The pharmaceutical industry has historically been cautious in adopting new technologies. Compliance concerns, budget constraints, and the perceived complexity of integration have often hindered rapid adoption. In recent years, a growing demand for efficient and scalable solutions has driven life sciences companies to explore virtual and asynchronous engagement platforms. For small- and mid-sized pharma organizations in particular, these tools offer an opportunity to overcome resource limitations, connect with diverse national and global stakeholders, and gather critical insights.
Chris Zealey, director of Science and Strategy at Sixsense Strategy Group, has witnessed firsthand the growing role of virtual engagement in the life sciences. His work with biotech companies preparing for product launches highlights the advantages of virtual engagement, especially for smaller teams that must optimize their resource allocation.
The benefits of virtual engagement
Virtual engagement platforms have become an essential tool for small- and mid-sized pharma companies seeking to collaborate effectively with key opinion leaders (KOLs), healthcare professionals (HCPs), and patients. While connecting across time zones and geographies offers clear convenience, the real value lies in the depth and quality of feedback. Asynchronous formats give stakeholders time to reflect, research, and share thoughtful responses—free from the pressure of live dynamics or influence from dominant voices in the group. This leads to more honest, insightful contributions that small teams can act upon with confidence.
This convenience is particularly valued by HCPs, who often face packed schedules and clinic responsibilities. Healey observes that “they actually prefer not to travel,” and notes that “we’re all very comfortable with virtual environments and the convenience that brings, particularly physicians, who previously would have to take days off from clinics to attend sessions.”
For small pharma teams, virtual engagement isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic enabler. It reduces travel and logistical costs, boosts participation, and ensures teams get the insights they need without compromising timelines or quality.
The importance of thoughtful session design
Within3 provides a seamless platform for HCPs, patients, and experts to collaborate across locations, time zones, and even languages. But technology alone doesn’t guarantee success: a well-executed session depends on thoughtful planning, purposeful design, and expert facilitation.
As Healey emphasizes, “The most important thing when designing a good session is to start with the objectives. Our approach is always: what are we looking to get out of this? What does success look like? And what are we really hoping to get in terms of outcomes?”
This kind of strategic clarity is essential for small-to-mid-sized pharma companies. With limited resources, every engagement must yield actionable insights. Poor session design or weak facilitation can waste valuable time, reduce participation, and dilute results.
That’s why Within3 pairs its technology with experienced, white-glove customer success, or CS, support. Our dedicated CS team works closely with clients to ensure sessions are designed with purpose—never just filling a template or checking a box. The right CS partner brings deep expertise in session strategy, helping teams stay focused on their goals and ensuring the technology serves the insight—not the other way around.
Healey puts it plainly: “You can have the greatest technology in the world to get people engaged, but if you have bad session design or bad facilitation, they’re not going to have a good time.”
To further support engagement and outcomes, Within3’s AI-powered moderator assistant provides real-time analysis, clear summaries, and prompts that keep discussions on track. Custom notifications and tailored reminders boost participation, ensuring key questions and ideas are surfaced and addressed when it matters most.
Transforming insights into strategic decisions
The effort invested in session planning and moderation pays off in the form of high-quality insights. These insights are essential for making informed decisions and aligning teams. Healey explains that “what we find by putting all that effort up front is that the quality of the insights is significantly higher. You learn things that you didn’t know you were going to learn.”
These insights, gathered through asynchronous meeting formats, are quickly shared across teams, enabling faster decision-making and reducing timelines. For smaller organizations, this speed isn’t just about efficiency—it supports one of their biggest advantages: the ability to pivot strategically without the red tape that often slows larger pharma companies. The ability to report findings efficiently is critical for maintaining momentum and making informed course corrections. As Healey notes, “I think the important thing…is not forgetting about the importance of reporting out from asynchronous sessions, actually looking at the information in a more strategic way.”
Moving forward with virtual engagement
Asynchronous engagement has become the most advantageous source for virtual meetings and insight capture as well as a key strategy for building strong KOL relationships and gaining higher quality and more actionable insights than techniques of the past. By focusing on clear objectives, thoughtful session design, and effective moderation, organizations can maximize the impact of their engagements while staying agile and resource-efficient.
Want to see this approach in action? Learn how one small pharma team used insights management and virtual engagement to accelerate trial design and make smarter decisions—faster—in this case study.
