SHANGHAI — Sept. 10, 2024 — Today, WE Communications (WE) released its latest Brands in Motion global study, “Reputation Rules: Unlocking Physician Prescribing Power,” which surveyed physicians across the globe, including China. The research reveals that, in instances where medicines are similar in safety, efficacy, price and other functional factors, physicians ranked a company’s leadership in a specific disease area and its overall corporate reputation as the top two factors when it comes to making prescribing decisions.
“Our new research is a natural extension of our Brands in Motion health report from the previous year, which first revealed the connection between corporate reputation and prescribing decisions,” said Stephanie Marchesi, president of WE Global Health. “We now unequivocally know that reputation — be it at the disease-specific level or at the corporate level — is a bottom-line business driver.”
“Companies that invest in building their above-brand, disease-specific reputation will be able to speak beyond specific treatments and paint a more holistic, highly valued picture of their commitment to a therapeutic area — one that may prove influential in tipping the scales in favor of their treatments,” said Marchesi.
For pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies looking to improve their reputations, doubling down on their innovation narratives is often an underexplored communications opportunity. More than half of physicians globally say that investment in R&D is one of the factors that influences their trust in companies, and 47% identify being a leader in R&D innovation as one of the top actions that companies can take to improve their reputations, a figure that reaches 50% in China.
Besides R&D, fighting to improve patient access to medicine (55%) can improve a company’s corporate reputation across the surveyed markets, with most physicians globally (91%) prepared to act to increase access. This includes closely partnering with companies, as brands that court increased collaboration opportunities will open new avenues for healthcare communications.
“Our study underscores how crucial it is for biopharma brands to invest in building a strong reputation,” said Wendy Yu, healthcare group account director at WE Red Bridge. “Far from being a soft asset, corporate reputation stands out as a clear business driver.”
ABOUT BRANDS IN MOTION
Partnering with Sapio Research, WE surveyed more than 500 physicians in six markets — including the United States — to understand their perspectives on the biotech and pharmaceutical industry.
“Reputation Rules: Unlocking Physician Prescribing Power” is part of WE’s Brands in Motion global research. Now in its eighth year, Brands in Motion has surveyed more than 100,000 consumers and business decision-makers about how perceptions shift over time.
ABOUT WE RED BRIDGE
WE Red Bridge is an award-winning consultancy that delivers growth for businesses in China. From our offices in Beijing and Shanghai, we combine holistic business understanding, agile planning, creative storytelling and digital know-how to help clients shape reputation and build high-value communities that achieve business growth in the world’s most dynamic market.
As a WE Communications company, our team’s expertise spans sectors and geography, making us local in focus and international in thinking. For 40 years, WE has built meaningful partnerships with clients and influencers, created work that connects with the audience’s head and heart, and moved people around the world to positive action. The company’s operations now span 20+ international offices, 1,300 employees and an ever-growing portfolio of global technology, health and consumer brands. Our work with global brands like Microsoft, Intel, McDonald’s, and Volvo has been recognized by Cannes Lions, PRovoke SABRE Awards and PRWeek Awards, just to name a few.
For more information, press only: BB Borri, WE, [email protected]
