At Word Monster, we’re all about transforming the complex into the compelling, and one of the most powerful tools for doing just that is a Scientific Communication Platform (SCP). But what exactly is an SCP, and how can you create one that works like magic?
An SCP is a narrative framework that acts as a central pillar to all medical and scientific communications. It’s your go-to resource for collaborating with and aligning your internal teams and making sure your external messaging is clear, credible, and consistent.
As its role is to guide and inform any new communications, it’s not only crucial to get it right – the earlier an SCP is developed the more effective it will be. But if you don’t have one yet, don’t fret! Grab a coffee, and let’s dive in.
What is a Scientific Communication Platform (SCP)?
An SCP is a platform or document that contains key communication-related content for a specific product, portfolio or disease state or area. It houses your strategic objectives, scientific position (background and context), narrative, core medical messaging, and any supporting data.
An SCP therefore acts as the foundation of your brand’s story in the world of medical and scientific communications. It’s a centralised, strategic framework that:
- Brings together the key scientific messages about your product, therapy, or research
- Acts as your scientific “North Star” to guide everything from publications and training to marketing and medical education
- Ensures consistency across all communications (so everyone’s singing from the same hymn sheet)
It’s important to note that an SCP isn’t a static document. It evolves with your product’s lifecycle, incorporating new evidence, shifts in the competitive landscape, and emerging regulatory guidelines.
When should you create one?
In general with SCPs, the earlier the better. SCPs are designed to give your messages a strong foundation and allow alignment across all functional areas. They can also help you to identify any gaps in your messaging, now and in the future. While such a guide can help at any point in time, it’s certainly most efficient as a starting point. Agreeing on content early on can also help your teams avoid having to duplicate efforts or re-do messaging.
That’s not to say an SCP will always stay the same. Whatever stage your brand or portfolio is at, the SCP helps to align your story to your current situation and objectives. Its contents will reflect that too and, later on, an SCP will need refining or rewriting to meet any new goals or challenges.
In early development, SCPs focus on setting the stage and might concentrate on topics like unmet needs and mechanisms of disease or action. In phase 3 and beyond, they usually concentrate on communicating the clinical benefit and value of the project(s), including key clinical data and real-world evidence.
Top tips for a killer Scientific Communication Platform
Getting your SCP right is an important landmark that can inform all your subsequent materials and communications. Before you get started, it’s important to:
- Collaborate with the right people throughout the process to develop and review the platform, including partnering with relevant experts
- Define and know your objectives – what challenges do you hope to address with the SCP? Do your communication objectives align with your medical strategy and direct medical communications? While you may have many objectives, platforms should in general focus on a maximum of five
- Know your audience and tailor your platform and messages to them specifically (both the internal audience, and who they will be communicating to externally)
- Really dig into the data to get your story right first time, and hold a workshop to test and refine messaging
- Remember to keep it simple: clear, concise language wins every time. In addition, make your SCP accessible with visuals and infographics alongside text, and use a framework to organise it into clear sections
- Think long term and how your platform will evolve with your brand, new data and objectives
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
Creating a Scientific Communication Platform is certainly not easy without the right plan in action – and here are some of the most common pitfalls to watch out for:
- Creating an SCP too late. Jumping in halfway, when you’ve already created some communications and messaging is already defined (or maybe not so defined without an SCP!). It’s much more effective to use your SCP to guide subsequent communications, rather than trying to retro-fit messaging in. The answer is to get in there early – or as soon as you recognise the need for an SCP!
- Lack of cross-functional collaboration. Lack of collaboration on your SCP can lead to conflicting messages across departments, who may all have their own different objectives. Make sure all relevant teams and stakeholders are involved from the outset, and hold workshops throughout the process to ensure alignment and equal input
- Failing to review and update your SCP. This results in outdated narratives that no longer serve market needs, and therefore renders your SCP useless (or, more problematically, results in outdated narratives being used). Be sure to regularly review and update your SCP, with all relevant teams involved and considering new data, any changes for your brand (e.g., a new indication or change in priorities) or a shift in the treatment landscape.
Where Word Monster comes in
A clear, well-structured Scientific Communication Platform that’s built from the offset (whatever stage your brand is at) can help align all teams to a common objective and keep your messages on track.
Developing one can feel like a daunting task – but that’s where we come in. At Word Monster, we specialise in turning complex science into compelling stories that resonate with your audience, at any stage of your brand story. Our expertise ensures your platform aligns with best practices, adapts to new challenges, and delivers results.
Need a SCP that delivers? Word Monster helps pharma and biotech teams create strategic, evidence-based SCPs that ensure consistency, impact, and adaptability. Let’s chat.
References
Scientific Communication Platforms: Best Practices for Medical Affairs. Available from https://medicalaffairs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Download-Guidance-Document-Template.pdf.