E-Detailing in Europe: Now or Never?

Executive Summary

When correctly used, Internet-based communication channels are overall potentially more cost-effective per minute of interaction than physical details. Their value added, however, is in many instances not an overall cost reduction of pharma-physician interaction, but a means to complement physical detail effectively by tailoring the message and medium not only to the physician, but also according to the product, therapeutic area and lifecycle stage.European markets are poised for exploiting those channels more systematically: physicians in many countries are increasingly open to receiving web-based communications from drug companies. In addition, the technological conditions (bandwidth, Internet usage) are close to being fully in place, with many technology providers gearing up to penetrate the European territory. But to take full advantage of these tools, European drug firms must properly integrate them within the current marketing mix and in doing so effectively leverage the valuable information about physician behavior that can be acquired via e-detailing transaction. In addition, companies will need to contemplate significant changes in their sales and marketing organizations that will integrate e-detailing with traditional sales rep activities and with the overall sales and marketing effort.