Pharma brand websites

Pharma companies have built 100s of websites over the years. These often run on different CMS systems or are coded in different ways. The result is a highly complex web environment that is hard to overview and expensive to keep updated. And in some markets, companies may even be 'locked' into agency relationships and so lack direct control over their web presence.

Our website unification service puts you back in control. It provides both the technology and the processes that enable content to be released centrally, approved at all stages, and adapted to meet local needs. And we work with you to transfer your existing content – all sites, anywhere in the world – to the system. Talk to us about unifying your total web presence.

Most pharma and MedTech companies' web presence developed organically, with sites and pages gradually being added. Over time, a few websites have grown into 100s that companies now need to track, manage and update. Because sites grew organically – with no central plan or system – there is little or no consistency. It is common to find companies running multiple CMS systems worldwide and even trying to maintain sites that are individually coded in different ways. This fragmented environment causes many problems.

Lack of insight: The total web presence is impossible to overview. At a global level, people may not even precisely know how many websites the company is running around the world — let alone have the ability to track performance, develop strategies, and make changes to better engage healthcare professionals (HCPs).

Static content: Because of the fragmented technical environment, it is challenging to keep sites regularly updated. Even minor updates may become an agency project. The result is a slow process, with affiliates at different stages of implementation and, therefore, inconsistent communication across markets.

Low control: In extreme cases, companies can become ‘locked’ into agency relationships if sites are not created using standard platforms. That not only puts you in a difficult position when negotiating costs, it also adds a risk that you cannot update content if essential personnel leave an agency or it ceases to operate.

Inconsistent brand expression: Without the right governance structures, brand identities can differ across a company’s web presence — even for the same product. Correct brand implementation can get ‘lost in translation’ as rules are interpreted in different ways, with errors going uncorrected due to a lack of oversight.

Inefficiency: Without a centralised system and approach, costs can spiral. If affiliates are each building and maintaining websites locally in different ways, there will be a duplication of work on both the technical and creative sides. And, as the number of websites continues to rise, affiliate workload continues to grow.

Anthill's website unification service provides a single technical platform with the governance system, project management and training that enables you to take full control of your web presence — no matter how many websites you operate worldwide. This allows you to simplify web content creation and ensure brand alignment with the flexibility to meet all local market requirements.

It works by a ‘spoke and wheel’ strategy. At the hub, core technical elements are created centrally for all brands and websites. This approach is made possible by extensive research and the use of ‘web crawlers’ that scan your entire web presence and identify every single design element and content functionality in use. This way, we can ensure that the core system meets all requirements.

At the next level, brand teams create master brand sites for each product using these elements. Affiliates then use these master sites to build all the product websites they need for their markets. In this way, the company gains the efficiency benefits of centralisation, while brand teams can ensure the correct online representation of their products. Local markets also benefit from a system that is easier to work with, gives them control, and speeds up the creation and adaptation of websites — while meeting all their specific functionality requirements.

Because website unification works at a global scale and involves a great many stakeholders, it is complex. Excellence in project management is essential. We overcome this complexity with a transparent process and continual communication with affiliates, technology partners and creative agencies worldwide. Detailed documentation and training videos are delivered — and then brought to life with a webinar series that runs throughout the project.

We also engage directly with stakeholders. Anthill works closely with individual brand teams to build global master sites that correctly express the products' visual identities and enable all required functionalities. And we support affiliates and agencies worldwide, enabling them to create their websites in the new system.

Anthill partners with you throughout the website unification process — providing services that take you all the way from initially mapping your total web presence to analytics that demonstrate project ROI. To activate your web channel around the world, get in touch.