Accelerating the awareness, and ultimate acceptance of a new pharma product in the marketplace is today dependent on the Key Opinion Leader. As we've previously discussed, the press-the-flesh sales tactics of old no longer get the job done. Now, it's about identifying and interacting with those influencers who are, in turn, going to evangelize on your behalf.
But simply labeling a physician or medical professional as a "KOL" is not enough. That label is a good start, but there's a mountain of additional detail that can be used to paint a more precise picture. ROI2, for example, invests considerable technology and time in to first identifying KOLs, and then categorizing them based on their most effective role (e.g. national, regional or local authorities; market drivers, scientific thought leaders, early adopters, rising stars, etc.).
There are dozens of potential KOL classifications, each with specific utilities. Once that is understood, it becomes easier to engage those KOLs by developing the proper peer network marketing plan. This allows you to concentrate on reaching out to advisory boards, contacting speaker bureaus, targeting sales and MC account managers, and shaping strategies for clinical trial investigators and publications.
Our system has more than 12 distinct KOL types, with evolving profile values that change based on myriad attributes and exchanges:
If, for example, someone is well published in a topic, or involved academically or scientifically in a particular disease state, but he or she does not see patients, speak on that topic or has a comparatively small network of followers, are they a KOL or are they better classified as a Thought Leader? If someone speaks educationally on a topic/disease and others listen, then the value of that person's ability to influence naturally starts to rise.
This also raises an important question: If there are those who adopt right away based on thought leadership, how can you know it was because of a single, specific thought leader, or if it was because of a new product indication? Perhaps they wanted to try it after they heard the thought leader, concurred with other peers and then validated through interaction with other innovators. ANd all of this doesn't even factor in additional variables including coverage assessment and spill-over effect by ZIP code, respective regions, states -- even national and global renown.
Essentially, we're trying to deterimine both what their reach is made of, and how far it extends. These are the scenarios we go through to give the most accurate assessment of KOLs and prospective KOLs possible. And that's how we can more precisely classify someone as a rising star, innovator, market driver, etc. With that understanding, information and influence efforts can be tailored accordingly, ensuring greater acceptance and success.
