.png)
Defend The Legacy
Life Sciences
Case Background
Building a brand in an established market with little to no competition is more common, and difficult, than one may think. In the pharmaceutical industry, this situation often manifests itself as competing against generic products – which only means the competition has shifted from branded products to the beliefs and patterns of behavior among prescribers. Converting customers is extremely challenging, and even after reaching a high share – single-brand markets are attractive to new entrants. Our Client – a mature, established pharmaceutical brand in the cardiovascular space – found themselves in this scenario and needed to develop a training strategy to help their experienced salesforce sell against branded competition for the first time and ultimately, defend their hard-earned legacy.
In order to pinpoint the skills required to defend our Clients’ brand legacy while positioning it for growth, we performed a multifaceted study on each competitor’s brand to reveal the strengths and strategies they would use to compete. Next, we evaluated the strategic importance to the enterprise by focusing on revenue contributions in selected markets. We examined company culture, values, key investments, and partnerships to gain a deeper understanding of their organizational ethos and strategic alliances. Salesforce effectiveness was assessed through "Return on Detail Spend" across various prescriber segments, including both New-to-Brand Prescriptions (NBRx) and Total Prescriptions (TRx). Additionally, salesforce efficiency was measured as Revenue per Scripts per Representative, highlighting operational productivity. We also analyzed the clinical profile, access scenarios, and treatment guidelines of each competitor, cross-referencing this information with segment-specific prescriber attitudes and behaviors. Finally, we reviewed home-market marketing campaigns and market preparation activities. This analysis provided insights into their promotional tactics and readiness to tackle market challenges. By combining these detailed insights, we were able to identify the critical skills and strategies needed to protect our clients' brand legacy and drive sustainable growth.
Our Approach
We provided comprehensive materials to support the team in refining the nature of each identified challenge. The materials and support we provided played a crucial role in helping the team refine the nature of the key challenge and develop detailed, actionable plans. These plans were designed to address the selected challenge effectively, with a clear focus on achieving the desired outcomes and driving meaningful progress for the organization.
Output
Defend The Legacy
Life Sciences
Case Background
Building a brand in an established market with little to no competition is more common, and difficult, than one may think. In the pharmaceutical industry, this situation often manifests itself as competing against generic products – which only means the competition has shifted from branded products to the beliefs and patterns of behavior among prescribers. Converting customers is extremely challenging, and even after reaching a high share – single-brand markets are attractive to new entrants. Our Client – a mature, established pharmaceutical brand in the cardiovascular space – found themselves in this scenario and needed to develop a training strategy to help their experienced salesforce sell against branded competition for the first time and ultimately, defend their hard-earned legacy.
In order to pinpoint the skills required to defend our Clients’ brand legacy while positioning it for growth, we performed a multifaceted study on each competitor’s brand to reveal the strengths and strategies they would use to compete. Next, we evaluated the strategic importance to the enterprise by focusing on revenue contributions in selected markets. We examined company culture, values, key investments, and partnerships to gain a deeper understanding of their organizational ethos and strategic alliances. Salesforce effectiveness was assessed through "Return on Detail Spend" across various prescriber segments, including both New-to-Brand Prescriptions (NBRx) and Total Prescriptions (TRx). Additionally, salesforce efficiency was measured as Revenue per Scripts per Representative, highlighting operational productivity. We also analyzed the clinical profile, access scenarios, and treatment guidelines of each competitor, cross-referencing this information with segment-specific prescriber attitudes and behaviors. Finally, we reviewed home-market marketing campaigns and market preparation activities. This analysis provided insights into their promotional tactics and readiness to tackle market challenges. By combining these detailed insights, we were able to identify the critical skills and strategies needed to protect our clients' brand legacy and drive sustainable growth.
Our Approach
Our research produced a clear, detailed picture of the competitive landscape and more importantly, the dynamics at play between the new entrants, customers, and our Client. By leveraging a precedent-based approach, we were able to design and craft a training module built from repeatable, winning insights into how other organizations defended their legacies from competition in analogous scenarios. By learning how Disney, Levi’s, Microsoft, Listerine, Spotify, Band-Aid, IBM – among many others – fought off new entrants, protected their brand legacy, and strengthened their brand equity, our Clients’ salesforce continued to dominate in the cardiovascular market and maximize the efforts made by marketing and market access teams.