How can organizations reorganize

their marketing model to derive

maximum bene�t from the

5 marketing essentials?

To achieve this, organizations

require a complete relook at the

4 fundamental areas, namely

development, administration,

organization, and analytics,

besides an evaluation of their

needs for a change in strategy and

integration with technology.

This sea of change can be

traversed using the SWIM

framework, which outlines the

transformation pillars for

introducing change in each of the

4 fundamental areas.

DEVELOPMENT –SPECIALIZATION AND CONSOLIDATION

Considering the unprecedented

rate and emergence of new digital

channels, it is imperative to create

Centers of Excellence (COEs) for

di�erent stages in the

development process to achieve

perfect execution. Organizations

can largely bene�t in the areas of

service standardization, process

BACKGROUND

Digitization and globalization

continue to transform nearly every

industry, including the

pharmaceutical industry. However,

in case of the pharmaceutical

industry, a rapidly changing

environment is further coupled

with the challenges of stringent

regulations, expiring patents, less

penetrated markets, and

inadequate access to physicians.

Therefore, the need of the hour is a

complete overhaul of the

traditional ways of functioning for

the industry.

This paper focuses on the

marketing function, with particular

emphasis on the development,

management, and analysis of

marketing assets in the current

dynamic environment.

A STRUCTURAL SHIFT FROM THE TRADITIONAL MARKETING METHODS

Pharmaceutical companies today have to essentially embrace

technology and be in the digital

space in order to stay competitive.

A recent industry survey consisting

of senior sales and marketing

executives of major

pharmaceutical companies in the

United States revealed that their

strategic priorities for the coming

This model can then evolve to

move up the value chain based on

the key parameters such as

product life cycle, reusability, and

service maturity.

This approach helps organizations

build a sustainable road map

toward achieving operational

excellence while ensuring

consolidation of repeatable

services and delivering bene�ts of

greater than 25% than the

existing and traditional models.

ADMINISTRATION –WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT

The next step toward the

development of assets in a global

workplace environment is to have

an integrated work�ow

management tool that allows for

easy and e�ective collaboration

among various stakeholders with

clear and de�ned rules, roles, and

responsibilities. The routine tasks

such as work allocation, approvals,

and reports should be automated

through the tool, providing more

time for high-value tasks. In

addition to driving operational

e�ciencies, it provides various

other bene�ts such as:

• Improved and consistent quality

of assets through the

standardized work methods and

greater accountability by

creating audit trails

• Traceability of work as it moves

through various stages of

development

• Execution and real-time data of

various suppliers, which help in

performance optimization

• Improved oversight as service

scales

ORGANIZATION –INFORMATION REUSE

Currently, global pharma

companies have huge

marketing/digital assets totaling

to more than 15 terabytes with a

stockpile of duplicates, redundant

and obsolete data without any

meta-tagging, and inconsistent

taxonomy; therefore, companies

cannot use, reuse, or upscale

digital assets across channels or

other brands, resulting in loss of

time because of time spent in

re-creation and inadequate return

on investment.

In order to address these

challenges, some pharmaceutical

organizations have already

deployed a global digital asset

management (DAM) system.

However, successful

implementation of a DAM system

requires more than just ensuring

proper storage of all the digital

assets across the life cycle of the

marketing collateral. Library and

information services play an

essential role, especially in the

initial phase of employing such a

system. These services ensure that

the marketers can easily �nd,

search, or retrieve the collaterals

most relevant to them. It further

helps in early adoption of the

concept.

years included an increased focus

on multichannel marketing

(MCM) and use of digital

technology and analytics.

Simultaneously, cost reduction

remained the top strategic

priority for most of the

executives.1

In view of this structural shift in

marketing channels and

collaterals and to be in line with

the overall objectives, it is

important to examine if the

current model of developing

marketing assets is still relevant.

The traditional approach requires

marketers to purchase their own

digital assets and establish a

direct relationship with the print

house. A recent study has shown

that 7 of 10 local marketers

develop their own print

collaterals to be on a par with the

local markets.2

THE REASONS THAT MAY BE

ACCOUNTABLE INCLUDE

THE FOLLOWING:

• Varying levels of expertise

and experience among various

agencies working on various

types of deliverables, especially

with the introduction of newer

digital formats, platforms, and

technologies

• Lack of standardized processes

and systems across agencies

leading to inconsistent quality

and reduced reusability of

certain marketing assets

• Repurchase of asset

components such as image,

font, etc, by di�erent agencies

or their inability to reuse such

components because of lack of

understanding or clarity on the

global rights of usage

• Repeated/redundant creation

of similar/same marketing

material from the scratch, in

spite of the same material being

available in a di�erent market or

region

• Inability to share best practices

and learning from the past

successes/failures across the

brand teams and agencies

In order to deal with the current

challenging and dynamic

marketing landscape, it is

imperative that the engagement

models with Agencies of Record

(AoRs) evolve and pertinent

technology is adopted to achieve

the next level of marketing

excellence.

THE 5 MARKETING ESSENTIALS IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT

The marketing framework

described in this paper has been

designed around the 5 marketing

essentials in today’s environment.

These marketing essentials have

been identi�ed based on the

current trends seen across some

of the top, forward-looking

pharmaceutical companies.

“To be INNOVATIVE in this intense

competition, while ensuring

CONSISTENCY and COMPLIANCE

across deliverables, use relevant

metrics to ANALYZE your

performance so as to repeat what

went right and yet do all this in a

COST-EFFECTIVE manner.”

simpli�cation, productivity

improvement, volume

aggregation, and knowledge

sharing by employing this

approach.

Digital production services is a

relevant domain for the �rst-level

implementation of this concept

(manage and deliver the

marketing assets from the creative

stage) because of the following

reasons:

• Minimal deviation from the

current ways of working

for marketers, allowing them to

focus on core essential areas

• Ability to explore design and

interactive features that were

previously limited, possibly

because of inadequate existing

capabilities

• Access to technology platforms

and productivity tools

• High scope for service efficiency

and reusability

• Standardization and

internalization of brand-level

knowledge

Integrating the DAM system with

the work�ow management tool

and analytics is highly

recommended to provide the

marketer with a holistic view of

any marketing campaign and

collateral, allowing a more

informed decision-making

outcome.

EVALUATION –MEASUREMENT AND ACTION

With digitization presenting an

opportunity to reach a greater

number of customers, the number

of marketing campaigns that run

globally has increased. In the long

run, it may not be feasible to

adopt every channel. Hence

choosing the best strategy,

campaign, and channel for brands

is crucial.

However, the performance and

impact of each campaign is

measured di�erently by di�erent

groups. If one labels it as

“successful,” the other perceives it

only as “moderately successful.”

When standard formulae and

metrics are used across marketing

campaigns, it is easier to compare,

evaluate, and benchmark the

results obtained. This, in turn,

allows for creation of more

appropriate campaigns and

improves the chances of choosing

the right agencies each subsequent

time. The incremental bene�t

derived each year can compound

into huge gains in marketing

success over the years.

To successfully derive bene�ts in a

practical setting, the analytics need

to be supported by robust

technological tools. Technology can

be used to support analytics in

multiple areas such as automated

report generation, integration with

CRM systems, and determination of

channel e�ectiveness.

GETTING STARTED

In order to implement the new

model for the development of

marketing assets, we have

observed organizations taking

primarily 2 approaches:

1. Mandate Driven: This approach

involves a signi�cant amount of

management sponsorship and

communication and a

centralized project

management o�ce

2. Investment Driven: In this

approach, the early adopters

are identi�ed and the model is

built on their successes and

subsequently scaled up

Choosing a relevant and suitable

approach can be based on

multiple factors such as

organizational culture,

implementation time, and cost

constraints.

How can organizations reorganize

their marketing model to derive

maximum bene�t from the

5 marketing essentials?

To achieve this, organizations

require a complete relook at the

4 fundamental areas, namely

development, administration,

organization, and analytics,

besides an evaluation of their

needs for a change in strategy and

integration with technology.

This sea of change can be

traversed using the SWIM

framework, which outlines the

transformation pillars for

introducing change in each of the

4 fundamental areas.

