Finalist
Roche Products Ltd
Summary of work
At Roche, the Communications and the Market Access departments were independently working to tackle the issue of access to medicines. However, siloed working created mixed messages to different audiences. Negotiations with key stakeholders were being compromised by an aggressive media strategy, damaging the reputation of the company. Moving from combat to collaboration was vital.
Recognising the need for an integrated approach, Roche combined the two Departments. A strong emphasis on partnership working – both internally and externally – a joined-up narrative, and harnessing the power of communications to support conversations with key decision-makers paid dividends.
A number of high profile company firsts, combined with traditional communications and stakeholder engagement activities, created 1.2 billion opportunities for people in the UK to see Roche news stories accompanied by a 100% success rate in approvals of our medicines – guaranteeing access to
much-needed treatment for thousands of patients. Reimbursement for no less than eight of our most important medicines was secured; some medicines had been stuck in the system for more than five years.
In addition, the reputation of the company increased, and the Communications, Policy and Access model has set the standard, which is now being copied across the Roche world.
Judges’ comments
Roche had a strong entry with a good focus on their communications over the past year. It is clear they are on a journey with exciting prospects for the future.
