As agencies, we share a responsibility to experiment and push boundaries to drive our brands’ — and our Clients — success. Media channels and offerings are varied and increasing every day. The potential for innovation within the digital media sphere is such that you can create what you need versus relying upon pre-built vehicles. Many of us are already creating apps, building interactive programs, and driving productive dialogue between HCPs and patients. But we’ve only scratched the surface. The flexible and dynamic nature of today’s media necessitate informed agency teams — people who want to actively explore the possibilities. In summary, agencies need talent who are as dynamic as the industry itself. Adventurous Thinking — Now More Than Ever We need to be selective, yet bold, when determining which new media channel(s) is appropriate for our brands. Providing breakthrough solutions is more critical than ever in the new media space where customers can move to another destination in a second. Real-time metrics, analyses and adaptation are critical, but updated content and connectivity will only be useful if these enhance the customer’s experience. Mobile media is an important new venue for pharma. It’s already commonplace in the consumer sphere, but we have yet to maximize the opportunity for our professional healthcare audiences. The potential value to our clients and their customers is high in this relatively untapped media space. Trends show that our work lives and personal lives are merging, and mobile media supports and promotes this convergence. For example, we know that smartphones and iPads are starting to be used by sales forces and healthcare professionals who want to educate themselves and their patients. In fact, the physician’s iPad might be something that houses patient education apps as well as their personal games. Break Out of the Silo Part of the challenge for marketers and agencies is breaking out of the silo. A highly defined departmental focus was once the SOP. Marketers and their agencies need to expand their perspective. There’s a need for knowledge sharing, connectivity across departments, countries, and customers. In fact, many companies are completely reorganizing to try to break out of previous patterns. Agencies can also embrace “hybrid" talent — staff members who have strengths and skills that cross multiple disciplines. For example, strategy becomes more dimensional when combined with scientific and creative acumen. The value that they bring to the clients and agencies alike is tremendous. Innovation is taken to another level when you are less concerned with staying in your lane…so changing the definition of the lanes supports a breakthrough culture. There Are no “Givens" The marketing mix is shifting as well —there are no “givens" in brand promotion. Sales forces are shrinking and some brands are completely promoted via non-personal channels. As a brand AOR, we are committed to providing solutions to our clients and for most this includes a multi-channel approach. As marketers become more comfortable with new media, gaining a comfort level takes less time than it did in the past. Remember when the question was: does my brand really need a digital plan? We need to be completely up to speed on the offerings available, and schooled in how to maximize them for our clients. Our clients are restructuring their marketing departments to gain a new perspective on their customers and to work as cross-functional teams that are charged with bringing brands to market. As agencies, we are tasked with building informed recommendations about the promotional space and being connected to “what’s out there." If we encourage the growth and ideas of our chief resource, our talent, we can build novel solutions that will bring the kind of value today’s clients crave. Great Agencies Remain True To Themselves In this era of change, we have to remain true to ourselves, and to our agency cultures. Encouraging adventurous ideas and creative thinking, rallying around one another for the next big launch, or new business pitch, whatever your agency thrives on, keep focused on it. In fact, in times of incredible change it’s even more important to keep up the culture. Having a strong focus on core values helps us navigate through the challenges and reminds us why we love working together in the first place. When you’re secure in who you are, you embrace a dynamic environment. In fact, you thrive in it. Torre Lazur McCann There Are Still Adventures In New Pharma Torre Lazur McCann is a full-service agency delivering healthcare advertising and communications via print, electronic, and digital media. What makes us different is Launch Intensity—we pursue every project, initiative, and assignment with the same intensity as a launch. { For more information, visit www.torrelazur.com.

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