.
• A core group of new technologies is expected to grow rapidly for communication
and education purposes. More than half of all research participants stated that they
expect social networking, podcasts and online video to grow in use as critical tools for
communicating disease state and product information.
• Generational issues may reduce the anticipated speed of new technology diffusion for
internal education. Nearly half the participants are not yet using blogs, wikis, hotlines or
online videos internally, even though many are experimenting with these channels for
external communications.
• Leader-led classes are the channel most often receiving “highly effective” ratings from
survey participants.
• E-mail bulletins and conference calls or webinars are the internal communication
channels most often rated either “effective” or “highly effective” in the survey.
• Interviewed study participants stressed the importance of using a variety of different
communication channels to reach multiple internal audiences, but generally agreed that
the most powerful channels are well-designed internal websites and talks by Key Opinion
Leaders or executive “experts.”
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4. Raising Disease State Awareness: Best Practices in Internal Brand Messaging for New Products
Top Success Factors
• Effective internal disease state communication requires a structured approach including
clear education objectives, tight processes for message control and prepared responses to
product questions/challenges that employees encounter in social situations.
• Interviewed executives have found that the single most effective way to build disease
understanding and win employee support for a product treating a new or socially
sensitive condition is through exposure to patients who can talk about their personal
experiences and “put a human face” on the condition.
SAMPLE PRACTICE
3. Use a structured approach to effectively communicate and educate regarding
disease state information.
“People will remember the original
`Effective internal disease state communication messages; so you have to get them
requires a structured approach that includes clear right at the beginning. It’s hard to go
education objectives, tight processes for message back and find all the things you
control and prepared responses to product questions or screwed up and fix them after you
challenges that employees encounter in social have already started running tactics
and pitching strategies.”
situations. Interviewed benchmark partners stressed the
-Interviewed Executive Director, Managed Markets
importance of planning before launching an internal
communication program. Said one interviewed
Director, “People will remember the original messages; so you have to get them right at the
beginning. It’s hard to go back and find all the things you screwed up and fix them after you have
already started running tactics and pitching strategies.”
Set clear objectives before beginning a communication program.
The first step to developing a structured approach for communicating disease state awareness
involves establishing clear objectives and positioning for internal as well as external
communication and education. Internal communication objectives are often overlooked but are
necessary for preventing message inconsistencies that create problems over time.
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5. Raising Disease State Awareness: Best Practices in Internal Brand Messaging for New Products
Use a Structured Approach to Communication
& Education
Revise approach Clear objectives before
as necessary to communication begins prevent
keep pace with
inconsistencies that create
changes in Evolve
market and/ Set Clear problems over time.
Communication
or brand Communication
Priorities as Align communication
strategy. Objectives at
Market closely with all brand
Beginning
Changes messaging to support
product.
Structured
Arm employees Approach Ensure consistent
with script for
Give Employees message with all
answering Exercise Tight
Communication audiences to ensure
questions/ Message Control
Tools comm. integrity.
challenges in
social situations.
Communications will
Carefully leak. Don’t say anything
Offer employees Qualify/Select internally you wouldn’t
sensitivity training. Designated want to see in print.
Speakers
Qualify and designate limited number of approved speakers.
Consider assessing/developing speakers through role-playing exercises.
Figure 2.6: Use a Structured Approach to Communication and Education
Benchmark participants shared their best practices for setting internal communication objectives
including the following:
Understand and align all communications with the positioning, goals and market
definition that have been established for the brand.
Coordinate with the brand team to set communication objectives that support brand goals.
Do not undermine brand messaging by using a different set of terminology. For example,
if the brand is to be positioned as a treatment for a condition, make sure messages use the
word “condition” rather than “disease.”
Exercise tight message control.
Once communication objectives have been established, it is vital for companies to exercise tight
message control. Message control is a critical success factor for internal, as well as external,
disease state and brand communication and education. Benchmark participants shared a series of
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6. Raising Disease State Awareness: Best Practices in Internal Brand Messaging for New Products
lessons learned regarding internal message control, ranging from designating a limited number of
approved speakers to developing a process to refer sensitive questions to designated
spokespersons. Guidelines based on participants’ lessons follow:
Message Control Guidelines
• Ensure that all messages are crafted carefully by Public
Relations and approved by Legal.
• Carefully select and thoroughly train designated
communicators and educators.
• Strictly limit – to as few as one – the number of people
authorized to speak about the product.
