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It's all in the preparation
'Fail to plan: plan to fail' is an old and often quoted saying, but how much planning and preparation do you really put into developing your agency brief?
Perhaps the key challenge in the planning and implementation of any European cross-national programme is securing the enthusiasm, buy-in and commitment of the local operating companies (LOCs).
How well has this worked in the past? Which initiatives have previously failed to secure LOC support? Why? A brief that accurately reflects LOCs' needs, is invaluable.
Potential service providers
| Section | Content |
| Background | • Key data about your company, the product, the key competitors |
| Objective | • Programme objectives and scope of work • The anticipated result • What effect should the communication have? • What do you want the target audience to think, to feel, to do? |
| Target audience | • Who exactly are we talking to? • Target group(s) including geographical information |
| Brand positioning | • The main advantages/disadvantages (factual and/or emotional) of your product and competitor products • After the project, how should the audience perceive your product? |
| Key messages | • Key messages in a priority order, eg, by audience and geography |
| Timing and budget information | • A timetable showing the proposed agency presentation date(s) • The budget allocated for this activity, or a 'ball park' guide? |
| Key contact point and availability | • Main contact point and availability • Handling of agency questions (ie, email or by phone, specific time or ad hoc?) • Ask for a single point of contact |
| What implication does a pan-European remit have for the briefing process? | |
| Company culture/structure | • For example, regional versus local autonomy |
| Product approval/ lifecycle status | • By country: European mutual recognition procedures mean that the regulatory authorities in a single national market can be influential in establishing a product's perceived safety and value across Europe. This has implications both for licence approvals and for pricing |
| Product target/aspiration | • By country, region or other criteria |
| National resource | • What team, if any, do the national markets have in place? |
| Priority markets | • Which markets require the most attention? Those with the greatest earning potential or those who have the least local resource? |
| KEEs/spokespeople | • Location/nationality/viewpoint of top-tier specialists |
| Ongoing research | • Location of live clinical research sites |
| SPP/CME | • Existing strategic publication plan (SPP) and any existing medical education (CME) activities |
| Other relevant information | • Should the campaign take into consideration any legal or self-regulatory constraints specific to your company, market and therapy area? • Will you need specialised assistance and in-depth local market understanding from your agency? • Are the desired communication channels appropriate for the local market restrictions, eg, access to new media? • Other idiosyncrasies unique to the company, product or disease state |
| Approval process | • What is the pitch process? • How many agencies are involved? • Who are the decision makers? • Communicate a decision timeline • When would you like work to start? |
The Authors
Mark Forbes Irving, managing director and Glenn Mursell, associate director, client services, Wells Healthcare Communications can be contacted on +44 (0)1892 511600.
To comment on this article, email editor@pmlive.com
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