Thought Leader Segmentation for Medical Affairs | Acceleration Point | Resources

As the landscape of healthcare changes, so too must the way field teams approach thought leader segmentation. Traditional methods have typically centered on an MSL engaging a set number of KOLs, but recent experience shows that a more nuanced approach is necessary for success. Thought leader segmentation is the process Medical Affairs field teams use to group and prioritize key opinion leaders (KOLs) and digital opinion leaders (DOLs) so that limited field capacity is directed toward the engagements that best support scientific strategy.

Key Takeaways

Traditional segmentation often relies on global, regional, and local influence tiers tied to fair market value (FMV) and contracting rates, which alone do not tell field teams where to focus.
Modern segmentation starts with strategy: field teams first define the tactics they will deliver across the treatment lifecycle, then build segments around those tactics.
Prioritization is essential because there are always more members of the medical community available to engage than there is capacity to reach, with a typical field team member having roughly 150 days a year for engagement.
Data sources such as scientific publications, congress presentations, and social monitoring help identify which KOLs and DOLs carry the most scientific influence and reach.
Segmentation decisions should be validated by territory and integrated into existing CRM or KOL planning tools to keep the administrative burden on field teams low.

Why Fair Market Value Tiering Is Not Enough on Its Own

One major issue with current methods is that they are too heavily focused on defining global, regional, and local influence, often driven by the process of calculating fair market value (FMV) to determine contracting rates. While this remains an important part of the contracting process, it alone is not adequate for helping field teams prioritize what to focus on. FMV reflects influence and sets contracting rates, but it does not connect a thought leader to the specific scientific work a field team is trying to accomplish.

How Modern Field Teams Build Segmentation Around Strategy

Modern field teams start by clearly defining the tactics the field team will deliver, based on the lifecycle of the treatment. This may include engaging with existing investigators or identifying new potential sites, supporting traditional key opinion leaders who disseminate evidence through publications and congress presentations, or engaging with digital opinion leaders to increase awareness through digital and social channels. Some field members engage the payer community, patient organizations, and many other segments that require different tactics than the traditional thought leader.

This strategy-first orientation reflects a broader shift in the function. McKinsey has described Medical Affairs evolving into a third strategic pillar of the organization, alongside R&D and Commercial. Starting from strategic goals rather than contracting tiers gives that pillar a foundation for meaningful segmentation.

By starting with the goals that must be achieved and clearly defining the tactics the medical team can use to achieve them, modern teams have a foundation for truly meaningful segmentation. Once the tactics are aligned, various audiences or segments can be identified for engagement. Prioritization is critical because there will always be more members of the medical community who can be engaged than there is capacity to engage. Capacity planning tools help define the bucket that can be filled, taking into account the roughly 150 days each year that a typical member of the field team has to engage with the medical community. Building segments around tactics also supports well-rounded engagement across channels, rather than defaulting to the same short list of names.

Using Data to Identify and Prioritize Thought Leaders

Using data to identify potential candidates for each segment is the next step. Scientific profiles containing publications and presentations help identify KOLs with the most scientific influence, while other data can identify which institutions would most benefit from education programs. Social monitoring helps identify which experts have the most significant scientific reach, and social listening tools make that signal easier to track at scale. This matters because scientific conversation increasingly happens in public: a review in The American Journal of Medicine reported that a survey of more than 4,000 physicians found roughly 65% use social media for professional purposes. Gathering input from local teams is also critical, as they have deep insight into their medical communities and can help identify potential candidates and their interests.

How Do You Validate and Operationalize Segmentation?

Once prioritization is complete, it is important to validate the segmentation by looking at the results by territory. This helps ensure that resources are aligned with the prioritized segments and that opportunities are not left unattended. Finally, decisions can be automatically integrated into existing tools like CRM or global KOL planning solutions to keep the administrative burden on the field teams low and enable them to begin taking action.

At Acceleration Point, we have been helping field teams identify, prioritize, and segment the medical community with the services, tools, and support needed by field leaders to focus their team's efforts on the best opportunities to achieve their strategic objectives. Our approach recognizes the need for a more nuanced and comprehensive method of thought leader segmentation.

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FAQ

What is thought leader segmentation in Medical Affairs?
Thought leader segmentation is the process Medical Affairs field teams use to group and prioritize key opinion leaders (KOLs) and digital opinion leaders (DOLs). Modern segmentation starts with the team's scientific strategy and the tactics it plans to deliver across the treatment lifecycle, then builds segments around those tactics rather than relying on influence tiers alone.

Why is fair market value (FMV) tiering not enough for segmentation?
FMV calculations determine contracting rates and reflect global, regional, and local influence, which is an important part of the contracting process. On its own, however, FMV tiering does not tell a field team where to focus its limited engagement capacity. Prioritization requires connecting each segment to the specific tactics and scientific goals the team is trying to achieve.

How do field teams prioritize which KOLs and DOLs to engage?
Field teams prioritize by starting with their scientific goals and tactics, then using data to identify candidates for each segment. Scientific publications and congress presentations point to KOLs with the most scientific influence, and social monitoring helps surface experts with significant scientific reach. Because a typical field team member has roughly 150 days a year to engage the medical community, capacity planning keeps the prioritized list realistic.

How should segmentation decisions be operationalized?
Once prioritization is complete, teams validate the segmentation by reviewing results by territory to confirm resources are aligned and no opportunities are left unattended. Decisions can then be integrated into existing tools such as CRM or global KOL planning solutions, which keeps the administrative burden on field teams low and lets them begin acting on the plan.

Rethinking Thought Leader Segmentation: A Modern Approach for Medical Affairs Teams

Key Takeaways

Why Fair Market Value Tiering Is Not Enough on Its Own

How Modern Field Teams Build Segmentation Around Strategy

Using Data to Identify and Prioritize Thought Leaders

How Do You Validate and Operationalize Segmentation?

FAQ

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