In this blog, we’ll discuss the best strategies for planning ahead before starting your clinical trial branding initiative. Planning ahead is important for any project but especially for creative ones. Here are tips to help get your branding project started off right:
Define your audience
Before jumping in without a clear direction, be sure you understand your audience. Research their common traits to understand their challenges and motivations. Contact people you may know who share these characteristics. Invest in quality market research when it makes sense. Taking these steps will help you develop messaging that relates to your intended audience and properly challenge your team’s preconceptions, helping you avoid a messaging misstep.
Define your purpose and revisit it often
Clearly define the main result your team would like to achieve. Do you want to inform or motivate your intended audience? What exactly do you want your audience to do with the information? If your goal is to motivate your audience to buy a particular product, would you like them to specifically buy an increased volume or buy more often? Consider different messaging for different objectives. Also, refer to your original objective frequently. Many teams begin with a straightforward objective, but it can devolve after a few rounds of discussion. Be sure to visit your main objective frequently to keep on track.
Determine what is already out there
Document any existing messaging. Your team will need to know if you can build on ideas already circulating or if you need to compete with other branding. Understanding the potential strength and weaknesses of your initial ideas can help you weed out the weak ones early on.
Identify your limitations
Make sure your team lists out any limitations you may have from different stakeholders. For instance, is your client tied to a particular ideology or style? Are there internal compliance groups your client must get approvals from? Any regulatory or statutory requirements you need to consider? Are there potential social criticisms you need to avoid? Knowing these in advance can keep you from investing time and resources in ideas that are sure to be rejected down the line.
Get ahead of potential issues
Think about the impact your branding/messaging will have on subsequent projects. Will the clinical study brand your team creates be used in print materials or only in digital media? How do you plan to keep colors consistent across mediums? Who will need access in the future? What file formats will be needed? Will the branding be used internationally? Should you anticipate adapting by language or region? You do not have to limit your ideas to branding that will work in every country and medium.
In conclusion, planning ahead is good business sense, and it will allow you to avoid unexpected costs and delays as your clinical trial branding program matures.
Check out the other blog posts in our branding series, Clinical Study Branding: 5 Mistakes to Avoid, Clinical Trial Branding vs. Marketing, and Content Meets Design: Bringing Your Clinical Trial Materials to Life.
Updated: 14 August 2022