ALTANA Pharma, a Nycomed Company – Podcast

In September 2005, Ron Clark assumed the role of Vice President, Sales of ALTANA Pharma, a Nycomed company. The organization needed a cost-efficient and effective way to introduce the new VP, build rapport between management and their sales team, and provide practical perspectives on key business strategies and developments.

The Sales team at ALTANA is predominantly a remote workforce, spread across Canada. In pharmaceutical sales, representatives are primarily on the road for most of the work day. Accessing email or the company intranet is often a challenge due to the constraints of traveling. iStudio investigated new online techniques that would be helpful in reaching a remote workforce. A corporate blog/podcast seemed like an ideal solution. We created Ron's Blog which allows employees to have an open online dialogue with Ron.

Ron's monthly podcast is available via the blog. The podcast is a 10-15 minute audio file which has a radio show feel. In each episode, Ron provides Sales updates, shares insights and anecdotes, and interviews special guests. The podcast can be listened to on the computer or can be downloaded on to a portable MP3 player.

The podcasts have been very positively received by employees, with over 90% of field staff accessing each episode. They love the medium, indicating that it is much more personal than a voicemail or email. In addition, employees like the opportunity to provide input into the content of future podcasts via Ron's Blog.

The initiative has also been recognized within the communications industry with an international IABC Gold Quill Award and a CPRS National Award.