Novartis Pharma AG: Strategic Communications Consulting Communication as a means of generating public goodwill
int/ext Communications, Switzerland
The management of Novartis
decided in January 2000 to use the Biotechnology Center in Huningue (France)
for the production of a new asthma medication.
Production was scheduled to commence in mid-2002. int/ext Communications was
then asked to draw up a communications concept for the run-up to the commissioning
of the Biotechnology Center.
This contract also covered the support and implementation of specific measures.
Novartis was in special need of support with the political aspects of the licensing
process in France.
The new drug is manufactured by means of genetically modified cells. Some sections
of society take a critical view of this new technology. Our communications will
enable Novartis to respond to this criticism and help provide reassurance and
allay anxieties by taking a proactive approach to the communications.
The aim of the measures is to make it possible for production of this new medication
to get started as quickly and smoothly as possible. The Biotechnology Center
is located in France, but is very close to the German and Swiss borders –
a situation which was taken into account when planning the communications strategy.
int/ext Communications conducted a stakeholder analysis and defined the key
issues associated with the production of the new medication in Huningue. On
the basis of this analysis, int/ext Communications proposed the following specific
measures:
a) The creation of:
fact sheets, containing all the most important information and Novartis’
standpoint on various issues,
a list of arguments, containing Novartis’ response to the most frequently
asked critical questions,
a letter to staff in Alsace, informing them about the project and the official
procedure currently under way,
a presentation, providing an insight into the project, processes and the
product itself,
an information brochure, containing concise and attractively presented information
on the Biotechnology,
a video film presenting the plant.
b) Organization of a press conference to explain Novartis’ plans for
the Biotechnology Center in more detail.
All documents are available in German, French and English.
Important:
The brochure shown and the presentation in particular were created at the end
of 2000 and therefore reflect the status quo at that time. Some of the contents
may now be obsolete and hence no longer correct.
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