Why everybody hates Pfizer

Richard Maughan, Senior Director, UK Policy and Public Affairs at Pfizer, talks to Daisy about keeping teams sane during a crisis and how to use the lessons from the pandemic to embed positive change.

Key takeaways include: 

• Collaboration and flexibility are key to progress. If we want to reap the benefits, we need to apply these tools with enthusiasm and experiment with bringing them into areas where they have previously been taboo.
• More exposure to your stakeholders isn't a guaranteed win: it is down to you to make the most of that opportunity. Pfizer is doing that by building an authentic story around the concept of 'Breakthroughs'. This is reflected in their company mission but also in what we know about them and they are amplifying that with policy and communications.
• It can be useful to create a formal structure for making communication decisions. Richard talks about using the company's purpose and the difference that a topic might make to their stakeholders. What questions do you use to decide if your organisation should be vocal on a particular topic?

Find all of our episodes - and full transcripts for each one - at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1121639

Transcript

DAISY POWELL-CHANDLER

Welcome to Why Everybody Hates You, an audio support group for reputation professionals. If you have any responsibility for how people talk, think and feel about your organization than you are in the right place. I'm your host, reputation coach Daisy Powell-Chandler. 

As the world grapples with an energy price crisis, it can be easy to forget how recent and relevant the COVID pandemic remains. For this episode, I spoke to Richard Maughan, Senior Director of UK Policy and Public Affairs at Pfizer, as he prepared to launch their landmark report on the breakthrough-thinking that they have drawn from their pandemic experience. I started by asking him the obvious question: 

Thank you so much for joining me, Richard. I really appreciate it. Why does everybody hate you?

RICHARD MAUGHAN

Good question that I often ask myself! I think when it comes to reputation for the general public, I think they probably historically tended to have quite a nuanced view of my industry. So the reputation hasn't been terrible, but it's not been brilliant either. I think there are some historical issues that we can point to, including around transparency. I think there are always going to be tensions when it comes to access to medicines, and I think some of those drive that. But it's probably become a bit of a cliche, over the past year or two, to say that the pandemic has changed how people see my industry. Some companies like us have become household names in a way perhaps not seen before. And the public have, I think, more exposure to the power of the industry to improve and save lives. So I think we can say that there's somewhat of a ‘turning of the corner’ here. But obviously the question is, how can that be maintained? And that's certainly something that we spend quite a lot of time thinking about.

DAISY POWELL-CHANDLER

Absolutely. Now, you've been working in the pharmaceutical industry for six years now. And as you alluded to there, it's been a bit of a wild six years. How much has the job and the industry changed since you joined?

RICHARD MAUGHAN

Oh, there's been so much change. I mean, I joined around about the time of the EU referendum in 2016, where I had been working at the Confederation of British Industry. And Brexit, I think, had lots of complex impacts on the life sciences sector so it really became the lens through which I learned about the industry. I know we're talking a lot at the moment about ‘Brexit opportunities.’ Well, it was probably a personal opportunity for me because it really accelerated my learning about the sector. And when I was thinking about leaving the CBI, a few years back, I knew that I wanted my next step to be something which gave me an even deeper connection to purpose. Around that time my family was going through some health challenges. It gave me a strong personal drive into the field of health care. So it was quite an easy choice to move into life sciences and, for me, there's no business sector that's more closely connected to purpose than this one. That has, of course, taken on even greater significance during the pandemic.

DAISY POWELL-CHANDLER

Absolutely. And I think that actually brings out one of the interesting aspects of COVID which is, I think, if you say COVID and Pfizer to the man on the street they think vaccines immediately. I think that's where the mind goes, but it wasn't all about vaccines for you guys was it?

RICHARD MAUGHAN

No, absolutely not. And clearly, it wasn't for the NHS as much as it was for my company. I mean, early in 2020 around about the time the potential scale of COVID was becoming clearer, our CEO Albert Bourla set out a five point plan for tackling COVID. Yes, a big part of that was the need to be working at speed to develop medical solutions, but what was incredibly important in the early days was marshalling our people to help with the immediate response. So, for us and for many in the wider industry this included continuity of supply of critical care medicines and vaccines around the world. We saw a 200% increase in global demand for our critical care medicines during that period and, even in the UK, we needed to work incredibly hard to ensure that essential medicines could be brought into the country to keep intensive care units functioning during those early phases of the pandemic. And that's just one example.

DAISY POWELL-CHANDLER

Absolutely, so you get that critical care phase at the beginning, then you get the intensive period of vaccine development and rollout, and presumably now still dealing with some of the fallout of the ‘living with COVID as a longer term’ prospect.

