Bespoke marketing workshops for life sciences, healthcare and technical brands
Sometimes, the best marketing decisions happen when you get the right people in a room together – away from emails, deadlines and daily firefighting – and give them space to think strategically.
At kdm, we design and facilitate bespoke marketing workshops for life sciences, biotech, healthcare and diagnostics companies. Whether you’re defining your brand DNA, developing a go-to-market strategy for a new product, or untangling a complex positioning challenge, our workshops create clarity, alignment and actionable outcomes.
These aren’t death-by-PowerPoint sessions where one person talks and everyone else checks their emails. Our workshops are interactive, energising and – dare we say it – fun. We mix periods of high intensity strategic thinking with lighter moments that keep energy levels up. Participants consistently tell us they’re surprised by how quickly the time flies, and how much ground we cover. They’ve even described our sessions as the best work-related therapy they’ve ever had!
And because we’re scientists ourselves, we speak your language. When discussions get technical – proteomics, mass spec, clinical trial design – we keep up. Your team can think at the level they need to without dumbing things down.
Our approach step by step
1. Listen: understand your challenge and workshop objectives
We start by understanding what you’re trying to solve. Is this about defining a strategy for the year ahead? Launching a new product? Repositioning your brand? Developing personas for a new market? Aligning sales and marketing? Each challenge shapes the workshop design.
We’ll also explore who needs to be in the room. Marketing teams? Sales leaders? Product managers? Technical experts? Executive leadership? The right mix of people is critical; you need diverse perspectives without creating a group that’s too large to be productive.
We discuss your current situation: what’s working, what’s not, where you’re stuck, and what success looks like. Have you attempted this before? What got in the way? Are there internal disagreements that need resolving? Political sensitivities to navigate?
We also assess practical considerations: how much time can you dedicate? Half a day? Full day? Multi-session programme? In-person or remote? What pre-work would be valuable (research, competitor analysis, customer interviews)?
This discovery phase ensures the workshop is focused, productive and worth everyone’s time.
2. Think: design a workshop that delivers results
Based on your objectives, we design a bespoke workshop combining the right facilitation techniques, strategic frameworks and collaborative exercises to get you where you need to be.
Our workshop toolkit includes:
Strategic planning workshops
SWOT analysis – Systematically evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. We don’t just create a list – we identify strategic priorities and actionable responses.
Marketing strategy development – Define your target markets, positioning, key messages, channel strategy and measurement framework, so you’ll leave with a clear strategic roadmap.
Campaign planning – Map out integrated campaigns from concept to execution, including objectives, tactics, timelines, budgets and success metrics.
Competitor analysis – Systematically evaluate your competitive landscape, identify gaps and opportunities, and define how to differentiate.
Brand and positioning workshops
Brand DNA – Define your brand’s core identity: purpose, values, personality, positioning and promises. Create the foundation for all your marketing.
Brand narrative – Craft your origin story, mission and vision in a way that resonates with scientific audiences. Move beyond corporate speak to something genuine that your teams live and breathe.
Brand naming and development – Develop names for new products, services or companies. We facilitate creative brainstorming, evaluate options and ensure names and straplines work across markets.
Messaging frameworks – Define core messages, proof points and supporting evidence for different audiences. Ensure consistency while allowing flexibility.
Audience and market workshops
Persona development – Build detailed customer personas based on research, interviews and data. Understand motivations, pain points, buying processes and decision criteria.
Market segmentation – Identify and prioritise target segments. Define how to approach each segment differently.
Customer journey mapping – Map how customers discover, evaluate and buy your solutions. Identify touchpoints, pain points and opportunities to add value.
Product and innovation workshops
New product development – Define target markets, positioning, messaging, pricing strategy and go-to-market plans for new products or services.
Product portfolio strategy – Rationalise your product offering, identify gaps, prioritise development and define how products work together.
Value proposition development – Articulate what you offer, who it’s for, why it matters and what makes you different. Make it credible and compelling for scientific audiences.
Content and communications workshops
Topic brainstorming – Generate content ideas for blogs, webinars, white papers, campaigns and thought leadership. Map ideas to customer needs and business objectives.
