What do we mean when we say that someone is an opinion leader? That they are an expert in their field? That they are a frequent publisher or speaker? That they influence clinical practice through positions with international or national …

It might sound like a truism to say that the most effective KOL activities, particularly those that succeed in developing a cohort of advocates for a product, are those that are planned as a single cohesive programme. In my experience, however, most pre-launch …

Marketers can stay ahead of the curve with regional knowledge Looking at a slide from a recent AstraZeneca investor presentation on segmenting patient subsets in severe asthma, I was struck anew by the rate at which the industry is moving …

Network maps can deliver a wealth of information In last month’s article, we established the value of getting to know individual key opinion leaders (KOLs) and their needs, beliefs and aspirations. This month, we look at how mapping the KOL …

Do you really understand the KOLs you work with? You don’t need to be told about the importance of working with KOLs or external medical experts, nor that you are in competition for their time and attention. But how well …

Kendle Healthcare has done some work recently on identifying important stakeholders in emerging markets. These projects got me thinking about how the likes of India, Brazil, China and other BRIC-MT countries are representative of an ever-evolving KOL landscape, particularly with …