RICHARD MAUGHAN

Yeah, I think that's true. I mean, if I think about how the pandemic has been related when it comes to science in the UK, I think we can genuinely say that when it comes to life sciences and when it comes to kind of science more broadly in the response against COVID: the UK has been at the forefront of many breakthroughs. We were home to the fastest recruit in a clinical trial in medical history, we lead globally in the genomic sequencing of the virus, we also lead in a policy sense through the Pandemic Preparedness Partnership, or presidency of the G7. 

But obviously, one of the most notable areas of success that people point to was the vaccination program. There were a number of firsts there I think for the UK, which will be remembered into the future. And the success, I think, was made possible by the whole system coming together to deliver against a shared mission. And in a way, which perhaps we hadn't seen before, it was embodied in the work of the UK Vaccine Task Force which for us in industry represented a new way of working with our partners and government.

But yes, we obviously had that that very intensive period and that continues in terms of work around the vaccine. As we kind of moved into this, I would say, somewhat of a transitional phase (the Living with COVID strategy) we're largely operating as normal as a society. I say largely because I know it's not the same for everyone, including the clinically vulnerable, but broadly speaking we're moving from pandemic response to pandemic recovery. And I think, in this context, it's vital that we continue to use all the tools at our disposal to protect the population, particularly as we look ahead to what's expected to be a very challenging winter for the NHS. And of course, the pandemic is not over. So it still feels like there's a big job for us to do to ensure continued provision of vaccines and treatments. And at this inflection point, we also have a big opportunity, and dare I say a duty, to capture lessons around what's worked well so far during the pandemic including when it comes to science and including the role of my industry. 

DAISY POWELL-CHANDLER

So that is a lot of change and a lot of different strands to pull together. And it's clear that the pandemic provided a lot more contact with some of your really important stakeholders, whether that's in the Vaccine Task Force and having that day-to-day contact with ministers in a very high stress environment, or whether that's simply the public hearing a lot more about you. How has that impacted the way in which you think about your reputation? What have you seen in your tracking about the impact on what people think about Pfizer?

RICHARD MAUGHAN

Yeah, it's a great question. I think that clearly there's that recognition and understanding of Pfizer amongst our broader audience that perhaps is stronger than there was before. That's helpful in terms of getting a hearing and having discussions with our stakeholders, but clearly it’s not the be all and end all. We have to follow-through on that reputation and to be providing value to our partners, they may be in government or the NHS or the wider stakeholder community patient organizations. We have to, I think, stand for more than just the provision of the vaccines and other treatments that we provide and I'm really pleased that, for the company specifically, I think we do have reputation scores which are tracking in the right direction. I'm super proud that for two years in a row Pfizer's come first place in terms of corporate reputation in something called ‘PatientView,’ which is a reputation survey of over 100 different patient groups that either know us or work with us. And so I think we can see some areas there that reflect positively in how we're working with our stakeholders but obviously there's much, much more to do and as the old adage goes, ‘reputations are hard won and easily lost.’

DAISY POWELL-CHANDLER

Yes, that is definitely true. It must also be true that the comms teams have had to adapt a lot to that increased contact and scrutiny. How have you coped with that? What's the internal processing looked like?

RICHARD MAUGHAN

Well, first of all, I think you're right - there has been a big shift. I count myself as really fortunate to be surrounded by many of the most passionate and skilled communicators around and I really pay tribute to them for the incredible work that they have done and continue to do. I think there's a few things that we've factored in here that we might talk a little about. 

So the first is really about maintaining energy levels. I think often what leaders think about is how to ensure that motivation is at the level needed to complete the task and that you have an engaged group of colleagues ready to support and deliver. But I don't think that that was the challenge for us. In the context that we're in - I have spoken about my own kind of views about the sector and in it being highly purpose driven - well, on top of that, in the depths of a deadly pandemic in a very dark winter period back in 2020, 2021, I think it was impossible for us not to be highly motivated to deal with the challenges that we're facing. So perhaps more important was kind of doing the opposite, which was making sure that colleagues were encouraged to find the space to switch off from work and to energize. And I think when you're working really long days, when the stakes are really high, it becomes even more important that you look after yourself and your own health and well being. Perhaps one of the real positives coming out of the pandemic is that, as a society and workplace, we have a bit more of a focus on those things.

DAISY POWELL-CHANDLER

Yes, and it can be tricky can’t it because I think all too often workplaces are accused of saying that they are committed to those things while sending the opposite signals. So, saying ‘we think it's really important you take leave’ but then you're always busy so it's very hard to book in leave or saying that ‘we believe in work life balance’ but then actually there often being very tight deadlines that mean people have to work beyond set hours. How do you go about making sure that your team gets some of that balance?

