The NHS Challenge

If your agency or in-house team has  expertise in addressing the communication challenges in launching and marketing pharmaceuticals  within the UK  – then this award is for you. Agencies will have the opportunity to display their working knowledge of the UK healthcare system and market access environment , competing against their peers on the live finals day and attending the prestigious ceremony alongside the Marketer and Sales awards.

Teams entering will be able to demonstrate their skills through their response to an international communications brief.  At the same time, the experience and the feedback they will receive on their performance, will help in developing their individual skills and team working through what is a challenging, yet friendly process.

Overview:

• If your agency or in-house team has expertise in addressing the communications challenges in launching and marketing pharmaceuticals  within the UK  – then this challenge is for you
• Agencies will have the opportunity to display their working knowledge of the UK healthcare system and market access environment, competing against their peers on the live finals day and attending the prestigious ceremony alongside the Marketer and Sales awards
• The brief has been developed by a team of marketing and communication specialists from both agency & pharma, to ensure that it looks and feels like a genuine pharma challenge

Suitability:

• The NHS Challenge is suitable for communications teams who have experience in addressing the communications challenges in launching and marketing pharmaceuticals within the UK.

Format:

• Teams will respond directly to a brief devised by the executive steering committee to challenge their market knowledge as well as their strategic and tactical thinking
• The judging panel for this category is comprised of senior level, pharma marketing and communications professionals
• Both the disease area and treatments are fictional to ensure that no agency can bring an advantage due to experience in the area, giving an even playing field
• This means that your proposals are based solely on the knowledge of your craft and your innovative thinking
• Teams can be up to 5 individuals, so ensuring you have the right mix of skills and knowledge within the team to deliver a response within the competitions’ time constraints, is an important consideration
• No specific preparation is needed beforehand

Judging Criteria:

Specific scoring criteria will be developed alongside each year’s unique case-study / challenge.  But all finalists should bear in mind the requirement to demonstrate their ability in:

• Comprehending and understanding the challenge:
  Teams should demonstrate a clear understanding of the brief / case study and the unique challenges faced when dealing with the NHS
• Understanding of the national and regional environment
  Teams should demonstrate their familiarity with developing and implementing pharmaceutical communications campaigns within the UK. They should show an understanding of the issues, obstacles and opportunities – and clearly show how they plan to address these
• Prioritising and identifying key insights
  Demonstrate your team’s ability to identify the key insights within the communications brief – show how you would prioritise their importance and ensure they are addressed in your proposed plan
• Developing workable communications strategies and a tactical overview
  Teams must exhibit strategic and tactical thinking within their response to the brief – showing clearly their chosen communications strategies – and how they can be effectively delivered and evaluated against measurable objectives
• Demonstrating a good blend of innovation, creativity, and respect for compliance
  Demonstrate your innovative approach and creative thinking where appropriate – don’t be afraid to think outside the box – but your team must show they understand any risks, how to mitigate them and that they are keeping the core compliance and regulatory issues at the forefront of their plans