With a physician mother and geologist father, Katie Morris, Ph.D., was immersed in the world of science from a young age.
Getting involved in science fairs cemented her passion: “It was so much fun to do the research and communicate the science to anyone who would stop by and talk to me,” Morris said in a recent interview.
She went on to compete in three international science fairs and from there pursued research, ultimately receiving her doctorate from Notre Dame in oncology and cancer biology. After six years in labs, however, she was ready for a change.
In a Q&A for Fierce Pharma Marketing’s “Rising Stars” series, Morris, now a senior account executive and scientific liaison at Entente Network, discussed the transition from research to marketing and shared her personal formula for success.
Responses have been lightly edited.
Fierce Pharma Marketing: What inspired you to pursue a career in pharma marketing, and what keeps you motivated?
Katie Morris: My favorite parts of science were strategic planning and problem solving and the storytelling that comes with going to a conference and sharing your research. In marketing, I get to do all of those things—I’m just doing it in a different way.
I’m still solving a problem, trying to reach a specific audience with a specific message. I'm still using my scientific background and the years of training to read papers and understand how scientific innovations work. Now, I just apply them to making sure that everyone gets to learn about those innovations and that they get out into the world. It’s an interesting way to be a part of the engine of biopharma innovation without holding the pipette at the bench.
FPMK: What has been the most rewarding or challenging project you’ve worked on so far?
KM: My favorite projects are the ones where you have to dig deep to solve a complex problem. For one project, we had a client come to us who needed to significantly reduce their digital media spend, and they didn’t know how to do that. We worked with them to take a strategic look at their business goals and their spend and then to refine their campaign targeting and their messaging to make sure that they were reaching the audience they were trying to reach, a very specific stakeholder audience. And then, once they reached that audience, we helped them use the right language and visuals that would resonate. We were able to dramatically reduce their spend, while improving their lead generation.
The challenge is not just creating good content that looks great, but it’s also aligning the strategy, the storytelling, all of those things, to bridge the gap from the science and the innovations to communicating with the target audience.
FPMK: If you could give one piece of advice to industry veterans who’ve been in pharma marketing for decades, what would it be?
KM: Stay curious and be open to change. Our landscape is evolving so quickly in terms of the ways that people get information. People used to turn to traditional news sources, but that’s no longer how the majority of our country gets its news. It’s from social media. We apply all the things we’ve learned about those kinds of changes, but the fundamentals remain the same. At the end of the day, we’re still trying to get the right message to the right person at the right time. The best outcomes happen when we combine fresh perspectives and are open to change, but also take advice from people who’ve been doing this for a long time.
FPMK: What do you like to do when you’re not helping clients reach their target audiences?
KM: The No. 1 thing I’m doing when I’m not working is watching sports. I’m from the Midwest, which has a huge football culture. I live in Minnesota, and everyone loves hockey here. I spend all fall—every Saturday and Sunday—watching football, college football, pro football. I love to go to hockey games. That’s what I’m doing when I’m not working: anything and everything to do with sports.
Know a standout early-career pharma marketing pro? Send your nominations for future "Rising Stars" honorees to [email protected].