Editorial planning – Build content calendars aligned with campaigns, product launches and business priorities.
Crisis communication planning – Prepare for potential crises (product recalls, regulatory issues, negative press). Define response protocols and key messages.
Alignment and collaboration workshops
Sales and marketing alignment – Get sales and marketing teams aligned on targets, lead definitions, hand-off processes and shared objectives.
Cross-functional strategy – Bring together marketing, sales, product and leadership to create shared understanding and aligned plans.
Stakeholder alignment – Navigate complex internal politics and get key stakeholders bought into strategic direction.
3. Do: facilitate productive, energising workshops
On the day (or days), we facilitate sessions that are structured yet flexible, challenging yet supportive, and – crucially – enjoyable. This isn’t sitting around a boardroom table for seven hours. Our workshops mix collaborative exercises, individual thinking time, group discussions, creative activities and strategic frameworks to keep energy high and minds engaged.
What makes our workshops different:
Everyone contributes – We create space for all voices. Quieter team members often have the most valuable insights, but they need the right environment to share them. We use techniques like individual brainstorming before group discussion, anonymous input tools, and breakout groups to ensure everyone’s heard, not just the loudest voices in the room.
Dominant personalities don’t dominate – We’ve all been in workshops where one person talks for 80 per cent of the time. We manage dynamics actively – redirecting conversations, asking specific people for input, and creating structures that prevent anyone from monopolising the discussion. Your team will leave feeling like they contributed, not like they attended someone else’s monologue.
Interactive, not passive – No one learns by watching slides for hours. We use collaborative exercises, rapid ideation sessions, competitive activities (yes, scientists are competitive!), visual thinking tools, role-playing scenarios and hands-on frameworks. You’ll be up, moving, working in different groups and engaging actively.
Pacing that works – We balance periods of high intensity focus with lighter moments that let brains rest. Strategic thinking is exhausting; we build in breaks, inject humour when appropriate, and shift between different types of activities to maintain energy. Participants consistently tell us they’re surprised by how quickly time passes.
Technical depth when needed – When discussions dive into complex science – assay development, clinical endpoints, regulatory pathways, mechanism of action – we keep up. You don’t need to simplify or explain; we’re scientists talking to scientists. This allows your team to think at the depth the challenge requires.
Visual thinking – Ideas captured on whiteboards, flip charts or digital collaboration tools help teams to see patterns, build on concepts and track progress. Visual outputs also become workshop documentation you can use afterwards.
Decision-making, not endless discussion – When you need to make choices (which segments to prioritise, which messages resonate, which brand direction to pursue), we use structured frameworks to evaluate options. We don’t let discussions circle endlessly – we guide teams to decisions they feel confident about.
Reality checks – We push back on ideas that won’t work in your market. We’re not there to nod along – we’re there to help you make decisions that will actually succeed. If something’s unrealistic, over-optimistic or misaligned with how scientists buy, we’ll say so.
Actionable outputs – Workshops end with clear, documented outcomes: strategic frameworks, prioritised action plans, agreed decisions and next steps with owners. No vague intentions or “we should really…”.
Between sessions (for multi-part workshops), we handle homework: research, desk work, customer interviews, competitive analysis – whatever’s needed to inform the next session.
4. Review: comprehensive reporting and implementation support
After the workshop, we don’t just send you flip chart photos and wish you luck. You receive comprehensive documentation that captures everything achieved.
Full workshop reporting includes:
Executive summary – Key decisions, strategic priorities and action plans for leadership or those who couldn’t attend.
Detailed documentation – Workshop outputs compiled into clear, usable formats: strategy documents, messaging frameworks, persona profiles, campaign briefs, competitive analyses, action plans with owners and timelines.
Visual assets – Professional versions of visual outputs created during the workshop: brand frameworks, customer journey maps, competitive positioning matrices, strategic roadmaps, persona visualisations.
Verbatim captures – Key quotes, insights and ideas from participants (anonymised where appropriate) that capture the thinking behind decisions.
Next steps and accountability – Clear action plans with owners, deadlines and success criteria. No vague intentions – specific commitments.
Supplementary materials – Any research, templates or frameworks referenced during the workshop, provided in formats you can use and adapt.
