Hi! Hiro from GP here.

As large events and in-person activities continue to be limited, the majority of corporate new product launches are now held online.

The pharmaceutical industry is no exception. Most new drug launches and accompanying lectures and seminars have also moved into Web lectures and Web seminars.

Currently, many Web lectures and Web seminars are held using simple online tools. However, in the future, in order to more effectively promote new products, the pharmaceutical industry will be looking for ways of expression and staging that are unique to online.

In this journal, we will introduce what kind of appeal methods will become possible when the stage for new drug launches is changed to online, and what kind of presentations can be realized.

How to hold strong presence online beyond mere “Web Seminars” and “Web Lectures”

When you hear the words “web seminar” or “web lecture”, what immediately comes to mind is a scene where a speaker gives a one-way presentation or lecture through the screen, and the participants watch and listen from their homes.

You may also imagine the standard video conferencing tools such as zoom, where the materials are projected on a large screen and the speaker’s face can be seen at the edge of the screen, or a fixed-point camera that continuously projects the materials on the screen as he or she speaks.

The advantage of these simple webinar-style events is that they are easy to organize. Depending on the scale of the event, it may be possible to use video conferencing tools to reduce the amount of equipment needed, or to hold the event with no external help.

However, the webinar format has a definite weakness.

It has little impact and leaves little impression on the audience.

As more and more online events are held around the world, audiences are becoming more discerning. If an announcement is uninteresting or has little impact, it will be not much of an impression and soon forgotten. The days of simply broadcasting information and having it be heard are over.

The time has passed when you could simply broadcast information and have it heard. The information is no longer reaching the people you want to reach. In the case of a new drug launch, where the future of a company may be at stake, it is a fatal risk that the message does not convey or that viewers are not engaged in the presentation. Especially where it is easy to click off from an online presentation, you need to give this point a careful consideration.

If you are planning to hold a major online event, such as a new drug launch or lecture, that is distinctly different from the usual Web seminars or Web lectures, you must be particular in designing the presentation.

So, what specific staging ideas are out there?

Let us introduce some specific ideas for online staging.

1: Adding richness to the staging through the use of virtual space

The greatest advantage of presenting online is the ability to design an image freely without worrying about spatial limitations.

While an office or conference room tends to give a plain impression, the range of expression can be dramatically expanded by delivering the presentation from a studio.

Simply compositing a CG image of the new drug presentation into the background in a dedicated studio can completely change the atmosphere of the event, and when a message is simultaneously displayed during the presentation, the viewer’s comprehension is enhanced as they receive information through both their eyes and ears.

The key to a new drug launch is to achieve both impact and ease of comprehension. The following tips will help you attract the attention of attendees and have them engaged with your new product.

● Express a world view that matches the image and branding of the new product

Various designs can be added to match the brand image of the new drug to be launched and the target audience to be appealed to. Needless to say, there are differences in the effects of new drugs, but there are also differences in the “points of interest” and “designs that are easy for viewers to see”, let’s say for people in their 20s or 50s. By tailoring the presentation and expression to the target audience, which the freedom is possible only with digital technology, it will be possible to deliver information in a way that is truly effective.

● Synthesis technology allows key persons from all over the world to join the presentation

One of the elements that liven up a new drug launch are the appearance of the key persons. The appearance of a key person in the development of a new drug or an expert who can explain the effects of a new drug in an easy-to-understand manner can spark the interest of viewers.

Online, guests can appear remotely from any location in the world, not to mention wherever from Japan. In addition, not only is it possible to present the video as if it were a video call, but it is also possible to have them appear as if it is being broadcasted from the same studio through the use of synthesis technology (teleportation).

Why not include introductions and commentary directly from key persons of the product in your next launch, which is far more easier online?

2: Freely combine recorded video and live streaming

Although rarely misunderstood, the live-streaming format does not mean that all content has to be in real-time. For example, a promotional Video for a new product can be created in advance and transmitted in combination with live streaming.

For example, a pre-produced, easy-to-understand video can be prepared for the explanation of a new drug, while a lecture or a session with a guest is streamed live to emphasize the realism of the event. This will create a sense of energy in the presentation and make it easier for the overall information to be conveyed to the online viewers.

3: Interactive communication with participants

One of the advantages of an online event is the interactive real-time communication with and between participants. By utilizing the chat function (the ability to write text interactively) and other functions of the streaming platform, it is possible to monitor the live responses of participants and communicate in real time.

Also, it’s very effective to utilize the Q&A sessions. By soliciting text-based questions during a presentation or new product introduction and answering them in the Q&A section, effective Q&A can be conducted while maintaining a smooth progression. Another fact is that it’s much easier for the participants to ask questions in chat-rooms rather than in real life, so questions and opinions that have not been picked up in the past will be collected.

Furthermore, it is possible to record various data during the event using the questionnaire function, or to get a majority vote from the participants using the voting function displayed as a percentage, in order to utilize the data for post-event activities.

Another method is to utilize the communicated text itself as part of the stage design, for example, by having real-time comments flow one after another on the screen, as in Nico Nico Douga (Japanese Video Sharing Site).

The “New Drug Launch” of the future

Even in industries where communication in real-life settings has been emphasized, it is expected that online information streaming and communication will become even more important in the future.

Although this drastic change may be a concern to some of you, as we have shown in this article, the shift of corporate activities moving online should be received positively and a new scope that should be addressed actively.

There are many possibilities that can only be realized and expanded online. We encourage all of you to explore new ways to make your New Drug Launches more effective and we hope to be your partner whenever needed.