KOL Management: A KEY Ingredient Of Your Marketing Strategy Recipe

I have already touched on the topic of KOL, particularly regarding new product development in this post. I encourage you to go over it as soon as possible. Today I will go through the role of KOL in downstream marketing. Trust me, you’ll find this interesting and enlightening!

KOL: A Definition

As already discussed, a key opinion leader (KOL), in the healthcare field, is a physician, nurse, researcher, hospital executive, etc, with proven experience and expertise in a specific discipline who is trusted and respected by his/her colleagues. 

Why Are KOLs Important In Medical Device Marketing?

Since the category “medical device” is so diverse, the relevance of KOLs is variable.

For example, the importance of KOLs is lower for consolidated products like medical supply than for highly innovative devices that are changing the therapeutic paradigm. 

KOLs can be a powerful component of the go-to-market strategy and the marketing plan for medical device companies. In today’s world, influencers are the new stars, thanks to social media, and KOL in the medical field have a similar function. An effective and credible KOL can deliver the same credibility and support to a marketing campaign of a medical device company just as a sports celebrity can do for a shoe brand.

KOL Origins And Controversies

The influence of “opinion leaders” on the diffusion of innovation among physicians is very well known and well-studied. Already in mid-1950’s, Coleman et al. studied how the use of a new drug was spreading among physicians of 4 cities in the US thanks to trusted figures in their network.  

Pharmaceutical companies and on a smaller scale, medical device manufacturers have steadily increased their use of the KOL model of communication and dissemination of data since the beginning of the 50s. The investment made by the companies in KOL-based activities is meaningful and for some, very controversial. As a result, on a regular basis, the promotion of medical devices or pharmaceuticals via KOLs activities is criticized and reaches the attention of the media.

KOL Activities in Downstream Marketing

The role of KOL in downstream marketing is supporting product adoption through peer-to-peer interaction and there are many ways this could be done.

Chiefly, the KOL shares his or her experience and outcomes showing evidence about efficacy, safety, and reliability. The goals of KOL activities are to communicate unbiased and well-supported scientific data about the device to generate widespread adoption, increase & create demand and boost preference.

KOLs can be involved in several activities according to the needs of the company and their specific capabilities.

Typical examples are:

• Participating, chairing or organizing an advisory board
• Speaking at local, national, and international congresses
• Hosting webinars
• Conducting or participating in clinical or marketing studies
• Participating in the development of internal training, marketing, or patient education material
• Becoming an official trainer and developing a training center or courses
• Authoring publications, media articles, white papers, case reports and assisting the publication
• Becoming a testimonial of the product on the company’s website

KOL Management

As stated before, depending on the medical device, the activities conducted by KOLs could be more or less “KEY”.

As a starting point, ensure that internally and externally, the goals of the KOL relationship are clear. Before starting the KOL engagement you need a well-orchestrated and objective-driven plan in relation to the product’s lifecycle and business needs.

The next step could be the creation of a simple classification, based on the geographical level of influence, in regional, national and international KOL.

Furthermore, identify well-respected KOLs that have solid experience and an appropriate level of authority about the specific topic relevant to the company’s products.

Build, develop and maintain a long-term relationship based on trust, integrity, and mutual respect. It is fundamental to clarify from the beginning the mutual expectations of the collaboration. 

The company’s goals and deliverables must be clearly communicated, and a formal written agreement must be signed.

Develop non-sales-related metrics to measure the impact of the KOL engagement program.

Medical device companies need to foster a culture of transparent engagement and collaboration with the KOL.

Lastly, it is essential to understand the network of the KOL, the span of influence, and the way information is disseminated, to evaluate the effectiveness of the KOL program.

Final remarks

Respected and authoritative KOLs seem to have more influence on physicians than other media or sales reps because they are seen as trustworthy and non-purposive.

The impact of KOLs on product adoption is variable in relation to the category of the medical device.

For several products, the influence of KOLs on market acceptance is undeniable. As such, the mutually beneficial, collaborative relationship between the medical device company and its KOLs is invaluable.

However, managing the relationship properly and maintaining company and KOL independence is critical.

What is your experience with KOLs? Share your thoughts in the section below and if you like the content of this blog, go ahead and hit the subscribe button. 😉