Advancing Positioning Strategy with Global Physician Insight
In a category where multiple therapies offer comparable clinical profiles, a healthcare client partnered with KS&R to evaluate how physicians interpret and respond to competitive product messaging.
The study sought to uncover how global specialists prioritize different aspects of efficacy, safety, and administration, and more importantly, how small differences in language, data framing, and delivery can influence perception. Findings would inform message refinement, positioning strategy, and country-level adaptation in preparation for market expansion.
KS&R conducted in-depth qualitative interviews across five countries, speaking with specialists who actively manage moderate to severe chronic conditions. Participants were shown multiple product profiles, including competitor treatments, and asked to compare, contrast, and articulate what most influenced their preferences.
The research explored how treatment decisions were shaped by clinical performance, perceived differentiation, and communication clarity. Key areas of focus included trial design credibility, dosing convenience, and how competing brand narratives resonated across varied market contexts.
Discussions also examined how local practice norms, healthcare systems, and linguistic nuance influenced physician interpretation of similar messages, highlighting how a single positioning statement could be received differently depending on region or segment.
The research revealed that while clinical priorities such as efficacy and safety were universally important, the way physicians interpreted and weighed these factors varied across regions and practice styles. Even when product profiles appeared clinically similar, differences in language, emphasis, and presentation influenced perception.
Some messages were seen as compelling in one market but less impactful in another, depending on local norms, healthcare systems, or communication expectations. This underscored the importance of testing messaging across geographies to ensure that claims resonate with target audiences and avoid misinterpretation.
Ultimately, the study enabled the client to refine global positioning and communications, ensuring that product benefits were clearly understood, competitively differentiated, and relevant within each local context.