RICHARD MAUGHAN

I think it's all about flexibility. Pfizer as a company I think is very good at encouraging colleagues to be flexible, to login for your day, to adapt and to ensure that you have a good work life balance. There are always going to be periods, we work in an industry, and as has been demonstrated throughout the pandemic, where this had been keenly felt. There's always going to be these periods of intense activity. I think if you can ensure that that's recognized and that people are able to flex their time around that. That's critical. 

And I think the other thing is, all of us can lead by example. And I don't just mean people who might be in a ‘leadership role.’ I think simple things like blocking out time in diaries, for example you might be going to an exercise class or going out for a walk or spending time with friends or family. I think that just those things signal to others around you and the rest of the organization where your priorities need to be in order to ultimately ensure that your wellbeing is supported. 

DAISY POWELL-CHANDLER

Yes, I couldn't agree more on that one. I think it's hard. You know, we've been told over the years that it's not professional to show some of those sides of things and you worry people will question your commitment. But as we do live in an increasingly hybrid world, then in a lot of comms roles I think that kind of signalling is really important. I couldn't agree more. 

So how are you using those experiences? You mentioned earlier that you're going through a bit of an exercise at the moment to capture what went well and what you've learnt as an organization over the course of the pandemic? How are you using that experience to prepare for the future?

RICHARD MAUGHAN

Yeah, great question. I think the first question to answer is, why does this matter? Why is it important that we learn lessons from the pandemic? Then of course, as I’ve already said, the pandemic is not yet over. We need to continue this focus to protect the population both here in the UK and around the world. I also said we're going through this transitional period around moving from pandemic response to recovery. Also a key thing (and I'm going to quote Nat King Cole here) ‘there may be trouble ahead.’ And the next thing I am about to say, which I don’t think is Nat King Cole, is that the future challenges that we face may be even greater than the ones that we've been facing over the last couple of years. I was reading some research recently which indicated that pandemics may be more likely to happen in the future than previously thought. So I think all of this underlines the duty that we have to capture learning. So, we’ve been working to identify several key learnings which we’re sharing with our stakeholders. And I think in broad terms there are some really important things that we can point to. 

Firstly, creating the conditions in which life sciences can flourish is going to be fundamental to health and wealth in the future. And that's as true for the UK as it is for around the globe. Secondly, focusing on prevention is going to be critical to building healthcare resilience in future and that's both at an individual and systemic level. And then also, we've seen digital technology, use of data, innovative regulation. All of these things can potentially enable faster patient access to new technologies without cutting any corners in terms of safety. And the final thing of course, I think we have to look at the power of being mission led. We talk a lot about the UK Vaccine Task Force as kind of embodying this, but having that clear central mission, bringing stakeholders together to address it, can be a very powerful way to advance innovation. And that's something I think which is recognized by UK Government, and is certainly supported by us in the broader sector.

DAISY POWELL-CHANDLER

I think that echoes my own feelings. I see time and again how important a campaigning mindset can be in a communications role. Not necessarily because campaigning is something that all organizations must do, although I think it can be a powerful tool, but it's partly because it ensures that for a whole host of your activities you have a really clear goal. You all know what you're trying to achieve and you orient your activities very clearly around that. And I see in so many of my clients the impact that that has. So I think that does lead me to another question which is, you have this higher profile, you have that belief in this higher purpose, what are you going to do with it? What's next for Pfizer?

RICHARD MAUGHAN

Yeah, I think there's many important things here. I might talk a bit about sustaining our profile externally and then come on to practically what that means. I think, in general, top of mind for me is working to ensure that we are perceived as a purpose and value lead organization, that we are driven by science and delivering significant value to society and the broader economy. But at the same time, I think humility is incredibly important. No single organization is ever going to have all of the answers. It's going to be absolutely essential in future that we continue to work together across industry, government, the NHS or academia because we're going to need to develop common solutions to common challenges. And then, of course, as an industry we need to continue to provide solutions to the big healthcare challenges facing people. I think the good news is that we're on the cusp of a wave of innovation which is heralding great promise to patients, and that's from mRNA technology, to cell and gene therapy, new personalized treatments for cancer, to name but a few. So I think bearing all of these things in mind as we go forward is really, really important.

And then on a practical level. So what does that mean for us as a corporate affairs function in the UK? Well, we probably do have an opportunity now to share our views with a broader audience here in the UK than we maybe had before. We're really excited to be pulling together a new set of campaign materials and a new integrated approach which is all focused around the concept of breakthroughs. Here, we're taking inspiration from our company purpose which is breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. I think often breakthroughs are thought of as kind of sudden, dramatic things, new discoveries like vaccines and treatments. But breakthroughs come in many different forms. They may be policy changes that help patients benefit from innovation. It might be a mindset of collaboration, such as that that powered the COVID-19 science. It could be new ways of working like the vaccine taskforce. We've been doing a lot of work to pull together a program of ideas - we have a manifesto document, we have a program of events and we have a lot of activities that we do online which help to bring that concept of breakthroughs to life and to shine an insight on to what the industry does.

