In order to develop an effective global branding program for new bio-pharmaceutical products, it is important to ensure brand consistency across all functions and geographies.
Best Practices, LLC undertook research to gather benchmarks on key aspects of the global branding process, including activities, timing, positioning, key message development, regional alignment, agency utilization & cost and the tradename process.
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Best Practices in Creating Global Brand for New Products and Ensuring Alignment across Geographies and Affiliates
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Best Practices in Global Branding for New Products:
Creating an Effective Global Brand for New Products and Ensuring
Alignment across Geographies and Affiliates
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Table Of Contents
Executive Summary pgs. 4-12
Research Overview pg. 4
Participating Companies pg. 5
High-Level Recommendations pg. 6
Key Findings pgs. 7-12
Study Participant Demographics pgs. 13-16
Global Branding Program Elements pgs. 17-22
Timing of Global Branding Activities pgs. 23-29
Global Positioning and Messaging Development pgs. 30-41
Global Branding Alignment with Affiliates pgs. 42-50
Tradename Process pgs. 51-57
Executive Interview Narratives pgs. 58-74
About Best Practices, LLC pgs. 75-76
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Research Overview: Objectives & Methodology
The growth of the biopharmaceutical global marketplace has increased the importance of the global
branding process for new products. This study examines issues around branding activity timing, agency
utilization & cost, and alignment with affiliates.
Topics Covered
Research
Methodology
Research
Overview Global Branding Program
Elements
Global Branding Activities Timing
and Involvement
Global Positioning and Message
Development
Global and Regional Branding Plan
Alignment
Tradename Process
Best Practices, LLC engaged 18
leaders from 17 biopharmaceutical
companies and one pharma marketing
firm through a benchmarking survey.
Conducted in-depth interviews with 4
branding leaders to gather insights.
Created two data segments: Effective
Company Segment (N=9 – companies
self-rated as “Effective”) and Large
Company Segment (N=9 – companies
>$3B in revenues.
Faced with a diversity of markets around
the world, global teams are under
pressure to create brand elements for
new products that work across
geographies and affiliates.
This benchmarking study is designed to
produce industry metrics on key aspects
of the global branding process, including
activities, timing, positioning, key
message development, regional
alignment and the tradename process.
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Universe Of Learning: 18 Companies Participated in Study
This study engaged 18 leaders with direct experience working in Global Branding with participants
representing 17 leading biopharmaceutical companies and one pharma marketing company. Almost 70%
of participants are at the level of director or above.
Benchmark Class:
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High-Level Key FindingsHigh-Level Key Recommendations
Global
Branding Process
Should Mirror
Company’s DNA
• Therapeutic areas, global presence, regional/country revenue drivers, corporate
culture and long-term strategic plan; these are the core building blocks of a
company, and by extension its global branding process should reflect these traits.
• Study participants’ global branding programs use both formal & informal
approaches; branding veterans spoke of a process that excels at alignment and
execution – one that offers a firm structure and yet has flexibility for affiliates.
Align Branding
Process with
Affiliates Needs,
Especially US
• Engage affiliates early by conducting formal review cycles and involving them in
brand element testing; make sure affiliate representative will be actively involved
in local launch. Use internal promotional review process to ensure alignment.
• To ensure alignment across largest market - specifically US market – let US
team take lead on market research and some critical branding elements.
Begin Work on
Positioning
Before Phase III
Final Data
• Positioning can be started as early as Phase II - use iterations to build and
improve positioning concept as Phase III data sharpens positioning picture.
• Early positioning work also helps create early alignment between global and
local on key branding elements and build foundation for global/local launch.
Start Branding
Process Early to
Ensure Smooth
Launch
• Most global branding activities are started in Phase III before final data.
• Key is to start soon enough that global and affiliates can create an alignment
that works for both on critical elements like positioning and messaging.
• Early start also may ensure a smooth global launch characterized by alignment
and execution.
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Global, 67%
Single Country,
17%
Region, 17%
2) Which geographic area will your survey response represent? (Choose one)
N=18
Participant’s Geographic Perspective:
Two-thirds of participants represented a global perspective while country or regional perspectives
represented the remaining 34 % of respondents.
Majority of Participants Presenting Global Perspective in Responses
% respondents
*Single Country: US (3)
*
†
†Region: Latin America,
Germany/Austria,
Eastern Europe
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9) Please indicate when in the development/launch cycle you typically start each of these global branding activities.
Timing of Global Branding Activities: Start Activities- All Participants
Across participants, almost all branding activities start during Phase III – either before final data or before
NDA filing. Competitive intelligence is the only activity often started earlier. Companies start handover to
affiliates in batches, starting at NDA filing.
