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Digital pharma marketing: 5 ways to avoid localisation problems

January 11, 2018 | Data, Digital, HQ marketing, Localisation, Market Access, Marketing, Pharma, Strategy, communication, content, e-book, handbook, headquarters, local markets, sales effectiveness 

Localisation of digital materials isn’t difficult but it can go wrong. Here’s how to keep everything on track.


Without a clear process in place, localisation can be a logistical nightmare. Costs can spiral with unplanned rounds of changes, timelines get thrown out the window, messages get distorted – all straining the relationship between headquarters and local markets. With localisation, it is far easier to avoid issues than it is to fix them.

Here are five ways to avoid potential problems:

  1. Understand that localisation is essentially about internal alignment. Most problems arise through misunderstandings and therefore can be avoided with good communication.
  2. Ensure that local markets support the project. Explain the process fully so colleagues know what is expected – and confirm that they have allocated sufficient resources to achieve it.
  3. Understand the process of digital communication, particularly the vital role that the storyboard plays. Your agency is there to guide you and ensure that you understand the steps required.
  4. Design with localisation in mind. Designers, techs and strategists all need to consider it. Things like insufficiently large text fields that fail to accommodate translation, texts being programmed as an image, lack of space for references, are all problems that can be avoided.
  5. Share the budget between headquarters and local markets. If you are solely responsible for all costs, this can encourage continual change requests. Sharing costs keeps things on track.

Keeping it simple

Localisation doesn’t have to be a nightmare. With good communication, a clear and structured process, and the right agency support, it’s possible to avoid problems before they occur – delivering projects on time and on budget.

Get more international digital marketing strategies

With many years’ experience working at a headquarters level on global pharma campaigns, Anthill knows what it takes to enable affiliates to deliver high-value communications to their stakeholders. Now many of these strategies and techniques have been compiled into an e-book: The HQ Digital Marketing Handbook.

>> Access your copy today: Download the e-book

This content was provided by Anthill Agency