DEVELOPMENT –SPECIALIZATION AND CONSOLIDATION

Considering the unprecedented

rate and emergence of new digital

channels, it is imperative to create

Centers of Excellence (COEs) for

di�erent stages in the

development process to achieve

perfect execution. Organizations

can largely bene�t in the areas of

service standardization, process

1

BACKGROUND

Digitization and globalization

continue to transform nearly every

industry, including the

pharmaceutical industry. However,

in case of the pharmaceutical

industry, a rapidly changing

environment is further coupled

with the challenges of stringent

regulations, expiring patents, less

penetrated markets, and

inadequate access to physicians.

Therefore, the need of the hour is a

complete overhaul of the

traditional ways of functioning for

the industry.

This paper focuses on the

marketing function, with particular

emphasis on the development,

management, and analysis of

marketing assets in the current

dynamic environment.

A STRUCTURAL SHIFT FROM THE TRADITIONAL MARKETING METHODS

Pharmaceutical companies today have to essentially embrace

technology and be in the digital

space in order to stay competitive.

A recent industry survey consisting

of senior sales and marketing

executives of major

pharmaceutical companies in the

United States revealed that their

strategic priorities for the coming

This model can then evolve to

move up the value chain based on

the key parameters such as

product life cycle, reusability, and

service maturity.

This approach helps organizations

build a sustainable road map

toward achieving operational

excellence while ensuring

consolidation of repeatable

services and delivering bene�ts of

greater than 25% than the

existing and traditional models.

ADMINISTRATION –WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT

The next step toward the

development of assets in a global

workplace environment is to have

an integrated work�ow

management tool that allows for

easy and e�ective collaboration

among various stakeholders with

clear and de�ned rules, roles, and

responsibilities. The routine tasks

such as work allocation, approvals,

and reports should be automated

through the tool, providing more

time for high-value tasks. In

addition to driving operational

e�ciencies, it provides various

other bene�ts such as:

• Improved and consistent quality

of assets through the

standardized work methods and

greater accountability by

creating audit trails

• Traceability of work as it moves

through various stages of

development

• Execution and real-time data of

various suppliers, which help in

performance optimization

• Improved oversight as service

scales

ORGANIZATION –INFORMATION REUSE

Currently, global pharma

companies have huge

marketing/digital assets totaling

to more than 15 terabytes with a

stockpile of duplicates, redundant

and obsolete data without any

meta-tagging, and inconsistent

taxonomy; therefore, companies

cannot use, reuse, or upscale

digital assets across channels or

other brands, resulting in loss of

time because of time spent in

re-creation and inadequate return

on investment.

In order to address these

challenges, some pharmaceutical

organizations have already

deployed a global digital asset

management (DAM) system.

However, successful

implementation of a DAM system

requires more than just ensuring

proper storage of all the digital

assets across the life cycle of the

marketing collateral. Library and

information services play an

essential role, especially in the

initial phase of employing such a

system. These services ensure that

the marketers can easily �nd,

search, or retrieve the collaterals

most relevant to them. It further

helps in early adoption of the

concept.

years included an increased focus

on multichannel marketing

(MCM) and use of digital

technology and analytics.

Simultaneously, cost reduction

remained the top strategic

priority for most of the

executives.1

In view of this structural shift in

marketing channels and

collaterals and to be in line with

the overall objectives, it is

important to examine if the

current model of developing

marketing assets is still relevant.

The traditional approach requires

marketers to purchase their own

digital assets and establish a

direct relationship with the print

house. A recent study has shown

that 7 of 10 local marketers

develop their own print

collaterals to be on a par with the

local markets.2

THE REASONS THAT MAY BE

ACCOUNTABLE INCLUDE

THE FOLLOWING:

• Varying levels of expertise

and experience among various

agencies working on various

types of deliverables, especially

with the introduction of newer

digital formats, platforms, and

technologies

• Lack of standardized processes

and systems across agencies

leading to inconsistent quality

and reduced reusability of

certain marketing assets

• Repurchase of asset

components such as image,

font, etc, by di�erent agencies

or their inability to reuse such

components because of lack of

understanding or clarity on the

global rights of usage

• Repeated/redundant creation

of similar/same marketing

material from the scratch, in

spite of the same material being

available in a di�erent market or

region

• Inability to share best practices

and learning from the past

successes/failures across the

brand teams and agencies

In order to deal with the current

challenging and dynamic

marketing landscape, it is

imperative that the engagement

models with Agencies of Record

(AoRs) evolve and pertinent

technology is adopted to achieve

the next level of marketing

excellence.

THE 5 MARKETING ESSENTIALS IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT

The marketing framework

described in this paper has been

designed around the 5 marketing

essentials in today’s environment.

These marketing essentials have

been identi�ed based on the

current trends seen across some

of the top, forward-looking

pharmaceutical companies.

“To be INNOVATIVE in this intense

competition, while ensuring

CONSISTENCY and COMPLIANCE

across deliverables, use relevant

metrics to ANALYZE your

performance so as to repeat what

went right and yet do all this in a

COST-EFFECTIVE manner.”

simpli�cation, productivity

improvement, volume

aggregation, and knowledge

sharing by employing this

approach.

Digital production services is a

relevant domain for the �rst-level

implementation of this concept

(manage and deliver the

marketing assets from the creative

stage) because of the following

reasons:

• Minimal deviation from the

current ways of working

for marketers, allowing them to

focus on core essential areas

• Ability to explore design and

interactive features that were

previously limited, possibly

because of inadequate existing

capabilities

• Access to technology platforms

and productivity tools

• High scope for service efficiency

and reusability

• Standardization and

internalization of brand-level

knowledge

Integrating the DAM system with

the work�ow management tool

and analytics is highly

recommended to provide the

marketer with a holistic view of

any marketing campaign and

collateral, allowing a more

informed decision-making

outcome.

EVALUATION –MEASUREMENT AND ACTION

With digitization presenting an

opportunity to reach a greater

number of customers, the number

of marketing campaigns that run

globally has increased. In the long

run, it may not be feasible to

adopt every channel. Hence

choosing the best strategy,

campaign, and channel for brands

is crucial.

However, the performance and

impact of each campaign is

measured di�erently by di�erent

groups. If one labels it as

“successful,” the other perceives it

only as “moderately successful.”

When standard formulae and

metrics are used across marketing

campaigns, it is easier to compare,

evaluate, and benchmark the

results obtained. This, in turn,

allows for creation of more

appropriate campaigns and

improves the chances of choosing

the right agencies each subsequent

time. The incremental bene�t

derived each year can compound

into huge gains in marketing

success over the years.

To successfully derive bene�ts in a

practical setting, the analytics need

to be supported by robust

technological tools. Technology can

be used to support analytics in

multiple areas such as automated

report generation, integration with

CRM systems, and determination of

channel e�ectiveness.

GETTING STARTED

In order to implement the new

model for the development of

marketing assets, we have

observed organizations taking

primarily 2 approaches:

1. Mandate Driven: This approach

involves a signi�cant amount of

management sponsorship and

communication and a

centralized project

management o�ce

2. Investment Driven: In this

approach, the early adopters

are identi�ed and the model is

built on their successes and

subsequently scaled up

Choosing a relevant and suitable

approach can be based on

multiple factors such as

organizational culture,

implementation time, and cost

constraints.

THE GLOCAL TRANSFORMATION:DEVELOPING MARKETING ASSETS FOR THE NEW AGE

SUCH A

DECENTRALIZED

APPROACH TO

MARKETING IN

TODAY’S SHRINKING

WORLD CAN

LEAD TO SERIOUS

LOSS OF

COMPETITIVENESS

ARISING FROM

PRODUCTION

INEFFICIENCIES,

COST PILEUPS, AND

QUALITY

INCONSISTENCIES

RESTRUCTURING THE MARKETING FUNCTION TO DRIVE THE 5 MARKETING ESSENTIALS IN TODAY’S

GLOBAL MARKETPLACE – INNOVATION, CONSISTENCY, COMPLIANCE, ANALYTICS, AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS

“It’s tough when markets change and people within your company don’t”

– Harvard Business Review

1. Accenture. Insight pharma analytics digital communications survey.2. Gleanstar. How top performers drive relevance and revenue in distributed marketing environments.

