I have just started to read a book called "Science Business" by Gary Pisano. The book is basically highlighting the challenges faced in the biotech world when trying to adopt and implement "normal" business practices.
The first strange thing that occured to me was that the guy who gave me the book obviously was not aware of what was in the book before he gave it out!
The second thing that occured to me was that in the first few pages (yep still some way to go but come on this isn't the most stimulating read in the world!) there has been no mention of customer needs!
Could the biotech business be "failing" (OK some notable success but overall the business has not made any money in the past 20 years!) because it is set up purely for science sake and not to meet a need in the market? (How is Denusoumab doing? A very fancy way of doing the same thing as a generic bisphoshonate!)
I do often sit and ponder that may be pharma and biotechs biggest challenge is a very simple one and that is to start with some basic marketing principles!
Friday, 19 November 2010
Friday, 29 October 2010
Challenge, challenge, challenge!
This morning I was struck by an insight! May be it's not the most revolutionary insight ever but I believe it is by a long margin the most important one for a new product launch.
Challenge everything!
Having been involved in a number of product launches the one thing that stands out as driving excellence was where competent people challenged every aspect of the pre launch and launch program.
People who truly understand market research methodology, people who understand brand development, people who understand drivers of behavior and buying processes and people who understand strategy and tactics!
I've witnessed one recent launch where the marketing strategy would not have stood up to insightful challenging and unfortunately that brand is now struggling to meet expectations! On the other hand I have also seen one brand launch where every aspect was challenged (primarily because the team was not following the conventional thinking!) and those challenged simply served to make the brand stronger and ultimately deliver beyond the expectations.
Challenge everything!
Having been involved in a number of product launches the one thing that stands out as driving excellence was where competent people challenged every aspect of the pre launch and launch program.
People who truly understand market research methodology, people who understand brand development, people who understand drivers of behavior and buying processes and people who understand strategy and tactics!
I've witnessed one recent launch where the marketing strategy would not have stood up to insightful challenging and unfortunately that brand is now struggling to meet expectations! On the other hand I have also seen one brand launch where every aspect was challenged (primarily because the team was not following the conventional thinking!) and those challenged simply served to make the brand stronger and ultimately deliver beyond the expectations.
Friday, 17 September 2010
The Preferred Partner!
Can you believe the last 3 companies I have been involved with have the preferred partners as their vision. I'm halfway thorough an article on this as I do find it quite amusing that people in senior positions can have such little vision (or at least employ agencies with such little vision!)
If we consider what a vision is; a vision should be a definition of what the corporation should be, defining the basic needs it fulfils and the general direction in which the company should go.
The preferred partner is a bit limp when you consider it in these terms!
Lets take my company as an example. Now I could have a vision to be the preferred partner but it does not really say much about my company or what direction I want to go!
Now I want to do strategic marketing consulting with small to midsized pharma because I believe I have a unique skill set based on my experience and capabilities; problem solving, insights, innovation and working across functions.
The need I believe I can fulfil better than anyone else is a need for senior marketing capabilities in organisations where they do not currently exist in house. OK there are a lot of agencies offering these types of services so what is my differentiation? Well you get me for one! And also due to very low overheads I'm relatively cheap!
So what is my vision? To create a profitable company of like minded professionals by beating established agencies in gaining business from small to midsized pharma who need senior marketing skills that do not currently exist!
OK it's not a snappy as the preferred partner but doesn't it say a little more about my company and may be could be a little bit more inspiring than the off the peg solution!
Why not give the ambitious but small guy a call before going to the "preferred partner!"
If we consider what a vision is; a vision should be a definition of what the corporation should be, defining the basic needs it fulfils and the general direction in which the company should go.
The preferred partner is a bit limp when you consider it in these terms!
Lets take my company as an example. Now I could have a vision to be the preferred partner but it does not really say much about my company or what direction I want to go!
Now I want to do strategic marketing consulting with small to midsized pharma because I believe I have a unique skill set based on my experience and capabilities; problem solving, insights, innovation and working across functions.
