Seek External Input to Develop Thought Leader Directories
Cutting Edge InformationCassie Demeter, 919-403-6583
Developing and refreshing thought leader lists to support companies’ medical affairs, clinical and commercial activities can be quite challenging. To face this challenge head-on, many companies seek external perspectives to ensure that thought leader management teams develop the most robust, influential and appropriate key opinion leader (KOL) rosters.
Third-party vendors specializing in building certainly add a level of expertise to companies just beginning to build their KOL networks. These companies draw on their experiences to build custom lists based on the types of KOL activities their clients need as well as the spaces in which companies operate, both geographically and therapeutically.
Cutting Edge Information’s new study, “Pharmaceutical Key Opinion Leader Management,” found that companies can also build or expand their KOL resources by involving medical organizations that support specific disease states; they have ties to specific medical communities and often maintain their own lists of area-specific influential individuals.
When identifying and recruiting potential KOLs, companies may also successfully leverage their existing . Incorporating the KOL perspective allows companies to understand which thought leaders hold the most influence across their peer groups and at what level: local, regional or national. With this feedback, companies can build or refine their KOL lists, ensuring that they target the KOLs most qualified to support their activities.
“Engaging with also helps companies identify potential knowledge leaders that may not otherwise be readily apparent through quantitative metrics — such as number of publications or past clinical trial experience,” said David Richardson, research manager at Cutting Edge Information. “When identifying potential thought leaders, an interviewed executive suggests companies start by engaging KOLs with whom they already have relationships.”
“Pharmaceutical Key Opinion Leader Management: Effective Strategies for Segmenting Thought Leaders” () examines team structures and staffing, as well as thought leader management database use and expenses. It compares Tier 1, 2 and 3 thought leader profiles across a wide range of categories, including five company types and 26 individual therapeutic areas. Use this report to:
For more information about key opinion leader strategy, contact Cassie Demeter at 919-403-6583.