What’s Really Holding Us Back from Becoming Truly Agile?
"We are going to have a sales force of this size, aligned by these territories, targeting these customers. They will call on them per the call plan. We will support the sales force with digital marketing activities designed around our ideal customer journey. And we will hold fast to this plan for the next 12 months until we come up with a new strategy next year. Medical Affairs will do what they do. To monitor our progress, we will count how much of everything we execute."
Sound familiar?
For a brand treating both acute and chronic indications, with little competition, well-educated HCPs, and negligible out-of-pocket costs—this rigid model works just fine. But how many drugs launching today fit that profile? The reality is that markets are crowded, specialty and rare disease therapies are expensive, and HCPs are bombarded with messaging daily. Conditions are constantly shifting. That perfect 12-month plan? Effective for about two weeks.
Pharma leaders know this. Digital transformations, customer experience CX initiatives, and omnichannel efforts all aim to address the problem. But will they fix the root cause?
The Real Barriers to Agility
Few, if any, pharma companies are truly agile. And there are two critical capabilities that will determine success moving forward:
The ability to frequently assess what’s working and what isn’t.
The ability to rapidly shift resources from one customer touchpoint to another.
I’ve written—and will continue to write—about the data and analytics that drive the first capability. Believe it or not, determining what needs to be done is the easier part.
What’s missing is:
A dynamic operations mindset at all levels.
The actual ability to shift spend and execution in real time.
If I were a management consultant looking to stay relevant, this is the drum I’d be banging. Some already are—I hear rumblings about the agile commercial strategy. But the biggest obstacle, the real condition holding us all back, is operational execution—the ability to refocus activity from one promotion to another at a moment’s notice.
There are countless whitepapers yet to be written on dynamic marketing and sales operations in Pharma. But here are a few clear examples of the structural barriers that need to be addressed:
Sales forces operate on fixed plans. Sales reps are assigned static call plans, often reviewed quarterly or annually. If a competitive threat emerges or an unexpected opportunity arises, how do you get reps to pivot immediately? Weekly (or even daily) adjustments should be possible—but how often is that happening in reality?
Agency media buys are locked in advance. TV, display ads, and even digital campaigns follow rigid calendars. If engagement data shows a specific channel is underperforming, how quickly can you reallocate budget to higher-performing tactics? Right now, it’s often a multi-week(month) process when it should be instant.
Marketing operations is trained to measure and act on execution, not impact. Marketing teams track KPIs like impressions, email open rates, and call volume—but when was the last time a brand stopped a tactic mid-flight because it wasn’t working? The ability to adjust spend dynamically based on impact rather than planned activity remains rare.
The list goes on.
Yes, we’re making progress—today’s efforts address pockets of the problem. But agility isn’t just about having better insights; it’s about having the operational flexibility to act on them. Until we tackle this, we’re leaving significant value on the table. Are you listening Agencies?
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