This report will help organizations to improve their efficiency and effectiveness through the creation of internal and external communication processes. It also provides key insights like effective channels for internal and external communication, as well as preferred medium for communications frequently used by executives and others.

1. Communications Excellence: Tactics Used by
BioPharma Executives to Increase
Organizational Effectiveness
Report Summary
Best Practices, LLC

2. Project Methodology and Study Objectives
Over the years, the communication process has evolved due to technological advances and
changes. This research study seeks to identify the most effective external and internal
communication strategies and tactics and how people best utilize various communication
formats to achieve organizational success/efficiency.
This research seeks to explore the most effective and preferred
channels & tools of communication, optimum communication
frequencies for internal and external communications.
Key study objectives
Benchmark the tools and usage frequency of executives are making use
of for external communication.
Identify the preferred and effective channels for external communications.
Identify types of internal communication mostly used by executives.
Identify preferred medium for internal communication
Measure internal communication effectiveness.
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3. List of Participating Companies
Best Practices®, LLC gathered insights a total of 183 leaders from 162 companies from
different industry segments across 6 continents. Here is a sampling of the companies that
participated.
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4. Definitions Used in the Research
Communication is a process where information is shared between two or more people or
organizations. Field researchers used the following definitions to differentiate
communication types.
External Communication: Any kind of
interaction between a person with an
outside person, organization or group is
termed as External Communication
Internal Communication: Any kind of
interaction between people in the same
or various departments within an
organization in order to ensure clarity of
information is termed as Internal
Communication.
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5. Usage Frequency of Internet Tools – Overall
General search engines are used daily by 71% of the respondents followed by online contents
such as websites and blogs (51%) to search work-related information by executives. Web-enabled
mobile devices are used by more than half of the respondents to surf information related to work
daily of several times a week.
Please indicate how often you use the following internet tools for gathering work-related information.
Daily Several Times a week Weekly Monthly
1% 4%
5%
18% 27% 28% 14%
23% 35% 43%
28% 12% 19%
20% 26%
19%
22% 26%
71% 14%
51% 9%
42% 17%
31% 31% 14%
14%
Online content
RSS Feed
communities/
Online videos
Search engine –
content read via
Search engine –
general/organic
(i.e. Websites,
Social media
on business
mobile devices
Work-related
web-enabled
websites
Online
Blogs)
paid
N=151 N=148 N=115 N=123 N=85 N=127 N=87
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6. Preferred Formats & Effective Tools for General
Information – Pharmaceutical Segment
The pharma benchmark class’ preferred choice for receiving and sending business
information is also via power point presentation deck, followed by word document format.
The pharma industry prefers to receive and send business related information either via
emails or on internet.
Which are your preferred format (s) for reviewing business-related information from external parties?
For the following type of content that could be communicated to you from external parties, please
choose the most effective tools.
Podcast/Audio Meetings 16%
12%
file
Press
No preference 21% 24%
Release
Online E-
23% 33%
Video/Webcast brochures
Worddocument 37% Internet 41%
Power Point
47% Emails 41%
presentation
Preferred Format Effective Tools of Communication
N=43 N=51
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7. Interest and Preferred Time of Checking New
Product Launch News – Pharmaceutical Segment
More than 80% of the pharma benchmark class was interested in receiving information
about new product launch news. Nearly half of the participants preferred to be contacted
before 9 AM (46%), followed by being reached between 9 AM – 1 PM (16%) and 1 PM – 5
PM (16%).
Please rate your interest in gathering information from or about the resource types below. Please
indicate your preferred time to check the following type of work-related external communication.
Very Before 9AM 46%
40%
Interested
9 AM-1PM 16%
Interested 40%
1PM-5PM 16%
Not Interested 16%
5PM-9PM 8%
Not Very
5% After 9PM 14%
Interested
Interest Level Time of Checking Communication
N=43 N=37
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8. Impact of Marketing Communications on
Purchase Decision – Pharmaceutical Segment
More than half of the pharma benchmark class reported that online advertising had any
impact on their decision to purchase. Less than half reported that direct mail had a strong
impact on their decision to purchase.
Please rate the impact of the following communication channels on your information purchase decision.
Very Much Impact Somewhat Impact Very Little Impact Don’t Impact
18% 23%
30% 30%
45%
58%
38% 28%
32%
40%
25%
40% 28%
37% 31%
25% 30%
8%
7% 7% 10% 5% 8%
Direct mail Social media Mobile Radio/TV ad Online Telemarketing
marketing marketing advertising
N=40 N=40 N=40 N=40 N=40 N=40
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9. Interest in Types of Information Received –
Pharmaceutical Segment
More than three quarters of the pharma benchmark class reported being interested in
project and task information as well as company and general information.
What types of information are you interested in receiving?
Product
32%
Information
Company/general
76%
Announcements
Project/task
76%
Communication
N=34
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10. Percentage of Redundant Emails Received –
Overall & Pharmaceutical Segment
The benchmark class reported that about 6 out of 10 external communications they
receive are not useful. The pharma benchmark class reported that more than 7 out of 10
external communications that they receive are not useful.
What approximate percentages of external communications that you receive are not useful for your
work?
1-5%, 2%
1-5%, 4%
6-10%, 2%
6-10%, 4%
11-15%, 5%
11-15%, 8%
>20%, 63%
>20%, 74%
16-20%, 17%
16-20%, 21%
Overall Pharmaceutical Segment
N=114 N=42
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11. Preference vs. Effectiveness: Internal
Communication Using Mobile – Pharma Segment
Almost all of the pharma benchmark class reported that they highly preferred using email
to interact with their colleagues on their mobile device.
Please indicate preference and effectiveness of the following types of internal communication you used
to interact with your colleagues through your Mobile.
94% Highly preferred Highly effective
78%
44%
38% 38%
31%
25% 25%
9% 9%
0% 3%
Individual Company Voicemail Weekly/branch Podcasts Blogs
emails/corporate intranet newsletters
emails
N=32
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12. Effective Tools for General Communication –
Overall and Pharmaceutical Segment
Both the pharma and general benchmark classes reported that they find email to be the
most effective way to share general information internally.
For the following types of content that could be communicated to you from internal parties, please
choose the most effective tools.
Overall Pharmaceutical Segment
83%
81%
33% 33%
29%30%
15% 17%20% 19%
10% 10%
3% 3% 4% 7%
Webinars Blogs/ Voice mail News Phone Face to Intranet Emails
Social letters face
Media meeting
N Overall=93 N pharma=30
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13. Effective Tools for Best Practices – Overall and
Pharmaceutical Segment
Both the pharma and general benchmark classes reported that they find email to be the
most effective way to share best practices internally followed by the internet and face-to-
face meetings.
For the following types of content that could be communicated to you from internal parties, please
choose the most effective tools.
Overall Pharmaceutical Segment
57%
50% 50%
43% 43%
42% 40%
35%
24%
20%
13%13%
5% 7%
1% 0%
Voice mail Phone Blogs/ News Webinars Face to Intranet Emails
Social letters face
Media meeting
N Overall=93 N pharma=30
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14. About Best Practices, LLC
Best Practices, LLC is a research and consulting firm that conducts work
based on the simple yet profound principle that organizations can chart a
course to superior economic performance by studying the best business
practices, operating tactics and winning strategies of world-class
companies.
Best Practices, LLC
6350 Quadrangle Drive, Suite 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
919-403-0251
best@best-in-class.com
www.best-in-class.com
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