How can organizations reorganize

their marketing model to derive

maximum bene�t from the

5 marketing essentials?

To achieve this, organizations

require a complete relook at the

4 fundamental areas, namely

development, administration,

organization, and analytics,

besides an evaluation of their

needs for a change in strategy and

integration with technology.

This sea of change can be

traversed using the SWIM

framework, which outlines the

transformation pillars for

introducing change in each of the

4 fundamental areas.

DEVELOPMENT –SPECIALIZATION AND CONSOLIDATION

Considering the unprecedented

rate and emergence of new digital

channels, it is imperative to create

Centers of Excellence (COEs) for

di�erent stages in the

development process to achieve

perfect execution. Organizations

can largely bene�t in the areas of

service standardization, process

BACKGROUND

Digitization and globalization

continue to transform nearly every

industry, including the

pharmaceutical industry. However,

in case of the pharmaceutical

industry, a rapidly changing

environment is further coupled

with the challenges of stringent

regulations, expiring patents, less

penetrated markets, and

inadequate access to physicians.

Therefore, the need of the hour is a

complete overhaul of the

traditional ways of functioning for

the industry.

This paper focuses on the

marketing function, with particular

emphasis on the development,

management, and analysis of

marketing assets in the current

dynamic environment.

A STRUCTURAL SHIFT FROM THE TRADITIONAL MARKETING METHODS

Pharmaceutical companies today have to essentially embrace

technology and be in the digital

space in order to stay competitive.

A recent industry survey consisting

of senior sales and marketing

executives of major

pharmaceutical companies in the

United States revealed that their

strategic priorities for the coming

2

This model can then evolve to

move up the value chain based on

the key parameters such as

product life cycle, reusability, and

service maturity.

This approach helps organizations

build a sustainable road map

toward achieving operational

excellence while ensuring

consolidation of repeatable

services and delivering bene�ts of

greater than 25% than the

existing and traditional models.

ADMINISTRATION –WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT

The next step toward the

development of assets in a global

workplace environment is to have

an integrated work�ow

management tool that allows for

easy and e�ective collaboration

among various stakeholders with

clear and de�ned rules, roles, and

responsibilities. The routine tasks

such as work allocation, approvals,

and reports should be automated

through the tool, providing more

time for high-value tasks. In

addition to driving operational

e�ciencies, it provides various

other bene�ts such as:

• Improved and consistent quality

of assets through the

standardized work methods and

greater accountability by

creating audit trails

• Traceability of work as it moves

through various stages of

development

• Execution and real-time data of

various suppliers, which help in

performance optimization

• Improved oversight as service

scales

ORGANIZATION –INFORMATION REUSE

Currently, global pharma

companies have huge

marketing/digital assets totaling

to more than 15 terabytes with a

stockpile of duplicates, redundant

and obsolete data without any

meta-tagging, and inconsistent

taxonomy; therefore, companies

cannot use, reuse, or upscale

digital assets across channels or

other brands, resulting in loss of

time because of time spent in

re-creation and inadequate return

on investment.

In order to address these

challenges, some pharmaceutical

organizations have already

deployed a global digital asset

management (DAM) system.

However, successful

implementation of a DAM system

requires more than just ensuring

proper storage of all the digital

assets across the life cycle of the

marketing collateral. Library and

information services play an

essential role, especially in the

initial phase of employing such a

system. These services ensure that

the marketers can easily �nd,

search, or retrieve the collaterals

most relevant to them. It further

helps in early adoption of the

concept.

years included an increased focus

on multichannel marketing

(MCM) and use of digital

technology and analytics.

Simultaneously, cost reduction

remained the top strategic

priority for most of the

executives.1

In view of this structural shift in

marketing channels and

collaterals and to be in line with

the overall objectives, it is

important to examine if the

current model of developing

marketing assets is still relevant.

The traditional approach requires

marketers to purchase their own

digital assets and establish a

direct relationship with the print

house. A recent study has shown

that 7 of 10 local marketers

develop their own print

collaterals to be on a par with the

local markets.2

THE REASONS THAT MAY BE

ACCOUNTABLE INCLUDE

THE FOLLOWING:

• Varying levels of expertise

and experience among various

agencies working on various

types of deliverables, especially

with the introduction of newer

digital formats, platforms, and

technologies

• Lack of standardized processes

and systems across agencies

leading to inconsistent quality

and reduced reusability of

certain marketing assets

• Repurchase of asset

components such as image,

font, etc, by di�erent agencies

or their inability to reuse such

components because of lack of

understanding or clarity on the

global rights of usage

• Repeated/redundant creation

of similar/same marketing

material from the scratch, in

spite of the same material being

available in a di�erent market or

region

• Inability to share best practices

and learning from the past

successes/failures across the

brand teams and agencies

In order to deal with the current

challenging and dynamic

marketing landscape, it is

imperative that the engagement

models with Agencies of Record

(AoRs) evolve and pertinent

technology is adopted to achieve

the next level of marketing

excellence.

THE 5 MARKETING ESSENTIALS IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT

The marketing framework

described in this paper has been

designed around the 5 marketing

essentials in today’s environment.

These marketing essentials have

been identi�ed based on the

current trends seen across some

of the top, forward-looking

pharmaceutical companies.

“To be INNOVATIVE in this intense

competition, while ensuring

CONSISTENCY and COMPLIANCE

across deliverables, use relevant

metrics to ANALYZE your

performance so as to repeat what

went right and yet do all this in a

COST-EFFECTIVE manner.”

simpli�cation, productivity

improvement, volume

aggregation, and knowledge

sharing by employing this

approach.

Digital production services is a

relevant domain for the �rst-level

implementation of this concept

(manage and deliver the

marketing assets from the creative

stage) because of the following

reasons:

• Minimal deviation from the

current ways of working

for marketers, allowing them to

focus on core essential areas

• Ability to explore design and

interactive features that were

previously limited, possibly

because of inadequate existing

capabilities

• Access to technology platforms

and productivity tools

• High scope for service efficiency

and reusability

• Standardization and

internalization of brand-level

knowledge

Integrating the DAM system with

the work�ow management tool

and analytics is highly

recommended to provide the

marketer with a holistic view of

any marketing campaign and

collateral, allowing a more

informed decision-making

outcome.

EVALUATION –MEASUREMENT AND ACTION

With digitization presenting an

opportunity to reach a greater

number of customers, the number

of marketing campaigns that run

globally has increased. In the long

run, it may not be feasible to

adopt every channel. Hence

choosing the best strategy,

campaign, and channel for brands

is crucial.

However, the performance and

impact of each campaign is

measured di�erently by di�erent

groups. If one labels it as

“successful,” the other perceives it

only as “moderately successful.”

When standard formulae and

metrics are used across marketing

campaigns, it is easier to compare,

evaluate, and benchmark the

results obtained. This, in turn,

allows for creation of more

appropriate campaigns and

improves the chances of choosing

the right agencies each subsequent

time. The incremental bene�t

derived each year can compound

into huge gains in marketing

success over the years.

To successfully derive bene�ts in a

practical setting, the analytics need

to be supported by robust

technological tools. Technology can

be used to support analytics in

multiple areas such as automated

report generation, integration with

CRM systems, and determination of

channel e�ectiveness.

GETTING STARTED

In order to implement the new

model for the development of

marketing assets, we have

observed organizations taking

primarily 2 approaches:

1. Mandate Driven: This approach

involves a signi�cant amount of

management sponsorship and

communication and a

centralized project

management o�ce

2. Investment Driven: In this

approach, the early adopters

are identi�ed and the model is

built on their successes and

subsequently scaled up

Choosing a relevant and suitable

approach can be based on

multiple factors such as

organizational culture,

implementation time, and cost

constraints.

How can organizations reorganize

their marketing model to derive

maximum bene�t from the

5 marketing essentials?

To achieve this, organizations

require a complete relook at the

4 fundamental areas, namely

development, administration,

organization, and analytics,

besides an evaluation of their

needs for a change in strategy and

integration with technology.

This sea of change can be

traversed using the SWIM

framework, which outlines the

transformation pillars for

introducing change in each of the

4 fundamental areas.