The need I believe I can fulfil better than anyone else is a need for senior marketing capabilities in organisations where they do not currently exist in house. OK there are a lot of agencies offering these types of services so what is my differentiation? Well you get me for one! And also due to very low overheads I'm relatively cheap!
So what is my vision? To create a profitable company of like minded professionals by beating established agencies in gaining business from small to midsized pharma who need senior marketing skills that do not currently exist!
OK it's not a snappy as the preferred partner but doesn't it say a little more about my company and may be could be a little bit more inspiring than the off the peg solution!
Why not give the ambitious but small guy a call before going to the "preferred partner!"
Thursday, 9 September 2010
The Pharma Paradox (again!)
It seems that at least one "pharma pundit" has misunderstood my recent article (http://www.pharmaphorum.com/2010/09/06/the-pharma-paradox/) on the relationship between innovation, patents and brands!
Innovation is the implementation of a new idea, a patent is obviously the most secure way to protect that innovation from copies however a brand could be the most profitable way to protect innovation since the brand (trademark) can never be copied!
In pharma we have often talked about the importance of branding and the gurus always throw Lipitor up as the great success. Now I am not an expert on Lipitor however there are a number of questions that would need to be asked before we can claim it is a successful brand. Many of the arguments that are leveled against others products that have not been successful apply equally to Lipitor! (decision maker is not the consumer, rational appraisal of data impacts on buying process i.e. formularies, payors etc.)
So what makes Lipitor a successful brand? OK it beat the competitors; Zipff's law would probably have predicted that based on the level of resources behind the product! Many people know its name! Well most people know Apple but still buy PC!
The challenge we have in pharma is that no one really knows what is going on! Market research will give some info but rarely is it sufficient to tell us the extent of the emotional attachment a prescriber has with a brand! (I have a Ducati and could probably give a number of reasons why I have this and not a Honda or a Suzuki but the fundamental reason is that I want to say something about myself that only owning a Ducati, and the particular model I have, can ever say about me!)
So what can we do in Pharma?
Well first off is look at your customers and your product and then look around them!
What else do your customers do and why? What other needs do they have? Some companies are doing this in specific areas; a nurse friend of mine speak very highly of Novo Nordisk and their Diabetes services without even talking about the product (The corporate brand provides everything she needs for the care of her diabetes patients)
Look at the other influencers in the buying process. What are you really doing for payors, pharmacists, consumers etc.? Providing some tailored information? Wow! Running an advisory board? Look around, what else do they do, what other needs do they have?
There is still a long way for pharma to go if a brand is truly going to be more than the product with a big push behind it but now is probably the time to start investing (while other pull back!)
Now back to work!
Innovation is the implementation of a new idea, a patent is obviously the most secure way to protect that innovation from copies however a brand could be the most profitable way to protect innovation since the brand (trademark) can never be copied!
In pharma we have often talked about the importance of branding and the gurus always throw Lipitor up as the great success. Now I am not an expert on Lipitor however there are a number of questions that would need to be asked before we can claim it is a successful brand. Many of the arguments that are leveled against others products that have not been successful apply equally to Lipitor! (decision maker is not the consumer, rational appraisal of data impacts on buying process i.e. formularies, payors etc.)
So what makes Lipitor a successful brand? OK it beat the competitors; Zipff's law would probably have predicted that based on the level of resources behind the product! Many people know its name! Well most people know Apple but still buy PC!
The challenge we have in pharma is that no one really knows what is going on! Market research will give some info but rarely is it sufficient to tell us the extent of the emotional attachment a prescriber has with a brand! (I have a Ducati and could probably give a number of reasons why I have this and not a Honda or a Suzuki but the fundamental reason is that I want to say something about myself that only owning a Ducati, and the particular model I have, can ever say about me!)
So what can we do in Pharma?
Well first off is look at your customers and your product and then look around them!
What else do your customers do and why? What other needs do they have? Some companies are doing this in specific areas; a nurse friend of mine speak very highly of Novo Nordisk and their Diabetes services without even talking about the product (The corporate brand provides everything she needs for the care of her diabetes patients)
Look at the other influencers in the buying process. What are you really doing for payors, pharmacists, consumers etc.? Providing some tailored information? Wow! Running an advisory board? Look around, what else do they do, what other needs do they have?
