A client was racing to develop a leading-edge, web-based communications tool that would allow all operating companies and global corporate functions to interact seamlessly between themselves and thought-leading physicians around the world.As a new and rapidly moving project with limited marketing staff, little had been done to refine the product offering or prepare the customers for the impact of this technology. Unless we could get early, widespread adoption, this creative tool would not build momentum and likely fail. With a tight time line to prepare, the client called in Leisa Dennehy, founder of BioPharma Consultants, to establish the marketing platform and set in motion the many marketing activities required prior to launch.

Anticipating Internal Reaction and Managing Change on a Global Scale

The launch had to be approached more carefully than a traditional pharmaceutical product launch. Huge change-management issues loomed both internally (within a multi-national company of thousands of people) and externally (with global,thought-leading physicians). Key messages would have to appeal to extremely diverse groups of users in order to encourage the adoption.

Thinking is not Enough! Kick-Start some Action!

Leisa came in on the ground floor and pulled the marketing plan and infrastructure together. Within two months Leisa had:

• Created a marketing plan that addressed both external customers and internal users
• Brought on board the necessary resources — including an advertising and PR agency and the creation of a Marketing & Communications (Mar Comm) team — to catapult the plan.
• Led the MarComm team to crystallize the product concept, the brand positioning &identity, the communications strategy and tactical plan.
• Coached the team to address internal change management issues in all phases of product launch

Leading Teams on Behalf of the Client

Because of the client’s low headcount, Leisa was asked to lead the marketing-communications team for two months before handing the project over to an internal staff member. The project then transitioned to a newly-hired product manager and rolled out to users on time.

"Leisa was able to take a remote concept and rapidly make some very refined recommendations," said the director of marketing and customer service in the global e-business division. "She immediately built the trust and credibility that allowed me to feel comfortable letting go of her piece of the project — knowing that she would drive it forward both strategically and tactically — so that I could focus on other technical aspects of the project to meet our aggressive timelines. It sounds cliché, but her counsel and support really helped give me the peace of mind to sleep at night."