Challenge
A global biopharmaceutical company wanted to understand how influential stakeholders within the online and offline landscape for a specific type of cancer are currently engaging and influencing the wider community. Specifically, the team sought to identify who is driving discussions on- and off-line, and what those discussions look like – in order to inform scientific story evolution and optimize communications programming through engagements and activations.
Approach
We conducted an in-depth analysis of global opinion leaders with the ability to drill down into influence dynamics across specific geographies, including US vs. Europe, to uncover the following:
Where is the discussion occurring + what is the nature of conversation: Landscaping & Content Analysis
- Mapping the social media landscape at scale – understanding the size, shape and nature of the online conversation
- Identify moments and platforms of high engagement among stakeholder groups (e.g. congresses, awareness events, pharmaceutical partnerships, treatments, campaigns)
- Explore unique channel culture – examining preferences across different online channels, how they foster or encourage specific outlooks, beliefs or management styles
Who is driving the conversation both on- and offline? Opinion Leader Identification
Identification of a ‘long list’ detailing leading voices, based upon a four-step analysis approach:
- Harnessing existing Expert Identification tools along with additional secondary ‘desk’ research to map across traditional influence metrics
- Assessing degree of influence within the online bladder cancer discussion via relevant quantitative measures to identify digital influence
- Cross referencing lists of influencers identified in the on- and off-line spaces with the client’s existing advisors to highlight those already identified and augment for those not previously present
- Consolidation of lists within a single database, with ability to filter and prioritize influencers to define top-tier(s) based on most meaningful metrics
How do we activate the most relevant influencers to support strategic medical communications programming? Opinion Leader Activation
- Cross-functional client team workshop to share influencer dynamics in context of the overall landscape to enable prioritization of the most relevant top-tier influencers
- Qualitative validation of top opinion leaders globally and by market, detailing the nature of each’s influence, relevance to the space and opportunities for engagement and activation
- Network mapping to further understand how top tier influencers are connected and interact with each other
- Credentialed subject matter experts provide additional insights and interpretation of the debates and controversies uncovered through the analysis, providing a crucial overlay to guide strategy and planning
- Influencer engagement matrix maps aligns individuals to potential activities based on their relative strengths and interests
