What Hundreds of Expert Interviews Have Taught Us About This Decade

Transformation, uncertainty and adaptability have become hallmarks of the 2020s.  

This decade has seen change happening at a depth and pace many have never experienced. And across the hundreds of interviews we’ve conducted in the first few years of this decade with patients, physicians and pharmaceutical executives in which we’ve discussed these changes, we’ve seen three themes emerge.  

1. Ambiguity. We’ve become accustomed to surprises. Our interviewees agreed that change will continue to come in waves: sometimes gradually, and sometimes retrenching. Their experience is validated by psychology researchers: change is nonlinear. Leaders must embrace ambiguity, becoming comfortable with not having all the answers, and living in the gray area between black and white.  
   
2. Rapidity. Interviewees confirmed the need for speed. Some addressed the traditionally slow decision-making of pharma companies, based in a risk-averse culture. Some also noted times when companies were unable to pivot, creating pockets of paralysis. But when organizations could manage to move quickly, the results shone. Examples of this included finding new ways to fund patient financial support, adopting new technologies, and adjusting channel activities.  
   
3. Agility. Our interviewees expected that the organizations that could continue to be nimble and change as needed over time, would be the ones that excel. Some wondered if this might result in an advantage for smaller, less-complex organizations – or ones who can act that way. Since circumstances change and knowledge is updated more often than before, so too must plans change and be updated.   

There’s no one right way to innovate. There’s no one right way to embrace change and evolve. But experts and our interviewees agree on one thing: changing times offer enormous potential for growth. 

Of course, how changes affect your brands depends dramatically on a variety of factors: who your HCPs are, who your patients are, where they are geographically, how the condition manifests, your overall product profile, what your pricing is like, what your brand goals are, where your product is in the life cycle, and so on.   But for all of us, it’s safe to say that the 2020s are anything but boring. It’s a great time for pharma marketers to avoid being boring, too: to rally leadership, to accelerate momentum, and, ultimately, to gain a long-term advantage.