DEVELOPMENT –SPECIALIZATION AND CONSOLIDATION

Considering the unprecedented

rate and emergence of new digital

channels, it is imperative to create

Centers of Excellence (COEs) for

di�erent stages in the

development process to achieve

perfect execution. Organizations

can largely bene�t in the areas of

service standardization, process

BACKGROUND

Digitization and globalization

continue to transform nearly every

industry, including the

pharmaceutical industry. However,

in case of the pharmaceutical

industry, a rapidly changing

environment is further coupled

with the challenges of stringent

regulations, expiring patents, less

penetrated markets, and

inadequate access to physicians.

Therefore, the need of the hour is a

complete overhaul of the

traditional ways of functioning for

the industry.

This paper focuses on the

marketing function, with particular

emphasis on the development,

management, and analysis of

marketing assets in the current

dynamic environment.

A STRUCTURAL SHIFT FROM THE TRADITIONAL MARKETING METHODS

Pharmaceutical companies today have to essentially embrace

technology and be in the digital

space in order to stay competitive.

A recent industry survey consisting

of senior sales and marketing

executives of major

pharmaceutical companies in the

United States revealed that their

strategic priorities for the coming

3

This model can then evolve to

move up the value chain based on

the key parameters such as

product life cycle, reusability, and

service maturity.

This approach helps organizations

build a sustainable road map

toward achieving operational

excellence while ensuring

consolidation of repeatable

services and delivering bene�ts of

greater than 25% than the

existing and traditional models.

ADMINISTRATION –WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT

The next step toward the

development of assets in a global

workplace environment is to have

an integrated work�ow

management tool that allows for

easy and e�ective collaboration

among various stakeholders with

clear and de�ned rules, roles, and

responsibilities. The routine tasks

such as work allocation, approvals,

and reports should be automated

through the tool, providing more

time for high-value tasks. In

addition to driving operational

e�ciencies, it provides various

other bene�ts such as:

• Improved and consistent quality

of assets through the

standardized work methods and

greater accountability by

creating audit trails

• Traceability of work as it moves

through various stages of

development

• Execution and real-time data of

various suppliers, which help in

performance optimization

• Improved oversight as service

scales

ORGANIZATION –INFORMATION REUSE

Currently, global pharma

companies have huge

marketing/digital assets totaling

to more than 15 terabytes with a

stockpile of duplicates, redundant

and obsolete data without any

meta-tagging, and inconsistent

taxonomy; therefore, companies

cannot use, reuse, or upscale

digital assets across channels or

other brands, resulting in loss of

time because of time spent in

re-creation and inadequate return

on investment.

In order to address these

challenges, some pharmaceutical

organizations have already

deployed a global digital asset

management (DAM) system.

However, successful

implementation of a DAM system

requires more than just ensuring

proper storage of all the digital

assets across the life cycle of the

marketing collateral. Library and

information services play an

essential role, especially in the

initial phase of employing such a

system. These services ensure that

the marketers can easily �nd,

search, or retrieve the collaterals

most relevant to them. It further

helps in early adoption of the

concept.

years included an increased focus

on multichannel marketing

(MCM) and use of digital

technology and analytics.

Simultaneously, cost reduction

remained the top strategic

priority for most of the

executives.1

In view of this structural shift in

marketing channels and

collaterals and to be in line with

the overall objectives, it is

important to examine if the

current model of developing

marketing assets is still relevant.

The traditional approach requires

marketers to purchase their own

digital assets and establish a

direct relationship with the print

house. A recent study has shown

that 7 of 10 local marketers

develop their own print

collaterals to be on a par with the

local markets.2

THE REASONS THAT MAY BE

ACCOUNTABLE INCLUDE

THE FOLLOWING:

• Varying levels of expertise

and experience among various

agencies working on various

types of deliverables, especially

with the introduction of newer

digital formats, platforms, and

technologies

• Lack of standardized processes

and systems across agencies

leading to inconsistent quality

and reduced reusability of

certain marketing assets

• Repurchase of asset

components such as image,

font, etc, by di�erent agencies

or their inability to reuse such

components because of lack of

understanding or clarity on the

global rights of usage

• Repeated/redundant creation

of similar/same marketing

material from the scratch, in

spite of the same material being

available in a di�erent market or

region

• Inability to share best practices

and learning from the past

successes/failures across the

brand teams and agencies

In order to deal with the current

challenging and dynamic

marketing landscape, it is

imperative that the engagement

models with Agencies of Record

(AoRs) evolve and pertinent

technology is adopted to achieve

the next level of marketing

excellence.

THE 5 MARKETING ESSENTIALS IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT

The marketing framework

described in this paper has been

designed around the 5 marketing

essentials in today’s environment.

These marketing essentials have

been identi�ed based on the

current trends seen across some

of the top, forward-looking

pharmaceutical companies.

“To be INNOVATIVE in this intense

competition, while ensuring

CONSISTENCY and COMPLIANCE

across deliverables, use relevant

metrics to ANALYZE your

performance so as to repeat what

went right and yet do all this in a

COST-EFFECTIVE manner.”

simpli�cation, productivity

improvement, volume

aggregation, and knowledge

sharing by employing this

approach.

Digital production services is a

relevant domain for the �rst-level

implementation of this concept

(manage and deliver the

marketing assets from the creative

stage) because of the following

reasons:

• Minimal deviation from the

current ways of working

for marketers, allowing them to

focus on core essential areas

• Ability to explore design and

interactive features that were

previously limited, possibly

because of inadequate existing

capabilities

• Access to technology platforms

and productivity tools

• High scope for service efficiency

and reusability

• Standardization and

internalization of brand-level

knowledge

Integrating the DAM system with

the work�ow management tool

and analytics is highly

recommended to provide the

marketer with a holistic view of

any marketing campaign and

collateral, allowing a more

informed decision-making

outcome.

EVALUATION –MEASUREMENT AND ACTION

With digitization presenting an

opportunity to reach a greater

number of customers, the number

of marketing campaigns that run

globally has increased. In the long

run, it may not be feasible to

adopt every channel. Hence

choosing the best strategy,

campaign, and channel for brands

is crucial.

However, the performance and

impact of each campaign is

measured di�erently by di�erent

groups. If one labels it as

“successful,” the other perceives it

only as “moderately successful.”

When standard formulae and

metrics are used across marketing

campaigns, it is easier to compare,

evaluate, and benchmark the

results obtained. This, in turn,

allows for creation of more

appropriate campaigns and

improves the chances of choosing

the right agencies each subsequent

time. The incremental bene�t

derived each year can compound

into huge gains in marketing

success over the years.

To successfully derive bene�ts in a

practical setting, the analytics need

to be supported by robust

technological tools. Technology can

be used to support analytics in

multiple areas such as automated

report generation, integration with

CRM systems, and determination of

channel e�ectiveness.

GETTING STARTED

In order to implement the new

model for the development of

marketing assets, we have

observed organizations taking

primarily 2 approaches:

1. Mandate Driven: This approach

involves a signi�cant amount of

management sponsorship and

communication and a

centralized project

management o�ce

2. Investment Driven: In this

approach, the early adopters

are identi�ed and the model is

built on their successes and

subsequently scaled up

Choosing a relevant and suitable

approach can be based on

multiple factors such as

organizational culture,

implementation time, and cost

constraints.

How can organizations reorganize

their marketing model to derive

maximum bene�t from the

5 marketing essentials?

To achieve this, organizations

require a complete relook at the

4 fundamental areas, namely

development, administration,

organization, and analytics,

besides an evaluation of their

needs for a change in strategy and

integration with technology.

This sea of change can be

traversed using the SWIM

framework, which outlines the

transformation pillars for

introducing change in each of the

4 fundamental areas.

DEVELOPMENT –SPECIALIZATION AND CONSOLIDATION

Considering the unprecedented

rate and emergence of new digital

channels, it is imperative to create

Centers of Excellence (COEs) for

di�erent stages in the

development process to achieve

perfect execution. Organizations

can largely bene�t in the areas of

service standardization, process

BACKGROUND

Digitization and globalization

continue to transform nearly every

industry, including the

pharmaceutical industry. However,

in case of the pharmaceutical

industry, a rapidly changing

environment is further coupled

with the challenges of stringent

regulations, expiring patents, less

penetrated markets, and

inadequate access to physicians.