DAISY POWELL-CHANDLER

This sounds really exciting, and I very much look forward to hearing more about breakthroughs. It strikes me that some companies find that level of ‘putting themselves out there,’ thought leadership, quite intimidating. And it's perhaps seen as part of a spectrum that starts at total silence and, sort of, low ego companies that prefer not to speak out on anything except for perhaps their own pricing, through to perhaps Ben & Jerry’s who are the archetype at the other end of the spectrum, very well known for taking views on a wide range of social issues. How does Pfizer decide where it sits on that scale? How do you make the call about where to intervene where it perhaps correlates with your purpose, and where perhaps it's not useful for you to get involved?

RICHARD MAUGHAN

Yeah, that's a really great question. I think the right approach is going to be different for different organizations, and it might be different for different issues. I don't know a huge amount about the Ben and Jerry's of this world, but I can talk a bit about us. So I think it's fair to say the societal expectations on business in general, are increasing. And I think in the modern communications landscape that we're in, there's an expectation that we are probably communicating a lot more than businesses have been comfortable communicating in the past. I think we can see that across a range of different issues. 

I think when deciding whether to say something about a social issue, it's always helpful to have a bit of a framework to draw on. I think this is even more important in what can be quite a polarized external environment when it comes to talking about issues like this. In terms of that framework, I think one thing we would think about is whether, first and foremost, the issue advances or challenges our purpose, our company's strategy, or our values. We have four values - courage, excellence, equity, and joy - so looking at an issue in relation to that is important. 

I think another would be thinking about whether the issue directly impacts upon our stakeholders, and they might be internal or external, they could be patients, regulators, shareholders, or colleagues. I think all of these things are important to consider. And then another (and I'm sure this will be common for many organisations) is thinking about what the options are for responding, again, internal or external, and what the implications are of us taking that course of action. Bringing all those things together can help guide the approach of the organization and may be useful to others. To give one example, our CEO has been one of several corporate leaders to speak out about action plans for racial equity, an issue which is very clearly important to our patients and our colleagues. To give another, earlier this year Pfizer announced its commitment to accelerate climate change [action] and achieve net zero by 2040, which, again, is a major issue for society but it's also a major issue for the company too. So, just a couple of examples there, I think which maybe helped to bring that to life. 

DAISY POWELL-CHANDLER

Yes, absolutely. And I think, there are some issues that are obviously very specific to a particular company, but you alluded there to some of the ones that perhaps impact broader business interests, things like climate change social equity, what the role of a company is in this day and age. Then there's this broader basket that perhaps are more specific to pharmaceuticals, such as your equity of access to vaccines, IP rights, and license to operate for pharmaceutical businesses. Where do you see that debate for pharmaceutical businesses moving? Do you do you think it's something where the sector as a whole has effectively risen to some of those challenges and is responding well?

RICHARD MAUGHAN

Yeah, as I said earlier on, this pandemic is very much not over and that's true of the UK but it's certainly true globally. Since the beginning of the pandemic, equitable global access to the innovation we produce has been our Northstar. I think there's quite rightly been a very strong debate about how to ensure that people in all parts of the world can access pandemic vaccines and, and therapeutics, and we recognize that, as a manufacturer, we've got a very important part to play in that discussion. We so far delivered over 4 billion doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. worldwide, we have provided access to low and low middle income countries on a not-for-profit basis. And to expand access in these countries, we've been calling for solutions which address critical problems on the ground today, and do not mean that it might be more difficult in future to develop innovation in future pandemic scenarios. That includes things like waiving intellectual property rights. I think it's been important for us to be visible as part of that debate. It's been important for us to be regularly sharing factual, accurate information with our stakeholders, because this is such an important issue, in proving we are, as a manufacturer, central to that whole discussion.

DAISY POWELL-CHANDLER

That's everything from us. A big thank you to my guest, Richard Maughan, Senior Director of UK Policy and Public Affairs at Pfizer, for talking to me about everything from breakthrough thinking during a pandemic, to managing a team in the midst of a crisis, to how to use purpose to shape a communication strategy. Since Richard and I spoke, Pfizer have published their most recent breakthrough nation report, offering a ten point plan for how industry and government can work better together to improve the nation's health, wealth and resilience. I'll add a link to that report in the show notes, it's well worth a read. But I would love to hear from you which lessons particularly stood out from this conversation. And if you've enjoyed this episode, I hope you'll tell your colleagues and perhaps write us a review on your usual podcasting app. It really does help new listeners to find the show. Thank you as always for listening to Why Everybody Hates You. And remember, you are not alone.