Global Pharmaceutical Company – research and assessment of market and target customer for new business model
Client challenge
One division of this global Pharmaceutical company offers a comprehensive service to its internal customers wishing to conduct clinical trials in non-communicable/lifestyle diseases. In response to the growing market of independent Clinical Pharmacology Units (CPUs), the company was considering the potential of offering its CPU facilities to these external users at the same cost levels as internal users are charged. As a result, the company required an organisation to research and provide an evidence base for the assessment of the new market and target customer potential in the EU and UK amongst charities, independent funds and public private partnerships (PPPs) for this new business model.
What did we do?
The research was conducted in two phases with the decision to move to the second phase taken after the first. Article 13 understood the need for a quality, rigorous approach and brought together a team of senior experienced people who understood the importance of emerging themes (either as risks or opportunities) at the earliest possible point in the research.
Phase One of the research – the exploratory phase – was designed to give the client a clear indication of whether this ‘new market’ was worth moving forward on and how best to target the potential audience. Article 13’s approach combined desk research (of recent policy and research papers as well as websites) with a limited number of qualitative telephone interviews (with senior management of NGOs and from within the client company itself). Key findings were presented to the client in a ‘snapshot’ report recommending progressing to the next phase of the research, with supporting data annexes revealing the size of the market and what the competition is doing.
Phase Two – the quantitative understanding phase – set out to provide more depth and detail on public private partnerships and NGOs working on communicable/neglected diseases in the developing world and non-communicable/lifestyle diseases in the developed world. Article 13 began by generating two lists of relevant organisations and their key contacts and by designing a research instrument on the basis of the desired information, the findings from Phase One and advanced marketing/communication planning tools. Senior strategic researchers then conducted semi-structured interviews and CATI (computer-aided telephone interviews) with representatives of PPPs and European NGOs. Qualitative data from these interviews were coded and modelled using CODAR and STELLAR tools to identify exactly what attitudes and effects the client would need to achieve in order to be successful. Article 13 concluded the project by presenting its findings to the client in report form with best-in-class modelling and insight to be fed directly into five year business and marketing plans for the division.
How did we break the cycle?
Article 13 employed a research strategy that took into account what is happening in the global market place as the axis of power, price, competition and societal expectations shift to achieve a strategic and innovative approach to CSR and ongoing alignment with emerging and changing customer needs.
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