2012 Conference

19-21 June 2012 – Paris, France

Times are changing.  We need to look at issues from all angles and possibilities – we need to take a 360 approach. 

EphMRA is looking at some challenging topics for its 2012 Conference – be part of it – the conference will focus on: 

1.      Technology - It’s an area where a lot is happening and will continue to present challenges and opportunities– mHealth (mobile health) is one of the most exciting developments promising a win-win situation for patients and payers alike.  What is it going to mean for our industry and what real value is it going to bring?

Healthcare ‘apps’ - how many of us have a device to access these? What is their potential in healthcare and marketing?  Where is this going to take us?

Access to the internet via mobile phones has overtaken PCs globally and gives better access to African countries and also niche populations.

How, as market researchers, do we need to adapt to these new developments?

2.      Social media and online ‘listening’ - We have had lots about the theory and so now it’s time to hear some real stories and case studies – we want to know about a market research study you have conducted where this was used – success or failure!  What are the key learnings and how could we do it better?

3.      Branded Generics/Biosimilars - As we will have reached the patent cliff by 2012, how has the rise of the branded generics affected big pharma – how have they got involved?  In BRIC and other emerging markets how is the branded generics area being managed and how are they perceived?  What does it mean for HCPs, patients and other customers?  Understanding more about the cultural perceptions of having different tiers of Pharma brands – is Pharma becoming Phashion?

4.      Pricing / Market Access - There are as many pricing models as there are pricing experts. Which model has the best outcome for a specific market or product? How can research help to optimize the price? Moreover, does the optimal price exists, or is this just a phantom number invented by pricing experts to validate their methodologies.  Case studies from emerging markets would be great.

5.      Customer Loyalty - Are HCPs loyal to certain companies or even sales representatives.  Is this a relevant issue in today’s industry?  As companies become multi national are still HCPs local to national companies and what is their perception of national companies. What do HCPs feel they are loyal to nowadays – is it brands, companies?  Most companies measure today a form of customer loyalty. With this topic we would like to investigate the trends in customer loyalty measurement in the life sciences industry as well as the ROI of these models. And what about customer centricity, is customer loyalty really a tool to introduce customer driven thinking into the whole of the company, or is it just another KPI?

6.      Compliance / Patient Adherence - Nowadays it is not just about the patient being prescribed your product but patient compliance is a challenge.  Often diaries are used to keep track of compliance but this in itself can introduce bias.  Does keeping a log of when the medication is taken affect or influence outcomes?