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Digital marketing: how to build internal support

January 8, 2018 | Digital, HQ marketing, Localisation, Market Access, Marketing, Pharma, Strategy, communication, content, e-book, handbook, headquarters, local markets, sales effectiveness 

Many problems with digital communications can be traced back to internal communications. Here’s how to get the support your need.


If a key objective is to get the materials used, then ownership needs to be fostered. That requires involving your internal stakeholders early in the process – preferably beginning at the content development stage. 

Here’s how to do it:

Get people together

Gather your affiliate marketing colleagues and work together on the features and messages that your digital communications will include. This enables people to give input early, avoids nasty surprises and provides a common picture of what the materials will contain.

Appoint digital champions

Appointing ‘digital champions’ in your organisation – particularly the sales force – both provides more support for the materials and allows you to better understand any issues that people are having. Your digital champions are essentially an early-warning system, enabling you to fix things before they really become a problem.

Train people in the content

Don’t assume the local affiliates will know the best ways to work with the content provided. Providing training tools and running events will ensure they will get to know the materials as well as you do. These sessions shouldn’t be just about use of the tools (‘swipe to the left for more content’) but rather generating real understanding of the overall strategy, the main messages, how the tools deliver it.

Build training into your digital tools

In addition, consider building training into your digital sales materials. Training overlays, which clearly explain the different parts of the tools, allow people to learn in their own time and provide excellent refreshers on functionality and key content elements. These always-available tools really help people develop confidence with the materials.

The proven value of internal communication

Anthill’s work in digital communication adoption has grown consistently over the years, as we sought to ensure that the content that we created was used effectively and delivered the expected results.The simple truth is that reaching out to colleagues early, and continually seeking involvement, creates successful projects.

Get more international digital marketing strategies

With many years’ experience working at a headquarters level on global pharma campaigns, Anthill knows what it takes to enable affiliates to deliver high-value communications to their stakeholders. Now many of these strategies and techniques have been compiled into an e-book: The HQ Digital Marketing Handbook.

Access your copy today: Download the e-book

This content was provided by Anthill Agency