Therefore, the need of the hour is a

complete overhaul of the

traditional ways of functioning for

the industry.

This paper focuses on the

marketing function, with particular

emphasis on the development,

management, and analysis of

marketing assets in the current

dynamic environment.

A STRUCTURAL SHIFT FROM THE TRADITIONAL MARKETING METHODS

Pharmaceutical companies today have to essentially embrace

technology and be in the digital

space in order to stay competitive.

A recent industry survey consisting

of senior sales and marketing

executives of major

pharmaceutical companies in the

United States revealed that their

strategic priorities for the coming

4

This model can then evolve to

move up the value chain based on

the key parameters such as

product life cycle, reusability, and

service maturity.

This approach helps organizations

build a sustainable road map

toward achieving operational

excellence while ensuring

consolidation of repeatable

services and delivering bene�ts of

greater than 25% than the

existing and traditional models.

ADMINISTRATION –WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT

The next step toward the

development of assets in a global

workplace environment is to have

an integrated work�ow

management tool that allows for

easy and e�ective collaboration

among various stakeholders with

clear and de�ned rules, roles, and

responsibilities. The routine tasks

such as work allocation, approvals,

and reports should be automated

through the tool, providing more

time for high-value tasks. In

addition to driving operational

e�ciencies, it provides various

other bene�ts such as:

• Improved and consistent quality

of assets through the

standardized work methods and

greater accountability by

creating audit trails

• Traceability of work as it moves

through various stages of

development

• Execution and real-time data of

various suppliers, which help in

performance optimization

• Improved oversight as service

scales

ORGANIZATION –INFORMATION REUSE

Currently, global pharma

companies have huge

marketing/digital assets totaling

to more than 15 terabytes with a

stockpile of duplicates, redundant

and obsolete data without any

meta-tagging, and inconsistent

taxonomy; therefore, companies

cannot use, reuse, or upscale

digital assets across channels or

other brands, resulting in loss of

time because of time spent in

re-creation and inadequate return

on investment.

In order to address these

challenges, some pharmaceutical

organizations have already

deployed a global digital asset

management (DAM) system.

However, successful

implementation of a DAM system

requires more than just ensuring

proper storage of all the digital

assets across the life cycle of the

marketing collateral. Library and

information services play an

essential role, especially in the

initial phase of employing such a

system. These services ensure that

the marketers can easily �nd,

search, or retrieve the collaterals

most relevant to them. It further

helps in early adoption of the

concept.

years included an increased focus

on multichannel marketing

(MCM) and use of digital

technology and analytics.

Simultaneously, cost reduction

remained the top strategic

priority for most of the

executives.1

In view of this structural shift in

marketing channels and

collaterals and to be in line with

the overall objectives, it is

important to examine if the

current model of developing

marketing assets is still relevant.

The traditional approach requires

marketers to purchase their own

digital assets and establish a

direct relationship with the print

house. A recent study has shown

that 7 of 10 local marketers

develop their own print

collaterals to be on a par with the

local markets.2

THE REASONS THAT MAY BE

ACCOUNTABLE INCLUDE

THE FOLLOWING:

• Varying levels of expertise

and experience among various

agencies working on various

types of deliverables, especially

with the introduction of newer

digital formats, platforms, and

technologies

• Lack of standardized processes

and systems across agencies

leading to inconsistent quality

and reduced reusability of

certain marketing assets

• Repurchase of asset

components such as image,

font, etc, by di�erent agencies

or their inability to reuse such

components because of lack of

understanding or clarity on the

global rights of usage

• Repeated/redundant creation

of similar/same marketing

material from the scratch, in

spite of the same material being

available in a di�erent market or

region

• Inability to share best practices

and learning from the past

successes/failures across the

brand teams and agencies

In order to deal with the current

challenging and dynamic

marketing landscape, it is

imperative that the engagement

models with Agencies of Record

(AoRs) evolve and pertinent

technology is adopted to achieve

the next level of marketing

excellence.

THE 5 MARKETING ESSENTIALS IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT

The marketing framework

described in this paper has been

designed around the 5 marketing

essentials in today’s environment.

These marketing essentials have

been identi�ed based on the

current trends seen across some

of the top, forward-looking

pharmaceutical companies.

“To be INNOVATIVE in this intense

competition, while ensuring

CONSISTENCY and COMPLIANCE

across deliverables, use relevant

metrics to ANALYZE your

performance so as to repeat what

went right and yet do all this in a

COST-EFFECTIVE manner.”

simpli�cation, productivity

improvement, volume

aggregation, and knowledge

sharing by employing this

approach.

Digital production services is a

relevant domain for the �rst-level

implementation of this concept

(manage and deliver the

marketing assets from the creative

stage) because of the following

reasons:

• Minimal deviation from the

current ways of working

for marketers, allowing them to

focus on core essential areas

• Ability to explore design and

interactive features that were

previously limited, possibly

because of inadequate existing

capabilities

• Access to technology platforms

and productivity tools

• High scope for service efficiency

and reusability

• Standardization and

internalization of brand-level

knowledge

Integrating the DAM system with

the work�ow management tool

and analytics is highly

recommended to provide the

marketer with a holistic view of

any marketing campaign and

collateral, allowing a more

informed decision-making

outcome.

EVALUATION –MEASUREMENT AND ACTION

With digitization presenting an

opportunity to reach a greater

number of customers, the number

of marketing campaigns that run

globally has increased. In the long

run, it may not be feasible to

adopt every channel. Hence

choosing the best strategy,

campaign, and channel for brands

is crucial.

However, the performance and

impact of each campaign is

measured di�erently by di�erent

groups. If one labels it as

“successful,” the other perceives it

only as “moderately successful.”

When standard formulae and

metrics are used across marketing

campaigns, it is easier to compare,

evaluate, and benchmark the

results obtained. This, in turn,

allows for creation of more

appropriate campaigns and

improves the chances of choosing

the right agencies each subsequent

time. The incremental bene�t

derived each year can compound

into huge gains in marketing

success over the years.

To successfully derive bene�ts in a

practical setting, the analytics need

to be supported by robust

technological tools. Technology can

be used to support analytics in

multiple areas such as automated

report generation, integration with

CRM systems, and determination of

channel e�ectiveness.

GETTING STARTED

In order to implement the new

model for the development of

marketing assets, we have

observed organizations taking

primarily 2 approaches:

1. Mandate Driven: This approach

involves a signi�cant amount of

management sponsorship and

communication and a

centralized project

management o�ce

2. Investment Driven: In this

approach, the early adopters

are identi�ed and the model is

built on their successes and

subsequently scaled up

Choosing a relevant and suitable

approach can be based on

multiple factors such as

organizational culture,

implementation time, and cost

constraints.

Reus

abili

tyLo

wH

igh

ServiceM

aturityLow

High

Product Life Cycle

Introduction

Brand Strategy

Content and Creative Storyboard

Content and Creative Storyboard

Content and Creative Storyboard

Content and Creative Storyboard

Creative Development

Production and Publishing

Creative and Digital Production Optimized AoR

Creative Development

Production and Publishing

Creative Development

Production and Publishing

Creative Development

Production and Publishing

Brand Strategy Brand Strategy Brand Strategy

Growth Maturity Decline

How can organizations reorganize

their marketing model to derive

maximum bene�t from the

5 marketing essentials?

To achieve this, organizations

require a complete relook at the

4 fundamental areas, namely

development, administration,

organization, and analytics,

besides an evaluation of their

needs for a change in strategy and

integration with technology.

This sea of change can be

traversed using the SWIM

framework, which outlines the

transformation pillars for

introducing change in each of the

4 fundamental areas.

DEVELOPMENT –SPECIALIZATION AND CONSOLIDATION

Considering the unprecedented

rate and emergence of new digital

channels, it is imperative to create

Centers of Excellence (COEs) for

di�erent stages in the

development process to achieve

perfect execution. Organizations

can largely bene�t in the areas of

service standardization, process

BACKGROUND

Digitization and globalization

continue to transform nearly every

industry, including the

pharmaceutical industry. However,

in case of the pharmaceutical

industry, a rapidly changing

environment is further coupled

with the challenges of stringent

regulations, expiring patents, less

penetrated markets, and

inadequate access to physicians.

