Creating a brand that resonates across markets while maintaining a strong global identity is one of pharma’s most persistent challenges. According to Susan Perlbachs, Chief Creative Officer, and John Kenny, Chief Strategy Officer, solving this tension requires a shift in how marketers generate insight, make decisions and adapt creative to cultural nuance.
Drawing on findings from a global oncology brand study, Perlbachs and Kenny highlighted a significant imbalance in today’s brand approaches at Frontiers Health 2025. Many organizations over‑localize their strategies, resulting in fragmented identities. Only a small portion of these organizations can successfully build a unified global platform with purposeful adaptation for regional needs. So, what sets these organizations apart?
The answer is twofold. First, the organization must have the ability to identify the common human drivers that connect the markets. Then, they must also be able to tailor the execution of a launch without diluting the brand’s core.
AI is accelerating this process. Instead of months of research and manual comparison across markets, AI can quickly uncover shared patterns, surface meaningful differences and simulate audience feedback. This allows teams to validate ideas early, make adjustments faster and keep patient insight at the heart of global strategy. It also enables marketers to understand cultural nuances that influence everything from messaging to imagery – especially in regions like Europe where creative preferences vary widely.
The two explored these themes in a conversation with pharmaphorum following their session at Frontiers Health 2025. Their perspective underscores a central message: brands don’t have to choose between global consistency and local relevance. With the right tools and approach, they can achieve both.
Read the full pharmaphorum interview.