Reports are typically delivered within one to two weeks of the workshop, giving you momentum to implement while everything is fresh.
Implementation support:
If you want help executing what you’ve defined, we’re here. Need to write that brand narrative? Develop those personas into content? Launch that campaign? Execute that go-to-market plan? We can support with ongoing marketing services – seamlessly moving from strategy to implementation.
Follow-up sessions:
For complex challenges, we can schedule follow-up workshops to review progress, address new questions or go deeper on specific areas. Many clients use quarterly strategic workshops to maintain momentum and adapt plans as markets evolve.
Bespoke workshops: what we facilitate
Strategic planning and analysis
SWOT analysis, marketing strategy development, competitor analysis, market entry planning, campaign planning and annual strategic reviews.
Brand development and positioning
Brand DNA definition, brand narrative development, brand naming, messaging frameworks, value proposition development and repositioning.
Customer insight and segmentation
Persona development, customer journey mapping, market segmentation, voice of customer analysis and buyer behaviour research.
Product strategy and innovation
New product development, go-to-market strategy, product portfolio planning, pricing strategy and product positioning.
Content and communications
Topic brainstorming, editorial planning, thought leadership strategy, campaign ideation and content strategy.
Team alignment and collaboration
Sales and marketing alignment, cross-functional strategy, stakeholder workshops and leadership strategy sessions.
Trusted by leading organisations
“At GE HealthCare I have worked with kdm on many varied projects. I am always impressed by their professional approach and ‘can-do’ attitude to meet challenging demands and deliver on time and on budget, while bringing creativity and quality to each project.”
“One of the key strengths of kdm is their team of highly qualified writers, who possess a deep scientific background. This enables them to understand our products, applications and customers in a way that is truly exceptional. They are able to communicate complex scientific concepts with ease and ensure that our messaging is accurate and impactful. Moreover, kdm is a dynamic and responsive team that consistently delivers creative and innovative ideas that align with our overall strategic goals. They are always willing to go above and beyond to ensure that we achieve the results we are looking for. They have also demonstrated an exceptional ability to execute their ideas on a global tactical level, ensuring that our campaigns are effective across all our target markets. Overall, I could not be more pleased with the results that kdm has helped us achieve. Their expertise, creativity and responsiveness have truly exceeded our expectations, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership with them.”
“Sarah and the kdm team helped us deliver an outstanding product, and were there to guide us every step of the way. Their organisation, attention to detail and frequent open communication on deliverables made this project stress free. A trusted and valued partner to do business with again.”
“Our continued collaboration with kdm has been an integral part of amplifying key messages for our business. The team has an excellent balance of scientific knowledge, coupled with marketing best practice, which makes them a unique partner that is able to communicate complex narratives in a comprehensive yet simple manner. kdm has supported execution in a variety of channels and mediums, including print, video and social media.”
“Our social media followers have grown exponentially since we engaged with kdm back in 2015. Additionally, our inbound leads have risen dramatically since the website was redesigned in collaboration with kdm earlier this year. The friendly and knowledgeable team is always available, providing the feel of an in-house marketing team.”
“I’ve been working with the kdm team for some time now, and have always found them easy to work with, responsive, a source of very helpful advice and ideas, and a great support for my projects.”
“Across the full spectrum of scientific, technical and medical communication, kdm demonstrates time and again the attention to detail that magazine readers take for granted and editors find invaluable. It is the hallmark of the company’s professional practice.”
“Having worked with kdm for a number of years now, we have always found them able to fully understand the needs of our market and those of our clients. They provide a number of services and are always proactive and supportive in all the collaborations that we engage in.”
“kdm is a well-established full-service media agency that I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the past several years. Dynamic, creative and, most of all, a fun agency to work with.”
“FUJIFILM SonoSite GmbH started working with kdm communications in late 2013, when a new marketing strategy for the German market was developed by the SonoSite marketing team. With press releases, first-hand experience articles, video testimonials and focused advertisement in selected print media and on web platforms all happening simultaneously, kdm communications is a great support, helping us to improve SonoSite’s brand awareness, lead generation and visibility in Germany. It’s great to see how the media coverage is growing month by month.”