Therefore, the need of the hour is a

complete overhaul of the

traditional ways of functioning for

the industry.

This paper focuses on the

marketing function, with particular

emphasis on the development,

management, and analysis of

marketing assets in the current

dynamic environment.

A STRUCTURAL SHIFT FROM THE TRADITIONAL MARKETING METHODS

Pharmaceutical companies today have to essentially embrace

technology and be in the digital

space in order to stay competitive.

A recent industry survey consisting

of senior sales and marketing

executives of major

pharmaceutical companies in the

United States revealed that their

strategic priorities for the coming

This model can then evolve to

move up the value chain based on

the key parameters such as

product life cycle, reusability, and

service maturity.

This approach helps organizations

build a sustainable road map

toward achieving operational

excellence while ensuring

consolidation of repeatable

services and delivering bene�ts of

greater than 25% than the

existing and traditional models.

ADMINISTRATION –WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT

The next step toward the

development of assets in a global

workplace environment is to have

an integrated work�ow

management tool that allows for

easy and e�ective collaboration

among various stakeholders with

clear and de�ned rules, roles, and

responsibilities. The routine tasks

such as work allocation, approvals,

and reports should be automated

5

through the tool, providing more

time for high-value tasks. In

addition to driving operational

e�ciencies, it provides various

other bene�ts such as:

• Improved and consistent quality

of assets through the

standardized work methods and

greater accountability by

creating audit trails

• Traceability of work as it moves

through various stages of

development

• Execution and real-time data of

various suppliers, which help in

performance optimization

• Improved oversight as service

scales

ORGANIZATION –INFORMATION REUSE

Currently, global pharma

companies have huge

marketing/digital assets totaling

to more than 15 terabytes with a

stockpile of duplicates, redundant

and obsolete data without any

meta-tagging, and inconsistent

taxonomy; therefore, companies

cannot use, reuse, or upscale

digital assets across channels or

other brands, resulting in loss of

time because of time spent in

re-creation and inadequate return

on investment.

In order to address these

challenges, some pharmaceutical

organizations have already

deployed a global digital asset

management (DAM) system.

However, successful

implementation of a DAM system

requires more than just ensuring

proper storage of all the digital

assets across the life cycle of the

marketing collateral. Library and

information services play an

essential role, especially in the

initial phase of employing such a

system. These services ensure that

the marketers can easily �nd,

search, or retrieve the collaterals

most relevant to them. It further

helps in early adoption of the

concept.

years included an increased focus

on multichannel marketing

(MCM) and use of digital

technology and analytics.

Simultaneously, cost reduction

remained the top strategic

priority for most of the

executives.1

In view of this structural shift in

marketing channels and

collaterals and to be in line with

the overall objectives, it is

important to examine if the

current model of developing

marketing assets is still relevant.

The traditional approach requires

marketers to purchase their own

digital assets and establish a

direct relationship with the print

house. A recent study has shown

that 7 of 10 local marketers

develop their own print

collaterals to be on a par with the

local markets.2

THE REASONS THAT MAY BE

ACCOUNTABLE INCLUDE

THE FOLLOWING:

• Varying levels of expertise

and experience among various

agencies working on various

types of deliverables, especially

with the introduction of newer

digital formats, platforms, and

technologies

• Lack of standardized processes

and systems across agencies

leading to inconsistent quality

and reduced reusability of

certain marketing assets

• Repurchase of asset

components such as image,

font, etc, by di�erent agencies

or their inability to reuse such

components because of lack of

understanding or clarity on the

global rights of usage

• Repeated/redundant creation

of similar/same marketing

material from the scratch, in

spite of the same material being

available in a di�erent market or

region

• Inability to share best practices

and learning from the past

successes/failures across the

brand teams and agencies

In order to deal with the current

challenging and dynamic

marketing landscape, it is

imperative that the engagement

models with Agencies of Record

(AoRs) evolve and pertinent

technology is adopted to achieve

the next level of marketing

excellence.

THE 5 MARKETING ESSENTIALS IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT

The marketing framework

described in this paper has been

designed around the 5 marketing

essentials in today’s environment.

These marketing essentials have

been identi�ed based on the

current trends seen across some

of the top, forward-looking

pharmaceutical companies.

“To be INNOVATIVE in this intense

competition, while ensuring

CONSISTENCY and COMPLIANCE

across deliverables, use relevant

metrics to ANALYZE your

performance so as to repeat what

went right and yet do all this in a

COST-EFFECTIVE manner.”

simpli�cation, productivity

improvement, volume

aggregation, and knowledge

sharing by employing this

approach.

Digital production services is a

relevant domain for the �rst-level

implementation of this concept

(manage and deliver the

marketing assets from the creative

stage) because of the following

reasons:

• Minimal deviation from the

current ways of working

for marketers, allowing them to

focus on core essential areas

• Ability to explore design and

interactive features that were

previously limited, possibly

because of inadequate existing

capabilities

• Access to technology platforms

and productivity tools

• High scope for service efficiency

and reusability

• Standardization and

internalization of brand-level

knowledge

Integrating the DAM system with

the work�ow management tool

and analytics is highly

recommended to provide the

marketer with a holistic view of

any marketing campaign and

collateral, allowing a more

informed decision-making

outcome.

EVALUATION –MEASUREMENT AND ACTION

With digitization presenting an

opportunity to reach a greater

number of customers, the number

of marketing campaigns that run

globally has increased. In the long

run, it may not be feasible to

adopt every channel. Hence

choosing the best strategy,

campaign, and channel for brands

is crucial.

However, the performance and

impact of each campaign is

measured di�erently by di�erent

groups. If one labels it as

“successful,” the other perceives it

only as “moderately successful.”

When standard formulae and

metrics are used across marketing

campaigns, it is easier to compare,

evaluate, and benchmark the

results obtained. This, in turn,

allows for creation of more

appropriate campaigns and

improves the chances of choosing

the right agencies each subsequent

time. The incremental bene�t

derived each year can compound

into huge gains in marketing

success over the years.

To successfully derive bene�ts in a

practical setting, the analytics need

to be supported by robust

technological tools. Technology can

be used to support analytics in

multiple areas such as automated

report generation, integration with

CRM systems, and determination of

channel e�ectiveness.

GETTING STARTED

In order to implement the new

model for the development of

marketing assets, we have

observed organizations taking

primarily 2 approaches:

1. Mandate Driven: This approach

involves a signi�cant amount of

management sponsorship and

communication and a

centralized project

management o�ce

2. Investment Driven: In this

approach, the early adopters

are identi�ed and the model is

built on their successes and

subsequently scaled up

Choosing a relevant and suitable

approach can be based on

multiple factors such as

organizational culture,

implementation time, and cost

constraints.

120%

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Sta� Augmentation

Skill Set Augmentation

Extended Enterprise

Direct Cost Savings

30%

20%

15%

15%

25% Additional Excellence Over

Traditional CoEs

10%

10%

Quality Improvement

Shared Vision

Shared Learning

Risk and Ownership

Economies of Scale

TOTAL

Global Innovation Customer Engagement Competitiveness

Integration

CoE

How can organizations reorganize

their marketing model to derive

maximum bene�t from the

5 marketing essentials?

To achieve this, organizations

require a complete relook at the

4 fundamental areas, namely

development, administration,

organization, and analytics,

besides an evaluation of their

needs for a change in strategy and

integration with technology.

This sea of change can be

traversed using the SWIM

framework, which outlines the

transformation pillars for

introducing change in each of the

4 fundamental areas.

DEVELOPMENT –SPECIALIZATION AND CONSOLIDATION

Considering the unprecedented

rate and emergence of new digital

channels, it is imperative to create

Centers of Excellence (COEs) for

di�erent stages in the

development process to achieve

perfect execution. Organizations

can largely bene�t in the areas of

service standardization, process

BACKGROUND

Digitization and globalization

continue to transform nearly every

industry, including the

pharmaceutical industry. However,

in case of the pharmaceutical

industry, a rapidly changing

environment is further coupled

with the challenges of stringent

regulations, expiring patents, less

penetrated markets, and

inadequate access to physicians.