• Speak to approved messages only. “It’s better for a
speaker to sound staged or scripted than to go into
uncharted territory.”
• Train the designated spokesperson with a Frequently
Asked Questions list prepared by Public Relations and
approved by Legal.
• Develop protocols and a referral process for handling
questions on sensitive or regulatory issues.
• Recognize that information leaks outside company.
• Don't bring up an issue that is not already under
discussion. Just address the issue at hand.
• Be aware that some executives are uncomfortable with
stigmatized health issues. Use role playing to assess
potential spokespersons for weakness and train speakers.
• Pilot test internal messages with small groups before
company-wide rollout to test effectiveness and identify
potential trouble spots.
• Teach people to be comfortable responding to questions
about socially sensitive topics.
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7. Raising Disease State Awareness: Best Practices in Internal Brand Messaging for New Products
In addition, interviewed participants stressed the importance of Employee Preparation Aides
briefing all employees on how to deal with questions about a
Point of contact information
socially-sensitive product when approached by a neighbor or
friend outside the workplace. Preparation can include providing Cascade of referrals beyond
employees with a short, basic script to use or a set of FAQs. point of contact
Research participants also augment basic employee education List of FAQs approved by
with a clear referral process with designated medical experts Legal
who can handle difficult inquiries employees encounter away
Relevant literature and
from work.
references
Test message effectiveness on groups of employees List of topics that are not
before general internal (or external) release. approved
Veteran pharmaceutical industry leaders recommend piloting
Prepared written responses
internal messages about a socially sensitive product with small
for touchy questions
groups to test effectiveness and to look for trouble spots before
the company-wide communication is released.
One interviewed Director of New Product Planning said, “Just like the general population, there's
quite a wide range of different people who work for pharmaceutical companies, and so you have
to be sensitive to all the different constituencies that might be there in your workforce. We would
develop concepts and run those past a few people, as opposed to the whole internal audience, to
“. . . You have to be make sure that the intended communication messages
sensitive to all the different were what were being received. And we might have
constituencies that might different versions of trying to get across the message to
be there in your workforce. see which one came across better.”
We would develop
concepts and run those
The interviewed Director added, “You might want to
past a few people, as
opposed to the whole do some little test groups, some pilot stuff, internally,
internal audience, to make to make sure there wasn’t something that was upsetting
sure that the intended a certain subgroup of your internal population which
communication messages you might be totally blind to. Finding that out early
were what were being will help you with your later external marketing
received.” efforts.”
-Interviewed Director,
New Product Planning
Added an interviewed CMO, “if the disease or
condition relates to sexual health, you probably want to test the internal messages for impact on
different genders and different age groups,” before releasing communications companywide.
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8. Raising Disease State Awareness: Best Practices in Internal Brand Messaging for New Products
Avoid over-communicating non-essential information.
Also important throughout the process of communicating new disease state information is making
sure not to over-communicate non-essential information. Internal communications are critical to
launch success, however, it is possible to over-communicate and damage support for the brand.
Over-communication is characterized by delivery of information that is trivial, redundant or
related to insignificant products.
One interviewed Director of Global Product Strategy shared an example of over-communication
based on personal experience: “The drug was probably over-hyped and way over-communicated
internally. There was unbelievable communication inside the company, and I believe it was very
much over-communicated. I think people just developed sensory overload and switched off. If
you think about it, it's only going to be a small percentage of people in a company that are
working on any particular product, and the rest of the people go, ‘If I have to hear about that one
more time I'm going to puke. How come I'm not hearing anything about my product?’ Too much
can be too much.”
REPORT STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION
The research findings are organized into this executive summary with best practice chapters
supported by survey data and charts.
Executive summary: The executive summary contains a project overview, information about
the participant companies and a summary of key findings.
Best Practice Chapters: The topical chapters include:
• Chapter One: Best Practices for Internal Disease State Communication
• Chapter Two: Survey Response Data
• Chapter Three: Insights, Recommendations and Lessons Learned
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9. Raising Disease State Awareness: Best Practices in Internal Brand Messaging for New Products
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10. Raising Disease State Awareness: Best Practices in Internal Brand Messaging for New Products
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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11. Raising Disease State Awareness: Best Practices in Internal Brand Messaging for New Products
TABLES AND FIGURES
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12. Raising Disease State Awareness: Best Practices in Internal Brand Messaging for New Products
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