What Do High-Performing Medical Affairs Teams Invest In?
Medical Communications has officially graduated from support function to strategic powerhouse. In 2025, high-performing Medical Affairs teams aren’t just distributing content—they’re enabling influence, accelerating alignment, and building capabilities that shape organizational decision-making.
Our latest industry survey asked Medical Affairs leaders to rank the capabilities they believe will drive the most strategic value in the year ahead. The responses weren’t just telling—they were directional.
Teams aren’t asking how to do more. They’re asking how to do it better.
Here are the three investments forward-thinking teams are prioritizing—and why they matter now more than ever.
1. Scientific Storytelling that Connects
Information overload is real. HCPs are bombarded with data. Internal stakeholders juggle competing initiatives. In this environment, scientific accuracy is the starting point—but it’s not enough on its own.
High-performing Medical Affairs teams are investing in scientific storytelling as a core capability—an approach that turns raw data into coherent, compelling narratives that clarify value, simplify complexity, and inspire action.
What makes this essential:
- Differentiation through clarity. With crowded pipelines and overlapping mechanisms of action, it’s no longer just about what your data says—it’s about how clearly and memorably you communicate it.
- Cross-functional consistency. Storytelling aligns Medical, Commercial, and Regulatory teams around a unified scientific position.
- Global-to-local relevance. A strong narrative framework gives affiliates a solid foundation to localize without losing strategic intent.
Smart teams focus on:
- Cross-functional narrative frameworks that travel across regions and channels
- Insight-informed messaging that resonates with HCP mindsets, not just internal priorities
- Formats like story-led slide decks, explainer videos, and data-to-dialogue toolkits that bring science to life
2. MSL Training & Field Enablement That Keeps Pace
MSLs are on the front lines of scientific exchange—but most field teams are still operating with materials designed for yesterday’s conversations. Teams told us they’re often handed static content without enough training, customization support, or practical guidance for using it in real time.
That’s why field enablement—especially MSL training—is rising fast on the list of strategic investments.
What’s changed:
- Digital-first engagements require agility. Stakeholder expectations are higher, meetings are shorter, and platforms are more diverse. MSLs need to be able to adapt on the fly.
- One-size-fits-all content doesn’t work. Personalization is now a necessity—not a nice-to-have.
- MSLs are peer-level scientific ambassadors. Their ability to deliver content with confidence and nuance can directly influence trust and credibility with HCPs.
Smart teams focus on:
- Designing MSL materials with input from the field—ensuring relevance and usability
- Pairing assets with enablement modules, including role-play guides and scenario training.
- Moving beyond the “core deck” to offer content modules, personalized messaging tracks, and conversation prompts tailored to audience type and setting
The end goal isn’t just delivering science. It’s empowering MSLs to navigate complex interactions with clarity, confidence, and compliance.
3. Modular Content & Smarter Digital Asset Optimization
For years, modular content has been seen as a production efficiency. But the most strategic teams now treat it as an organizational enabler. When executed well, it allows faster customization, smarter reuse, and better alignment across geographies and channels—all without creating bottlenecks.
Modular strategies aren’t just about breaking content into blocks. They’re about creating an ecosystem that flexes with the needs of each audience, format, and team.
Why it matters now:
- Speed is critical. In rapidly evolving therapeutic areas, waiting weeks (or months!) for a new asset isn’t an option.
- Localization needs structure. Affiliates need flexibility, but global teams need consistency. Modular systems provide both.
- Omnichannel expectations are real. Content must be formatted, tagged, and ready for use across platforms—Veeva, CRM tools, HCP engagement platforms, and more.
Smart teams focus on:
- Developing atomized content libraries where core elements (claims, visuals, messages) can be recombined
- Implementing metadata frameworks for tagging, tracking, and version control
- Smartly liaise with agency partners to optimize content reuse
When modular content is paired with the right strategy and governance, it doesn’t just reduce effort—it amplifies reach.
The Strategic Shift: From Output to Optimization
Together, these capabilities represent a broader shift across the industry: from creating more content to creating better-aligned, better-leveraged content.
This shift requires more than new tools. It requires:
- Tighter integration across global and local teams
- Clearer ownership of messaging strategy
- A deeper understanding of how content flows across internal systems and external audiences
It also calls for agency partners who can flex across content, strategy, training, and optimization—often within the same initiative.
Is Your Medical Affairs Team Built for Strategic Execution?
As you evaluate your roadmap, consider:
- Do our scientific narratives resonate across all key audiences?
- Are we equipping MSLs with tools that allow for scientific storytelling?
- Can we measure how our content is being reused, localized, or impacting stakeholder engagement?
And most importantly: Are our internal capabilities keeping pace with what we expect our content to do?
If the answer is no, now’s the time to realign your investments—and your partnerships.