Why Generic Pharma Companies Need a Comms Partner That Thinks & Works Like They Do

In the UK, generics account for 81% of all primary care prescriptions yet just 28% of NHS medicine spending, demonstrating strategic impact delivered at value.

Yet, the UK’s generics market is under constant price pressure, making margins increasingly tight. Companies are expected to deliver high-quality, reliable medicines at low cost, all while absorbing ongoing pricing adjustments and rebate mechanisms that squeeze budgets further.

Coupled with this, ongoing supply chain issues have led to significant shortages in generic medicines, with the British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) reporting that over 100 products are currently affected, which is the highest on record.

These disruptions naturally impact the ability to maintain consistent product availability, but they also challenge marketing and sales teams who must manage stakeholder expectations, protect reputation, and maintain trust, all the while continuing to communicate clearly about products, partnerships, and innovation.

Traditional health communications agencies are built for big pharma clients with matching budgets. Their overheads tend to be higher due to physical offices and associated costs, their processes are often slower due to larger team structures, and therefore generics briefs can be deprioritised in favour of more lucrative opportunities.

When generics firms do allocate budget to marketing and communications, they need partners who can deliver immediate impact, strategic precision, and rapid activation. Traditional agencies often can’t typically offer this level of responsiveness meaning key opportunities are missed.

As one example in smoking cessation, we rapidly mobilised targeted media outreach, topic-led storytelling, and strategic partnerships to achieve extensive UK media coverage. This was possible due to our proprietary ADAPT methodology; delivering at least 25% greater value than traditional approaches without compromising quality or senior input, ensuring strategy remains precise and execution remains agile.

And crucially, we understand the realities generics companies face every day from persistent cost pressure, and ongoing supply chain disruption, and we structure our model to support generics firms through both.

Like generics firms themselves, Fox&Cat excels at delivering impact at value. We’re built for pace, for clarity, and for measurable impact.

If you’re a generics pharmaceutical company ready for smarter, sharper, and more effective communications, contact us today to see how we can help: info@foxandcat.co.uk

Beyond The Hype: What AI Really Means For Health Communications

AI is already firmly embedded in frontline healthcare. In radiology, it’s supporting lung cancer screening and, in some trials, outperforming expert clinicians in detecting early-stage cancers. NHS trusts are piloting AI in A&E triage and testing large language models to summarise patient records. This is all happening now, transparently, with the aim of improving speed, accuracy and patient outcomes.

And yet in health communications, the very discipline responsible for translating and vocalising these developments, AI adoption remains cautious. While interest is high, usage is still largely confined to behind-the-scenes, low-risk tasks.

According to PRWeek UK‘s UK Top 150 agency research published today, three in four PR consultancies are using AI for research, around 60% for transcription or translation. Just under half use it for writing copy, and fewer than 30% for social content. Fifteen per cent reported not using AI at all.

It’s understandable that we are seeing agencies approach with caution as the use of AI can raise real questions about quality, ownership, security and accountability. No agency wants to be accused of cutting corners or using tools without rigour or consent.

But used well, AI has the potential to enhance the very areas that make agencies valuable: insight, strategy, and creative thinking. In our recent piece, Can the Smart Use of AI Increase Agency Value?, we explored the areas where AI delivers most impact – not in replacing roles, but in supporting early-stage research, shaping content foundations, and relieving teams from repetitive admin. That means better use of time, stronger output, and greater return on budget.

There is however a concern across the industry that AI might reduce the creative value agencies bring. But when use is transparent, purposeful and well-integrated, the opposite can be true. AI can act as a creative catalyst – generating raw ideas, unexpected directions, or simply allowing people more time to think and refine.

In healthcare, trust and empathy matter more than ever. Comms in this space must be accurate, relevant and sensitive to the human experience. AI can support delivery but it can’t replicate the emotional intelligence or lived context that true connection requires.

At Fox&Cat, this is where we see the opportunity lies. Not in replacing people or reducing our thinking to GPT-fed outputs but in removing barriers. If research is quicker, and admin is automated, more time and energy can go into strategy, writing, and collaboration. That’s where real value is built and where lasting impact happens.

Moving forward

Some agencies are already putting structure behind their use of AI. Others are still working out where it fits. There’s no single right approach but one thing should be universal: transparency. Clients deserve to know how their agency is using AI, how decisions are made, and where the value (including any savings) is being passed on.

As the healthcare sector continues to adopt AI at speed, communications agencies need to keep pace by building frameworks that protect standards, improve efficiency and support better outcomes.

When used with care, AI can help us deliver communications that are more thoughtful, more focused, and more sustainable.

If you’re a brand looking to cut through the noise and deliver health communications that genuinely make a difference, we’d love to help.

Because in an era of smarter tools, sharper thinking will always win.

Get in touch at info@foxandcat.co.uk

Sources: PRWeek UK How are PR firms really using AI? 09 April

From Noise to Impact: Why Simplicity Is The Health Communicator’s Most Powerful Tool

The gap between clarity and confusion can have real consequences, especially when it comes to health.

As an example of this, we’ve already seen a surge in ADHD self-diagnoses in the UK in 2025, fuelled by glamourised content on TikTok and other social media platforms. In this instance, misleading posts led many, especially young people, to mistake everyday behaviours for symptoms. The result is unnecessary anxiety and poor health decisions.

This is what happens with the growing volume of “noise” led through misinformation. The more noise there is, particularly when it’s incorrect, the harder it becomes to recognise and trust what is true. And, like the boy who cried wolf, the damage lies in the moment the truth is ignored.

