Balancing global consistency and local nuance: EVERSANA on AI’s role in brand strategy

At Frontiers Health 2025, the conversation around global brand launches was evolving rapidly – and EVERSANA and its agency team at EVERSANA INTOUCH’s leadership is at the centre of that shift. In a session focused on brand consistency across borders, EVERSANA INTOUCH’s Chief Creative Officer Susan Perlbachs and the agency’s Chief Strategy Officer John Kenny explored the dual challenge facing pharma marketers: maintaining a strong, recognisable global identity while adapting to local market nuances.

Their insights stem from a global study of oncology brands, which revealed striking disparities in approach. Roughly half of the brands surveyed leaned heavily into localisation, sacrificing consistency, while only a small fraction achieved the ideal balance – a unified global platform with tailored messaging for regional audiences. This tension underscores a critical question: how can marketers deliver campaigns that resonate everywhere without diluting brand equity?

Technology, and particularly AI, is reshaping the answer. Far from being a buzzword, AI is accelerating processes that once consumed months of research and significant budgets. From hyper-localising insights to surfacing common denominators across vast datasets, AI enables marketers to move beyond “swimming in data” to uncover meaningful patterns. The result? Faster, more informed decisions that keep patient and HCP perspectives at the heart of creative development.

For EVERSANA, the promise of AI is not just efficiency – it’s about restoring genuine human insight to global strategy. By simulating audience feedback in minutes, marketers can ensure campaigns reflect real-world needs, rather than internal assumptions. This capability is particularly valuable in markets like Europe, where cultural nuances – even down to imagery preferences – can make or break engagement.

The takeaway for pharma marketers is clear: embracing AI isn’t optional. It’s a strategic imperative for achieving the long-sought goal of globally consistent, locally relevant campaigns. As Perlbachs and Kenny emphasised, the tools now exist to “square the circle” – and those willing to lean into change will reap the rewards in speed, ROI, and impact.