There is still a long way for pharma to go if a brand is truly going to be more than the product with a big push behind it but now is probably the time to start investing (while other pull back!)
Now back to work!
Monday, 12 July 2010
Back to Leadership!
I was not the first and I definitely won't be the last to find it difficult to fill the "Middle Management" role!
One of the clearest public examples of this mismatch was the Jose Mourinho tenure at Chelsea and Inter Milan. Loved by the fans, respected by his team but seen as a "maverick" or "lose cannon" by his management team!
The challenge often comes about because "the workers" look for a champion to represent them and challenge "senior management" while senior management are looking for someone to ensure their ideas are implemented. Success is obviously the great leveller but often not enough to ensure the "Workers Champion" can survive! The "Management Pawn", often despised by the workers will usually find safety in the arms of the senior management regardless of performance as they are, after all simply doing what they are told!
Is there a happy medium? The art (that I struggled to perfect!) is to balance the demands from above with the expectations from below. You may consider it the other way around but that would be a mistake! Many "Workers Champions" start to believe they are working for their team and their team will start to make "demands" of them. It is important to remember that these demands are actually an expectation; a desire; a request.
Demands come from above! These maybe challenged in private and should be! Expectations come from below and should be managed empathetically with a realistic role defined for the middle manager! Unwittingly the middle manager is often hung out to dry by the very people he is trying to help as their expectations slowly increase with each "battle" the manager has with senior management!
The key for the middle manager is to set out the ground rules with the team very early on. A balance can be struck but only if everyone understands the rules and plays by them.
One of the clearest public examples of this mismatch was the Jose Mourinho tenure at Chelsea and Inter Milan. Loved by the fans, respected by his team but seen as a "maverick" or "lose cannon" by his management team!
The challenge often comes about because "the workers" look for a champion to represent them and challenge "senior management" while senior management are looking for someone to ensure their ideas are implemented. Success is obviously the great leveller but often not enough to ensure the "Workers Champion" can survive! The "Management Pawn", often despised by the workers will usually find safety in the arms of the senior management regardless of performance as they are, after all simply doing what they are told!
Is there a happy medium? The art (that I struggled to perfect!) is to balance the demands from above with the expectations from below. You may consider it the other way around but that would be a mistake! Many "Workers Champions" start to believe they are working for their team and their team will start to make "demands" of them. It is important to remember that these demands are actually an expectation; a desire; a request.
Demands come from above! These maybe challenged in private and should be! Expectations come from below and should be managed empathetically with a realistic role defined for the middle manager! Unwittingly the middle manager is often hung out to dry by the very people he is trying to help as their expectations slowly increase with each "battle" the manager has with senior management!
The key for the middle manager is to set out the ground rules with the team very early on. A balance can be struck but only if everyone understands the rules and plays by them.
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Tipping the scales
I'll return to leadership later but just now I have been thinking about marketing and what is it really all about? After the dire England performance in South Africa I got to think about the fine balance between Benefits and Cost!
Marketing could easily be described as the art/science of managing this balance!
In the pharmaceutical world the biggest challenge facing the industry is the way that the customers now view this simple equation. In the past an innovation was generally accepted and a hefty price put on to it due to the benefit it brought to the individual and society in general. Nowadays this is coming under greater scrutiny! The first consideration is no longer what is the absolute benefit of this innovation but what is the incremental benefit and how much am I willing to pay for this.
Pharma R&D definitely need to be more connected to marketing to ensure the balance tips in the right direction!
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Criticism be the death of you!
First Anelka and then McChrystal fall upon the sword of senior management criticism!
On the face of it we see a leader taking the initiative and removing a dissenter from the ranks ("support your wounded and shot your subversives" ref: Simon Laurie for a great quote) However beneath the headlines do we truly see an unapproachable dictator filled with their own self importance putting themselves above the team rather than leading the team?
