Tight timelines, legal requirements, and competitive brand positioning are all integral to the job description of a pharmaceutical marketer. Product launches can be derailed and brand reputations harmed by delays in medical content or subpar deliverables.
How can you ensure your medical communication agency doesn’t act as a roadblock, but rather as a growth partner? These tried-and-true methods will ensure that you receive timely, high-quality medico-marketing materials that align with your brand goals.
1. Begin with a comprehensive and unambiguous brief.
An intense brief produces excellent results. Make use of a uniform briefing template throughout your company. Include:
- Target HCP persona
- Brand background
- Key messaging and tone
- Deliverables list
- Timeline including launch/event date
- Scientific references
2. Create a specified procedure.
Predictability is guaranteed by structure. A good agency will have a strong internal SOP that addresses:
- A review of medical
- Imaginative visualisation
- Guidelines for copywriting
- Loops for feedback and approval
Timeline structure recommendation:
- Days 1–2: First concept/mock
- Days 3–5: First draft
- Days 6–8: Internal review
- Days 9–10: Final delivery
3. Align both teams early.
Aligning expectations among the following can help to prevent last-minute chaos. Shared trackers (like Trello, Zoho, and Asana) and weekly calls facilitate deliverable management. These can include:
- Brand team
- Medical affairs
- Compliance/legal
- The agency team (medical writers, visualizers, and account managers)
4. Establish quality standards.
Give instances of “good” and “bad” collateral. Without a definition, quality is arbitrary. Ensure the agency is aware of your:
- Standards for scientific accuracy
- Creative tone
- Visual signals and brand identity
- Industry standards for compliance (e.g., FDA, OPPI, MCI)
5. Include accountability in the framework.
For transparency, make use of programs like ClickUp, Google Sheets, or dashboards tailored to your agency. Establish:
- Milestone tracking dashboards
- Update round limits (maximum 2)
- SLA documentation (duration of turnaround)
Final Thought: From supplier to valuable partner.
More than just a supplier, your med comm agency is an extension of your company’s identity. A partnership that grows with your marketing vision may be established with clarity, process, alignment, quality control, and accountability.