Most Global Branding Activities Start Phase III Before Final Data;
Positioning and Message Development are Key Exceptions
Activities
Pre-Clinical Phase I Phase II
Phase III
Before Final
Data
Phase III
Data to NDA
Filing
Filing to
Registration
Registration/
Approval to
Launch
N/A
Tradename Identification 0% 0% 22% 56% 11% 0% 0% 11%
Competitive Intelligence/ War
Gaming
6% 0% 29% 24% 24% 6% 0% 12%
Customer Segmentation 0% 0% 17% 56% 0% 22% 0% 6%
Positioning 0% 6% 11% 27% 38% 6% 6% 6%
Key Message Development 0% 0% 6% 22% 39% 22% 6% 6%
Brand Personality 0% 0% 0% 44% 38% 6% 6% 6%
Brand Identity/Logo Development
(visual styling)
0% 0% 0% 59% 24% 6% 0% 12%
Vocabulary/Terminology/Lexicon
Development
0% 0% 12% 29% 24% 12% 0% 24%
Handover to Local Affiliates (n-13) 0% 0% 0% 8% 31% 31% 31% -
N=17-18
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11) Please indicate who is leading/driving each of the listed activities.
N=17-18
Leading/Driving Global Branding Activities for a New Product:
A majority of companies in this study rely on global marketing to drive 7 of 8 global branding activities.
The only exception is Customer Segmentation activities where market research plays an important role.
Global Marketing Leads Branding Activities For New Products
6%
6%
6%
6%
67%
53%
44%
67%
61%
71%
71%
53%
12%
22%
6%
6%
22%
18%
11%
28%
28%
18%
18%
18%
6%
17% 6%
6%
6%
12%
6%
6%
6%
6%
12%
Global Tradename Identification
Competitive Intelligence/War Gaming
Customer Segmentation
Global Positioning
Global Key Message Development
Global Brand Personality
Global Brand Identity/Logo Development (visual styling)
Global Vocabulary/ Terminology/Lexicon Development
Global in-line Marketing Leading Global Marketing Leading Global Market Research Leading
Global New Products Marketing Leading Local/Regional Marketing Leading Other Function is Leading N/A
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Brand elements
handed over
individually,
18%
Brand elements
are handed over
as a package,
47%
Other, 35%
20) Are your new product brand elements (global positioning, messages, brand personality, etc.) handed over to local
affiliate(s) individually or are they wrapped up into a package and all sent over at once?
N=17
Delivery Format of Global Brand Elements to Affiliates:
While almost half of participating companies deliver branding elements as a package to local affiliates, it
is very common for key elements such as positioning and messages to be shared earlier.
Global Brand Elements Often Delivered as Package to Affiliates
*Others:
• It has not been done in
last 5 years. Current plan
for new pending launch is
to hand over as a
package
• Work together vs hand off
• No affiliates
• Not Applicable(2)
• Both of the
above...important
elements shared when
they are ready, but also
as a package
*
“Some of the stuff that’s
part of the overall brand
strategy…like positioning
[and messaging], once we
nail that down we would
deliver out to the regions
and the countries. Things
that are more part of the
package but aren’t of such
supreme importance we
would probably just wait
until the full package is
ready.”
--Senior Director, Marketing
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Ensuring Brand
Team Adherence to
Global Branding
Plan
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
2
They are part of the process.
Early buy in is critical.
3
Keep them involved
throughout the
process. Reinforce
guidelines throughout
the process
4
Early alignment, prior approval
required before changes made
5
Allocated global brand team representative monitor
local key activities and are team members for local
launch preparedness
6
Commercial sub-committees
reviewing materials, annual
brand planning cycle, dotted
line reporting relationships
7
Field visits
8
Strict and regular control and
regular meetings
1
We have promotional review
process that is centralized. All
materials go through this process to
confirm alignment
26) How do you ensure brand teams follow the global branding process?
Early and continuous involvement, allocating global representatives for local activities, establishing sub-
committees and using a centralized review processes are some of the tactics that companies use to make
certain brand teams’ adherence throughout the global branding process.
Early Buy-in, Regular Involvement & Designated Leaders Ensure Adherence
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“I think if you’re dealing in the specialty space I think the best approach in developing
a global brand plan is – I mean in a majority of examples that I know of, let the US take
the lead.”
-- Senior Associate Director of Analytics
Narrative: Let the U.S. Lead in Global Branding Process
Q: It sounds like your global works really well with affiliates and yet you mentioned some of
these issues of running up against the deadlines and the US being so different.
“This is a European- based company, but
they like to have a level of control. In the
US market where the timelines are very
compressed - and really if this
represents like a critical first step in a
successful global launch - I think it’s
important to let the local markets that are
large take the lead on a lot of the sort of
global branding initiatives. So, it’s
definitely kind of relinquishing some
control from a corporate headquarter
standpoint, but I think it’s very important
if you want to have a very successful
launch in the US and then potentially rest
of the world.”
-- Senior Associate Director of Analytics
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Best Practices®, LLC is an internationally recognized thought leader in the field of best practice
benchmarking®. We are a research, consulting, benchmark database, publishing and advisory firm that
conducts work based on the simple yet profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior
economic performance by leveraging the best business practices, operating tactics and winning strategies of
world-class companies.
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