Obama came with hope and great quotes! However now we start to see the man emerging; keen for a photo shoot, highly aware of his public persona and willing to wave the sword at dissenters.
Raymond Domenech comes from the opposite end of the spectrum, rather than starting with a bang his plan was to leave with a bang! Unfortunately he left with, what I suspect is the opposite effect to the one he had hoped for!
So what can we learn from this:
1st off a leader needs to be part of the team! Seems simple but in business how many managers are truly part of the team they supposedly lead (it also begs the question can a foreign coach really be part of a national team?)
2nd a leader must be approachable (certainly more approachable than Rolling Stone magazine!) We all hear of an "open door policy" however it is far more important to have an open mind policy to really allow the team in.
3rd a leader must lead! Look to the great leaders from history, they were not known for sacking, shooting or undermining their followers! Usually they were seen as decisive, honest, forthright in their views and loyal to their followers (often they were also compassionate and understanding of their adversaries)
The first task every business leader should undertake is to assess if he/she can honestly fulfil the 3 criteria above and of course here we have the biggest challenge of all! Holding the mirror up and accepting honest criticism is the starting point for many leaders however most believe they have already gone past this point! (well they do keep their door open!!)
On the face of it we see a leader taking the initiative and removing a dissenter from the ranks ("support your wounded and shot your subversives" ref: Simon Laurie for a great quote) However beneath the headlines do we truly see an unapproachable dictator filled with their own self importance putting themselves above the team rather than leading the team?
Obama came with hope and great quotes! However now we start to see the man emerging; keen for a photo shoot, highly aware of his public persona and willing to wave the sword at dissenters.
Raymond Domenech comes from the opposite end of the spectrum, rather than starting with a bang his plan was to leave with a bang! Unfortunately he left with, what I suspect is the opposite effect to the one he had hoped for!
So what can we learn from this:
1st off a leader needs to be part of the team! Seems simple but in business how many managers are truly part of the team they supposedly lead (it also begs the question can a foreign coach really be part of a national team?)
2nd a leader must be approachable (certainly more approachable than Rolling Stone magazine!) We all hear of an "open door policy" however it is far more important to have an open mind policy to really allow the team in.
3rd a leader must lead! Look to the great leaders from history, they were not known for sacking, shooting or undermining their followers! Usually they were seen as decisive, honest, forthright in their views and loyal to their followers (often they were also compassionate and understanding of their adversaries)
The first task every business leader should undertake is to assess if he/she can honestly fulfil the 3 criteria above and of course here we have the biggest challenge of all! Holding the mirror up and accepting honest criticism is the starting point for many leaders however most believe they have already gone past this point! (well they do keep their door open!!)
Monday, 21 June 2010
Work in Progress!
Leaving one job and then starting up on your own is a true challenge (remember all the pseudo challenges faced in big pharma; how can I persuade x to use the right marketing plan template?; how can I get from Zurich to Madrid for business reviews on consecutive days?; how can we print the presentation when the photocopier is broken! etc.)
Starting up on your own brings home the truth of responsibility and accountability; in big pharma the wheels continue to go around, maybe not as smoothly or as quickly but it keeps going!
On your own nothing happens unless one does something to make it happen!
This made me start thinking about true accountability and the tried and trusted "P&L responsibility".
The key is to look at the ABC of ownership. A: I can directly effect change, B: I can influence an effect and C; it does not matter what I do it is someone else's decision!
In most jobs it is the C's that cause the anxiety and the B's we measure! So advice from someone on a high A! Measure the A's, worry about the B's and forget the C's!
Simple!
Starting up on your own brings home the truth of responsibility and accountability; in big pharma the wheels continue to go around, maybe not as smoothly or as quickly but it keeps going!
On your own nothing happens unless one does something to make it happen!
This made me start thinking about true accountability and the tried and trusted "P&L responsibility".
The key is to look at the ABC of ownership. A: I can directly effect change, B: I can influence an effect and C; it does not matter what I do it is someone else's decision!
In most jobs it is the C's that cause the anxiety and the B's we measure! So advice from someone on a high A! Measure the A's, worry about the B's and forget the C's!
Simple!
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