CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Sept. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Key customer groups for the pharmaceutical industry face a daily barrage of marketing messages from a variety of sources. To give their messages a better chance of reaching their customers, biopharmaceutical organizations have turned to innovative marketing strategies and tactics to engage health care providers, patients, payers, and key opinion leaders.

But as pharmaceutical marketing groups shift to activities such as social networking, relationship marketing, e-sampling, viral marketing and other approaches, they are facing a host of operational questions and challenges. Research and consulting leader Best Practices, LLC conducted a study to identify how companies structure, staff and organize specialized marketing units to find, use and quickly incorporate innovative practices to improve marketing across these key customer groups.

"Best Practices in Advancing Customer Marketing: Innovations in Engaging and Communicating with Health Care Providers, Patients, Payers and KOLs" provides insights to help marketing groups develop innovative approaches and solutions to help drive organizational success. Many companies establish marketing innovation units that are responsible for maintaining health care provider web portals, direct to consumer ads and relationship marketing, according to the study. These units are assigning 1.4 to 2 FTEs, on average, to each of these tasks, the research found.

The results provided in this report include key benchmark metrics and lessons learned that biopharmaceutical marketing executives can utilize to enhance and optimize their current activities in innovative customer marketing.

This study will help marketers understand and maximize opportunities in:

• Where and how customers receive information
• Where and how customers will receive information in the future
• How to best engage and interact with customers now and in the future

The 63-page study identifies the organizational structures, roles, processes and mechanisms that biopharmaceutical companies have in place to promote and enable innovation and excellence in customer marketing. Leaders of marketing organizations can use this report to create alternative marketing approaches to maximize company and product exposure and brand retention with customers.

The study is based on survey responses from 35 biopharmaceutical and medical device companies as well as six executive interviews with marketing leaders.

To learn more about this report, download a complimentary report excerpt at http://www3.best-in-class.com/rr1233.htm. For related research, visit our Best Practices, LLC Web site at www.best-in-class.com/.  

ABOUT BEST PRACTICES, LLC

Best Practices, LLC is a leading benchmarking, consulting and advisory services firm serving biopharmaceutical and medical device companies worldwide. Best Practices, LLC's clients include all the top 10 and 48 of the top 50 global healthcare companies. The firm conducts primary research and consulting using its comprehensive proprietary benchmarking tools and analysis. The operational insights, findings and analysis form the basis for our Benchmarking Reports, databases and advisory services to support executives in commercial and R&D operations. For more information about Best Practices, LLC visit our Web site at www.best-in-class.com.

SOURCE Best Practices, LLC

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