Marketing & Communications for medical devices

Marketing and communications in medical technology work under tighter rules than in most industries. Article 7 of the MDR prohibits misleading claims about a device's intended purpose, safety and performance, and in Germany the Medicinal Products Advertising Act adds further limits on advertising aimed at the general public rather than at healthcare professionals. Anyone producing catalogues, websites or trade fair appearances for manufacturers therefore needs to know which statements are covered by the technical documentation and which are not.

The range of services is correspondingly broad: brand management and corporate design, product and application photography in cleanroom or operating theatre settings, video for training and sales, specialist copy and translation for the target markets, trade fair communications around MEDICA and COMPAMED, and websites that keep professional and public sections properly separated.

Three questions have proved useful when selecting a provider. First, industry knowledge: anyone who has worked for manufacturers understands the difference between a substantiated performance claim and a marketing promise. Second, the approval process: marketing material for medical devices is normally reviewed by regulatory affairs, and that loop has to be in the schedule. Third, production conditions: filming in a cleanroom or on the shop floor requires briefing, suitable clothing and consideration for batches in progress.

For suppliers and contract manufacturers, communication is also a sales matter. A company offering machining, injection moulding or assembly sells capability rather than catalogue goods, and has to show references without breaching confidentiality towards its customers. That balancing act is where many presentations fail.