In today’s fast-paced digital world, agile methodology has become a cornerstone in many industries, renowned for its flexibility, adaptability, and focus on value creation. This iterative and incremental approach, which originated in software development, emphasizes collaboration, customer feedback, and rapid response to change. However, when it comes to pharmaceutical marketing, implementing agile methodology presents unique challenges due to the industry's inherent restrictions and traditional approaches.
Agile methodology outside of pharma
Agile methodology outside of the pharmaceutical industry is characterized by its dynamic nature. Teams work in short sprints or cycles, focusing on continuous improvement, flexibility, and the ability to pivot quickly based on feedback or changing requirements. This approach allows for frequent reassessment of goals and strategies, making it easier to adapt to new information or market shifts. The key advantage here is the emphasis on creating value and responding to customer feedback throughout the development process, rather than adhering rigidly to a predefined plan.
Restrictions in pharmaceutical marketing
In pharmaceutical marketing, the landscape is significantly different. The sector is heavily regulated, and the process for medical legal approval is stringent and often time-consuming. This regulatory environment poses a major challenge to the agile approach, as it restricts the ability to make quick changes or iterate based on real-time feedback. Additionally, most pharma agencies typically operate with a fixed timeline and budget aimed at delivering a specific product, rather than focusing on ongoing value creation or post-launch pivoting in response to market feedback.
The traditional pharma approach vs. agile
The traditional approach in pharmaceutical marketing is akin to a printer - what is approved for production is expected to be replicated exactly, down to the smallest detail, without deviation. This contrasts sharply with the agile methodology, where what is initially approved may evolve as the project progresses, based on continuous collection and analysis of behavioral data. The fixed and rigid nature of traditional pharma marketing processes limits the ability to adapt and refine strategies post-launch, which is a critical component of the agile philosophy.
Integrating agile elements in pharma
Despite these challenges, it's possible to integrate elements of agile methodology into pharmaceutical marketing. However, I would call it more a light flavor of agile rather than true agile which is more common outside of highly regulated industries like pharmaceuticals. This requires a shift in both mindset and process, starting with the planning stage. Agencies need to allocate a significant portion of their budgets to analytics and post-launch optimization, aspects often overlooked in traditional pharma marketing strategies. The "learning and optimization" stages of agile would occur post-launch as opposed to it being integrated into the the development stages. This has to do with the medical legal approval process setting the product in stone prior to launch. Once approved and launched, the data-collection and strategy-pivots may occur.
Furthermore, fostering a closer partnership between the client, the medical legal team, and the marketing agency is crucial. More frequent reviews and a willingness to adjust strategies based on market feedback can bring a degree of agility to the process, aligning it closer to the agile methodology's core principles of flexibility and continuous improvement.
One innovative instance of integrating agile elements into pharmaceutical marketing was our approach to multivariate testing for a hero container on a pharmaceutical website. Recognizing the medical legal team's reluctance towards frequent post-launch updates and the client's budgetary limitations, we opted for a deductive method to enhance the user experience without necessitating further approvals. Essentially, we proposed multiple options for a hero, recieved approvals from the med legal team to release all versions, and removed the underperforming heros as we collected data without requiring any approvals from the med legal team. Feel free to read more about how this multivariate testing approach allowed the team to identify a hero that performed 3x better than the lowest performing hero from the group and enabled the team to make improvements without the need for any med legal approvals.
In conclusion...
Adopting agile methodology in pharmaceutical marketing is undoubtedly challenging due to regulatory constraints and entrenched traditional practices. However, by rethinking strategies, focusing on continuous improvement, and fostering closer collaborations for regular feedback and adjustments, elements of agility can be successfully incorporated. This shift not only aligns pharmaceutical marketing with more dynamic and responsive practices but also enhances its ability to deliver value in an ever-evolving market.
How do you see agile methodology fitting into the pharmaceutical marketing landscape? What strategies could be employed to overcome the inherent challenges? Reach out to us! We'd love to hear your thoughts.