Therefore, the need of the hour is a

complete overhaul of the

traditional ways of functioning for

the industry.

This paper focuses on the

marketing function, with particular

emphasis on the development,

management, and analysis of

marketing assets in the current

dynamic environment.

A STRUCTURAL SHIFT FROM THE TRADITIONAL MARKETING METHODS

Pharmaceutical companies today have to essentially embrace

technology and be in the digital

space in order to stay competitive.

A recent industry survey consisting

of senior sales and marketing

executives of major

pharmaceutical companies in the

United States revealed that their

strategic priorities for the coming

This model can then evolve to

move up the value chain based on

the key parameters such as

product life cycle, reusability, and

service maturity.

This approach helps organizations

build a sustainable road map

toward achieving operational

excellence while ensuring

consolidation of repeatable

services and delivering bene�ts of

greater than 25% than the

existing and traditional models.

ADMINISTRATION –WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT

The next step toward the

development of assets in a global

workplace environment is to have

an integrated work�ow

management tool that allows for

easy and e�ective collaboration

among various stakeholders with

clear and de�ned rules, roles, and

responsibilities. The routine tasks

such as work allocation, approvals,

and reports should be automated

through the tool, providing more

time for high-value tasks. In

addition to driving operational

e�ciencies, it provides various

other bene�ts such as:

• Improved and consistent quality

of assets through the

standardized work methods and

greater accountability by

creating audit trails

• Traceability of work as it moves

through various stages of

development

• Execution and real-time data of

various suppliers, which help in

performance optimization

• Improved oversight as service

scales

ORGANIZATION –INFORMATION REUSE

Currently, global pharma

companies have huge

marketing/digital assets totaling

to more than 15 terabytes with a

stockpile of duplicates, redundant

and obsolete data without any

meta-tagging, and inconsistent

taxonomy; therefore, companies

cannot use, reuse, or upscale

digital assets across channels or

other brands, resulting in loss of

time because of time spent in

re-creation and inadequate return

on investment.

In order to address these

challenges, some pharmaceutical

organizations have already

deployed a global digital asset

management (DAM) system.

However, successful

implementation of a DAM system

requires more than just ensuring

proper storage of all the digital

assets across the life cycle of the

marketing collateral. Library and

information services play an

essential role, especially in the

initial phase of employing such a

system. These services ensure that

the marketers can easily �nd,

search, or retrieve the collaterals

most relevant to them. It further

helps in early adoption of the

concept.

6

years included an increased focus

on multichannel marketing

(MCM) and use of digital

technology and analytics.

Simultaneously, cost reduction

remained the top strategic

priority for most of the

executives.1

In view of this structural shift in

marketing channels and

collaterals and to be in line with

the overall objectives, it is

important to examine if the

current model of developing

marketing assets is still relevant.

The traditional approach requires

marketers to purchase their own

digital assets and establish a

direct relationship with the print

house. A recent study has shown

that 7 of 10 local marketers

develop their own print

collaterals to be on a par with the

local markets.2

THE REASONS THAT MAY BE

ACCOUNTABLE INCLUDE

THE FOLLOWING:

• Varying levels of expertise

and experience among various

agencies working on various

types of deliverables, especially

with the introduction of newer

digital formats, platforms, and

technologies

• Lack of standardized processes

and systems across agencies

leading to inconsistent quality

and reduced reusability of

certain marketing assets

• Repurchase of asset

components such as image,

font, etc, by di�erent agencies

or their inability to reuse such

components because of lack of

understanding or clarity on the

global rights of usage

• Repeated/redundant creation

of similar/same marketing

material from the scratch, in

spite of the same material being

available in a di�erent market or

region

• Inability to share best practices

and learning from the past

successes/failures across the

brand teams and agencies

In order to deal with the current

challenging and dynamic

marketing landscape, it is

imperative that the engagement

models with Agencies of Record

(AoRs) evolve and pertinent

technology is adopted to achieve

the next level of marketing

excellence.

THE 5 MARKETING ESSENTIALS IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT

The marketing framework

described in this paper has been

designed around the 5 marketing

essentials in today’s environment.

These marketing essentials have

been identi�ed based on the

current trends seen across some

of the top, forward-looking

pharmaceutical companies.

“To be INNOVATIVE in this intense

competition, while ensuring

CONSISTENCY and COMPLIANCE

across deliverables, use relevant

metrics to ANALYZE your

performance so as to repeat what

went right and yet do all this in a

COST-EFFECTIVE manner.”

simpli�cation, productivity

improvement, volume

aggregation, and knowledge

sharing by employing this

approach.

Digital production services is a

relevant domain for the �rst-level

implementation of this concept

(manage and deliver the

marketing assets from the creative

stage) because of the following

reasons:

• Minimal deviation from the

current ways of working

for marketers, allowing them to

focus on core essential areas

• Ability to explore design and

interactive features that were

previously limited, possibly

because of inadequate existing

capabilities

• Access to technology platforms

and productivity tools

• High scope for service efficiency

and reusability

• Standardization and

internalization of brand-level

knowledge

Integrating the DAM system with

the work�ow management tool

and analytics is highly

recommended to provide the

marketer with a holistic view of

any marketing campaign and

collateral, allowing a more

informed decision-making

outcome.

EVALUATION –MEASUREMENT AND ACTION

With digitization presenting an

opportunity to reach a greater

number of customers, the number

of marketing campaigns that run

globally has increased. In the long

run, it may not be feasible to

adopt every channel. Hence

choosing the best strategy,

campaign, and channel for brands

is crucial.

However, the performance and

impact of each campaign is

measured di�erently by di�erent

groups. If one labels it as

“successful,” the other perceives it

only as “moderately successful.”

When standard formulae and

metrics are used across marketing

campaigns, it is easier to compare,

evaluate, and benchmark the

results obtained. This, in turn,

allows for creation of more

appropriate campaigns and

improves the chances of choosing

the right agencies each subsequent

time. The incremental bene�t

derived each year can compound

into huge gains in marketing

success over the years.

To successfully derive bene�ts in a

practical setting, the analytics need

to be supported by robust

technological tools. Technology can

be used to support analytics in

multiple areas such as automated

report generation, integration with

CRM systems, and determination of

channel e�ectiveness.

GETTING STARTED

In order to implement the new

model for the development of

marketing assets, we have

observed organizations taking

primarily 2 approaches:

1. Mandate Driven: This approach

involves a signi�cant amount of

management sponsorship and

communication and a

centralized project

management o�ce

2. Investment Driven: In this

approach, the early adopters

are identi�ed and the model is

built on their successes and

subsequently scaled up

Choosing a relevant and suitable

approach can be based on

multiple factors such as

organizational culture,

implementation time, and cost

constraints.

Cost advantage

SUMMARYThe SWIM framework and its in�uence on the 5 marketing essentials are summarized in the table below:

Innovation Consistency Compliance Analytics Cost-e�ectiveness

Development S Specialization and Consolidation

+++ +++ ++ +++

Administration W

ManagementWork�ow +++ ++ ++ ++

Organization I Information Reuse ++ +++ + +++

Evaluation M Measurement and Action

++ +++ ++

How can organizations reorganize

their marketing model to derive

maximum bene�t from the

5 marketing essentials?

To achieve this, organizations

require a complete relook at the

4 fundamental areas, namely

development, administration,

organization, and analytics,

besides an evaluation of their

needs for a change in strategy and

integration with technology.

This sea of change can be

traversed using the SWIM

framework, which outlines the

transformation pillars for

introducing change in each of the

4 fundamental areas.

DEVELOPMENT –SPECIALIZATION AND CONSOLIDATION

Considering the unprecedented

rate and emergence of new digital

channels, it is imperative to create

Centers of Excellence (COEs) for

di�erent stages in the

development process to achieve

perfect execution. Organizations

can largely bene�t in the areas of

service standardization, process

BACKGROUND

Digitization and globalization

continue to transform nearly every

industry, including the

pharmaceutical industry. However,

in case of the pharmaceutical

industry, a rapidly changing

environment is further coupled

with the challenges of stringent

regulations, expiring patents, less

penetrated markets, and

inadequate access to physicians.

