The client for the interim mandate is the largest research-based pharmaceutical company in Germany. In 2018, the company achieved an operating result of 3.472 billion euros with a turnover of 17.5 billion euros.
The interim manager was hired as interim Head of Customer Marketing. In this role, he had to manage an extensive portfolio of tasks:
- Setting up the digital customer marketing team
- Evaluating all customer touchpoints
- Building a customer journey landscape
- Selecting & integrating a marketing automation SaaS model into the IT architecture
- Developing and implementing omni-channel measures for a successful digital customer experience
In addition, the interim manager was tasked with setting up a change and transformation process for the field sales force.
Lack of expertise for omni-channel campaigns and digital customer journeys
On the one hand, the challenge was that the client had to find an alternative for pharmaceutical customer visits at short notice. This is because more and more doctors are refusing personal visits from pharmaceutical sales representatives. On the other hand, the client had neither a team nor expertise for innovative omni-channel campaigns and digital customer journeys.
Recruiting for the customer marketing team
The interim manager initially initiated the recruiting for the customer marketing team. Thanks to his extensive network, he was able to help find suitable experts as business analysts, content managers, platform managers and customer managers within a short space of time.
Marketing automation evaluated and implemented with SaaS model
A digital customer journey essentially consists of a large number of contact points with the customer, known as touchpoints. Each route (customer journey) has different starting points, but one goal: dialog with the customer to strengthen customer loyalty. In this project, the interim manager created customer landscapes with up to 15 customer routes. This data was manually entered into a cloud-based software as a service model (SaaS model).
First fully digital customer campaigns launched
The evaluation of marketing automation with SaaS models, including successful integration into the IT architecture, was a particular focus of the project. For the digital customer journey, interfaces to the enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management system (CRM system) as well as to analog service providers (e.g. print) were established in order to ensure digital control of the omni-channel campaigns. At the end of the project term, the first fully electronic customer campaigns were launched.
Mindset change for sales/field service successfully initiated
In addition, the interim manager successfully initiated the change and transformation process, including a mindset change for the sales/field service. The majority of the sales force now understands the need for change and has recognized the digital campaigns as an opportunity - also for the sales force. The success of this interim mandate also includes the fact that existing customers were "revitalized" and new customers were acquired.
