A global FTSE100 pharmaceutical manufacturer asked Absurd to identify better ways for its sales and marketing teams to engage clinicians at the right time, through the right channels, and within strict compliance constraints.
The challenge became more urgent during the Covid-19 pandemic, when traditional routes into clinician engagement were reduced even further. The organisation needed a clearer view of where meaningful opportunities still existed and how to prioritise them sensibly.
Project overview
Absurd combined behavioural research and service design methods to understand both stakeholder needs and clinician behaviour.
The project focused on:
- understanding how clinicians naturally consume information
- identifying the triggers, frictions, and influences shaping engagement
- mapping the current and future-state journeys
- prioritising opportunities by impact and investment
- creating a roadmap the organisation could actually act on
Research approach
Absurd used Digital Footprint Mapping to understand real online behaviour rather than relying on assumptions alone. Interviews were then used to validate what was emerging from the data, revealing the needs, triggers, and pain points shaping clinician decision-making.
This was combined with persona work, ecosystem mapping, and current and future-state journey mapping. Compliance stakeholders were involved as part of the process so that the resulting opportunities stayed grounded in organisational reality.
Outcome
The final output was a service design roadmap that helped the organisation improve existing channels, prioritise new features and products, and identify where new services or platforms would create the most value.
The roadmap was visualised through an impact-versus-investment lens, which made prioritisation easier and gave the organisation a practical basis for transformation. The work has since supported improved clinician engagement while allowing the organisation to remain compliant and more deliberate in how it allocates resource.