Therefore, the need of the hour is a

complete overhaul of the

traditional ways of functioning for

the industry.

This paper focuses on the

marketing function, with particular

emphasis on the development,

management, and analysis of

marketing assets in the current

dynamic environment.

A STRUCTURAL SHIFT FROM THE TRADITIONAL MARKETING METHODS

Pharmaceutical companies today have to essentially embrace

technology and be in the digital

space in order to stay competitive.

A recent industry survey consisting

of senior sales and marketing

executives of major

pharmaceutical companies in the

United States revealed that their

strategic priorities for the coming

This model can then evolve to

move up the value chain based on

the key parameters such as

product life cycle, reusability, and

service maturity.

This approach helps organizations

build a sustainable road map

toward achieving operational

excellence while ensuring

consolidation of repeatable

services and delivering bene�ts of

greater than 25% than the

existing and traditional models.

ADMINISTRATION –WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT

The next step toward the

development of assets in a global

workplace environment is to have

an integrated work�ow

management tool that allows for

easy and e�ective collaboration

among various stakeholders with

clear and de�ned rules, roles, and

responsibilities. The routine tasks

such as work allocation, approvals,

and reports should be automated

through the tool, providing more

time for high-value tasks. In

addition to driving operational

e�ciencies, it provides various

other bene�ts such as:

• Improved and consistent quality

of assets through the

standardized work methods and

greater accountability by

creating audit trails

• Traceability of work as it moves

through various stages of

development

• Execution and real-time data of

various suppliers, which help in

performance optimization

• Improved oversight as service

scales

ORGANIZATION –INFORMATION REUSE

Currently, global pharma

companies have huge

marketing/digital assets totaling

to more than 15 terabytes with a

stockpile of duplicates, redundant

and obsolete data without any

meta-tagging, and inconsistent

taxonomy; therefore, companies

cannot use, reuse, or upscale

digital assets across channels or

other brands, resulting in loss of

time because of time spent in

re-creation and inadequate return

on investment.

In order to address these

challenges, some pharmaceutical

organizations have already

deployed a global digital asset

management (DAM) system.

However, successful

implementation of a DAM system

requires more than just ensuring

proper storage of all the digital

assets across the life cycle of the

marketing collateral. Library and

information services play an

essential role, especially in the

initial phase of employing such a

system. These services ensure that

the marketers can easily �nd,

search, or retrieve the collaterals

most relevant to them. It further

helps in early adoption of the

concept.

CASE STUDY

Objective: The client, one of the

top 5 global pharmaceutical

companies, had the mandate to

reduce the cost base and increase

productivity.

Methodology: An audit identi�ed

a considerable amount of wastage

because of duplication in e�orts

toward creation of marketing

assets. For example, MoA was

created separately for the United

States, China, Japan, and

Germany, and an e-learning

module for a product launch was

created by each a�liate.

The AoRs were reported to charge

high price for simple tasks such as

updating web pages, converting

one digital format to another, and

conducting translations.

Solution: A team consisting of

representatives from marketing,

information services, and

procurement divisions was set up

across the organization and

geographies. The team identi�ed

the critical business need of

creating a centralized library of

assets and eventually setting up a

DAM system. The project was

executed in multiple phases,

7

years included an increased focus

on multichannel marketing

(MCM) and use of digital

technology and analytics.

Simultaneously, cost reduction

remained the top strategic

priority for most of the

executives.1

In view of this structural shift in

marketing channels and

collaterals and to be in line with

the overall objectives, it is

important to examine if the

current model of developing

marketing assets is still relevant.

The traditional approach requires

marketers to purchase their own

digital assets and establish a

direct relationship with the print

house. A recent study has shown

that 7 of 10 local marketers

develop their own print

collaterals to be on a par with the

local markets.2

THE REASONS THAT MAY BE

ACCOUNTABLE INCLUDE

THE FOLLOWING:

• Varying levels of expertise

and experience among various

agencies working on various

types of deliverables, especially

with the introduction of newer

digital formats, platforms, and

technologies

• Lack of standardized processes

and systems across agencies

leading to inconsistent quality

and reduced reusability of

certain marketing assets

• Repurchase of asset

components such as image,

font, etc, by di�erent agencies

or their inability to reuse such

components because of lack of

understanding or clarity on the

global rights of usage

• Repeated/redundant creation

of similar/same marketing

material from the scratch, in

spite of the same material being

available in a di�erent market or

region

• Inability to share best practices

and learning from the past

successes/failures across the

brand teams and agencies

In order to deal with the current

challenging and dynamic

marketing landscape, it is

imperative that the engagement

models with Agencies of Record

(AoRs) evolve and pertinent

technology is adopted to achieve

the next level of marketing

excellence.

THE 5 MARKETING ESSENTIALS IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT

The marketing framework

described in this paper has been

designed around the 5 marketing

essentials in today’s environment.

These marketing essentials have

been identi�ed based on the

current trends seen across some

of the top, forward-looking

pharmaceutical companies.

“To be INNOVATIVE in this intense

competition, while ensuring

CONSISTENCY and COMPLIANCE

across deliverables, use relevant

metrics to ANALYZE your

performance so as to repeat what

went right and yet do all this in a

COST-EFFECTIVE manner.”

simpli�cation, productivity

improvement, volume

aggregation, and knowledge

sharing by employing this

approach.

Digital production services is a

relevant domain for the �rst-level

implementation of this concept

(manage and deliver the

marketing assets from the creative

stage) because of the following

reasons:

• Minimal deviation from the

current ways of working

for marketers, allowing them to

focus on core essential areas

• Ability to explore design and

interactive features that were

previously limited, possibly

because of inadequate existing

capabilities

• Access to technology platforms

and productivity tools

• High scope for service efficiency

and reusability

• Standardization and

internalization of brand-level

knowledge

Integrating the DAM system with

the work�ow management tool

and analytics is highly

recommended to provide the

marketer with a holistic view of

any marketing campaign and

collateral, allowing a more

informed decision-making

outcome.

EVALUATION –MEASUREMENT AND ACTION

With digitization presenting an

opportunity to reach a greater

number of customers, the number

of marketing campaigns that run

globally has increased. In the long

run, it may not be feasible to

adopt every channel. Hence

choosing the best strategy,

campaign, and channel for brands

is crucial.

However, the performance and

impact of each campaign is

measured di�erently by di�erent

groups. If one labels it as

starting with pilots for

low-complexity assets, and

gradually scaled up to include

multiple geographical locations

and high-complexity assets.

All the suppliers were measured

on the following standard key

parameters twice a year:

Innovation

• Originality, novelty, and viability

of suggestions

Partnering

• Effective communication

• Collaboration with other

suppliers

Performance

• Timeliness

• Quality of cost estimates

• Quality of finished jobs

Reliability

• Meeting deadlines

• Quality/accuracy of work

• Concern for the standards

• Administrative quality

Impact: This exercise helped the

client reduce the cost base by

50% of the original value.

“successful,” the other perceives it

only as “moderately successful.”

When standard formulae and

metrics are used across marketing

campaigns, it is easier to compare,

evaluate, and benchmark the

results obtained. This, in turn,

allows for creation of more

appropriate campaigns and

improves the chances of choosing

the right agencies each subsequent

time. The incremental bene�t

derived each year can compound

into huge gains in marketing

success over the years.

To successfully derive bene�ts in a

practical setting, the analytics need

to be supported by robust

technological tools. Technology can

be used to support analytics in

multiple areas such as automated

report generation, integration with

CRM systems, and determination of

channel e�ectiveness.

GETTING STARTED

In order to implement the new

model for the development of

marketing assets, we have

observed organizations taking

primarily 2 approaches:

1. Mandate Driven: This approach

involves a signi�cant amount of

management sponsorship and

communication and a

centralized project

management o�ce

2. Investment Driven: In this

approach, the early adopters

are identi�ed and the model is

built on their successes and

subsequently scaled up

Choosing a relevant and suitable

approach can be based on

multiple factors such as

organizational culture,

implementation time, and cost

constraints.

NOTES

NOTES

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