Public Relations Excellence in the Pre-Launch and Launch Phases

STUDY OVERVIEW
Public Relations is an important part of the pre-launch and launch phases in terms of educating the market and preparing for market entry. By using the right tools to convey messages to target audiences, public relations groups can help differentiate their product from other treatments and generate interest in the consumer marketplace. The successful utilization of Public Relations tools pre-launch and launch can bring attention to products with treatment paradigms that challenge existing assumptions, thereby generating interest for such treatments prior to and during market entry. In doing this, Public Relations can stimulate media coverage of new treatment approaches which, in turn, can trigger interest in the new ideas that promotional activity has difficulty igniting.

This research identifies which Public Relations activities most effectively educate and inform consumers at the pre-launch and launch portion of a product's lifecycle. The study can help executives overseeing public relations efforts by discussing the most effective Public Relations channels, tactics and calls-to-action for reaching consumers of pharmaceutical products. This research also includes a case study of how an effective Public Relations campaign can impact a product’s success at launch.

KEY TOPICS
· Study Approach, Structure and Findings
· Pre-Launch Strategies and Tactics, including patient advocacy groups, third-party expertise and repeatable processes
· Launch Strategies and Tactics, including patient advocacy groups, target groups and diagnostic tools
· Case Study Spotlight: Slentrol

KEY METRICS
· Rating Effectiveness of Public Relations Tools During Pre-Launch and Launch Phases
· Rating Effectiveness of Calls to Actions Leading Consumers to Web sites
· Rating Importance of Tactical Elements Influencing Public Relations Effectiveness

SAMPLE KEY FINDINGS
· Patient Advocacy Groups Crucial: Patient advocacy groups – esteemed for their objectivity and access to relevant information -- are critically important to Public Relations practitioners. Many opportunities exist for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries to serve, inform and create advocacy groups for a wide range of disease areas.
· Relevance to Patients & Consumers: Field research revealed a “holy trinity” for Public Relations specialists. The three aspects of this operational strategy are human-interest positioning, lifestyle positioning and family relevance positioning. Public Relations campaigns that touch these groups tend to engage consumers and win media attention.

STUDY METHODOLOGY
Executives from 18 bio-pharmaceutical companies shared their strategies, lessons learned and best practices on Public Relations applied throughout the product lifecycle. Leaders from seven partner companies participated in detailed, qualitative interviews.

Industries Profiled:
Health Care; Pharmaceutical; Diagnostic; Biotech; Chemical; Medical Device


Companies Profiled:
Abbott; AstraZeneca; AtheroGenics; Boehringer Ingelheim; Boiron; Cubist Pharmaceuticals; Emcure; Farmasa Schwabe; Gebauer Company; Genentech; Jazz Pharmaceuticals; Johnson & Johnson; Merck Serono; Novartis; Novo Nordisk; Pfizer; Solvay Pharmaceuticals

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