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Published byDiane Poole Modified over 9 years ago
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Medical Communications agencies – uncovered ! Dr Diane Sutherland Editorial Director Fishawack Communications
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Introduction to the ‘Office’ A brief personal history Medicom agencies – they come in all shapes and sizes! Small Medium Large Unique mix of skills and personalities
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Content overview Through the agency door – the department mix A walk through each department Stopping in the Editorial department: Roles and responsibilities Teamwork Career structure Getting started
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The Department mix Editorial IT/multimedia Finance/HR Account handling Design/layout Conference/events Sales/business development
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Bringing in the business Business development/ Sales dept
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Sales/business development team New business Detective work – investigating and identifying potential opportunities in pharma for medicom services Making contact – establishing introductory appointments Managing pitches and proposals requested – selling agency services and skills Maintaining database of contacts/therapy areas and on-going progress Sales budget and target establishment Repeat business Same product, new project types Same company, new products Same client, new company
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Delivering the business Editorial Conference Design Multimedia Account management
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Meeting and greeting – conference/events department Managing and delivering all meetings-based projects venue and 3 rd party supplier liaison; speaker, participant and on-site management Ensuring that projects are delivered to budget, schedule and quality Advisory boards Stand-alone meetings Satellite symposia
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Visual appeal and that professional look – design and multimedia Creative concepts, designs and producing visual materials – internal (e.g. pitches/presentations) and client Artwork and layouts for written project outputs Scientific and technical illustrations for the presentations/project outputs Interactive options – web- based, animation
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Keeping us all in line – account/project managers Project specification and cost estimates Schedules Monitoring project status according to specification Tracking hours and budget Liaising with client on the above
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Behind the scenes IT Project support Finance Human resources/personnel
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Getting down to business Editorial dept
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Editorial team: roles/titles Writers Editors Editorial assistants Trainee/junior Senior Principal Manager Account team leader/account director/editorial team leader Scientific director Director/head of department
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Key tasks of the writer Developing (through research, writing, editing) high-quality material for a variety of projects according to the brief within budget and timelines with correct use of English and scientific accuracy Liaising with clients, authors and colleagues to progress projects effectively Mentoring, training and managing writers Preparing cost estimates for editorial tasks Actively participating in account development/ new business opportunities Managing workload (personal/across team)
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No writer is an island – interacting with other departments Editorial Materials Speakers PPT Reports On-site Concepts Layout Site map Functionality Costs Schedules Pitches Proposals Insight Contacts Sales/BD Conference/Events Account/Project management Design/Multimedia
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Career progression within the editorial team – an example Medical Writer Editorial Director Editorial Manager Principal Writer Senior Medical Writer Scientific Director 0 – 3 yrs 2.5 – 5 yrs ≥5 yrs ≥ 4 yrs ≥5 yrs Internal: training procedures External: BD support Account dvlp Experience (time; range of projects) Skill set
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Getting started
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The Process Application Covering letter CV Writing and editing tests Interview Presentation Editorial Other departments
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Boxes to tick What the agency is looking for: Writing skills Attention to detail Therapy area experience/potential Suitability to role Team fit Creativity Enthusiasm! Some considerations for a potential new writer: Do you enjoy writing? Are you a good team player? Do you have an interest in the pharmaceutical industry? Are you enthusiastic about learning a wide range of areas of medicine? Are you able to work flexibly and to tight timelines?
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Never a dull moment! Variety Project types Therapy areas Team work Ownership Job satisfaction
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