Reinventing the Commercial Launch Model: A Three Part Series

The traditional model for commercial product launches in pharma and biotech is under unprecedented pressure. In this series, we explore three key forces that are driving the need to reinvent the commercial launch model now.

Each part delves into one of these forces, illustrating the challenges and highlighting how East Harriet Advisors helps life science companies overcome them with real-world examples from our case studies.

Part 1: Embracing the Digital Engagement Revolution

The way healthcare providers and patients engage with pharma has transformed dramatically in recent years. Major shifts in HCP interactions are challenging the old launch playbook that relied heavily on face-to-face sales rep visits and one-size-fits-all messaging. COVID-19 greatly accelerated this trend – at one point, in-person pharma rep contacts dropped by ~70% as clinics limited access.

Even as the pandemic recedes, the days of casual drop-in visits are over. Physicians have grown more selective about how they spend their time, especially in oncology, and digital channels have become integral to how medical information is exchanged. In short, the “field of dreams” approach (“if you deploy a large sales force, prescriptions will come”) is no longer a safe bet.

Modern launch strategies must meet customers where they are – which increasingly means online, on-demand, and on their terms. HCPs now expect highly tailored, useful content through the right mix of channels, whether that’s email, webinars, or AI-curated digital platforms. Leading companies are recognizing that a “digital, local, and personalized” approach to launch engagement is the new imperative.

Rather than relying only on volume of sales calls, they’re harnessing data to understand individual preferences and deliver relevant, timely information. With reps’ physical access constrained, every interaction (virtual or in-person) needs to be meaningful and value-added – otherwise, it may not happen at all.

This is the era of omnichannel engagement, where content and outreach are orchestrated across multiple touchpoints, guided by analytics and real-time feedback loops.

How East Harriet Advisors can help: We work with organizations to navigate this digital engagement revolution by breaking down internal silos and implementing agile, data-driven processes.

For example, in a recent engagement the analytics & insights team of a major oncology franchise was struggling to get the right information to the right external stakeholders in a timely manner due to internal complexity and siloed workflows. We conducted stakeholder interviews and mapped out the gaps in their insight delivery process. Using those findings, we helped redesign how the team generated and disseminated critical data to HCPs and other stakeholders.

The result was a set of clear recommendations and an 18-month implementation roadmap that the client put into action. By modernizing their approach and leveraging digital tools, the company ensured that physicians and partners received actionable insights faster – strengthening engagement and trust.

This illustrates how reinventing the launch model with a digital-first, customer-centric mindset isn’t just theory, but a practical path to better launch outcomes.

East Harriet Advisors brings the expertise to implement these changes, from deploying analytics-enabled engagement systems to training teams on agile content development, so that no customer is left behind in the new digital landscape.

(Stay tuned for Part 2, where we examine the second key force: rising stakeholder expectations and the demand for value.)