People today are under pressure. With rising costs, long hours and constant digital input, few have the time or energy to question what they’re seeing. If something feels simple, familiar or emotionally charged, it often gets accepted without scrutiny.

In this environment, surface-level content wins. Oversimplified health claims and viral anecdotes spread faster than facts. But when that content misleads, it does more than confuse – it misshapes beliefs, behaviours, and outcomes.

Helping people stay healthy starts with helping them cut through the noise. That means being clear, accurate and relevant. It means turning complexity into simplicity, without losing meaning.

Of course, it is not only audiences who face this challenge. Those of us working in health communications are also navigating an increasingly noisy and complex landscape. Regulatory constraints, limited budgets, changing media channels and rising stakeholder expectations all make impact harder to achieve. Many in-house teams are stretched, often relying on professionals from non-comms backgrounds to handle high-stakes messaging with minimal support.

Five Ways to Communicate with Impact

If we want to encourage healthier choices, here are five things health communicators can do to support real change:

  1. Be clear, not clever Use plain language. Avoid jargon and technical terms unless your audience expects them. Clarity is more effective than cleverness.
  2. Check for trust Ask yourself: Would I believe this if I saw it online? In a crowded and sceptical space, tone, source and format all carry weight.
  3. Use evidence smartly Reference trusted sources, but don’t overload the message. Present facts in ways that are easy to understand, share and act on.
  4. Speak with empathy Facts matter, but tone matters too. People are more likely to listen if they feel seen and understood. Empathy builds credibility.
  5. Show up in the right places Take your message to the platforms and spaces people already use, whether that’s social media, group chats, podcasts or community forums. Make it easy to access and hard to ignore.

To cut through the noise, we first need to earn trust, as this is the first step towards helping people make better choices based on facts not noise.

If you’re a brand looking to cut through the noise and deliver health communications that truly make a difference, we’d love to help.

Get in touch to see how we can work together to bring clarity, confidence and meaningful impact to your audiences: info@foxandcat.co.uk

How brands can rise to meet consumers’ high self-care expectations

With ‘The Great Deceleration’ – a move towards slow living, and a focus on improving mental wellbeing being two predicted trends this year,1 does this open the door to a new approach for self-care brands? Paul Hutchings, founder of Fox&Cat, thinks so.

What’s interesting, is the role that consumers expect brands to play in when it comes to supporting their health and wellbeing. Four in ten1 want brands – whether health or otherwise – to improve their wellbeing, as identified by a recent survey. The same research showed that 81% believe brands should be trying to improve people’s mental health.

Whether pain, bad breath, acne or embarrassing bowel movements, many everyday health conditions impact our mental wellbeing in the short or longer term. From the depression that pain can lead to, through to the emotional fear of bullying from acne – mental wellbeing is relevant.

Given these astonishing insights, the deceleration trend and its focus on mental wellbeing isn’t just a trend, it can be an untapped execution platform for brands, and a timely one given;

  1. Stress (52%) and mental illness/depression (49%) came out first and second in the top ten challenges for human health.
  2. There are no diagnoses you can get that won’t make you worry, do an impromptu Google search to worry more, and then bury the concern for another day.
  3. Consumers want evidence that the products they use will work, foremost. And they want to be educated by brands not sold to by them.

While slowing down for many consumers is the key to a happier, healthier life, the deceleration trend is perhaps a timely reminder to brands to take a fresh look at what their audiences are really looking for and be clear about how the brand can support self-care. It’s time to re-assess the brand’s position and focus efforts on the wellbeing needs of their audience and how they can, creatively, get closer to the mark.

Let’s look at one example…

Lego is well documented for its positive impact on mental wellbeing. Interacting with the bricks is a mindful, calming practice that can decrease unwanted stress and unwelcome thoughts.2 Imagining and then creating something new nurtures self-confidence, and seeing what you have built at the end gives a dopamine hit for feelings of pleasure. It even helps improve cognition for elder people.3

Compare Lego’s believable health and wellbeing claims to those less-believable from some key high street health products and, to be frank, I’d choose those painful-under-the-foot bricks over many of them.

While consumers are looking for brands to be clear on claims and credentials – it’s important not to overclaim. Wellbeing is an area where it’s tempting and easier for brands to overstate their health credentials.

Take, for example, Vitamin Water and its prior slogan “vitamins + water = all you need”. The Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) ensured a correction in the USA to include “+ sweeteners” in its branding.4 Not so catchy, but at least now it’s honest.

For us the role for brands is becoming clearer. Being transparent about brand claims and backing them up with science and efficacy is what consumers are searching for. By tackling the barriers around self-care – taking consumers by the hand to guide them through the science behind a product, people will become empowered to make their own health decisions. And by addressing the very current mental wellbeing needs – whether around a health diagnosis or more widely – health brands will become seen as listening, authentic leaders which in turn will encourage loyalty and sales.

Deceleration, on face-value at least, appears to be an obvious yet critical part of the solution. One where brands, through education and legitimate claims, can support the move towards ‘slow living’ to counteract the overtired, over scheduled, busyness of our lives today.

Please get in contact with paul@foxandcat.co.uk if you’d like to find out more.

References:

1 The Future 100 – Trends and Change to Watch in 2024 by VML Intelligence. Cited at: www.vml.com/insight/the-future-100-2024 Last accessed: February 2024

2 HFR, 2023. Cited at: healthfitnessrevolution.com/10-health-benefits-of-building-legos Last accessed: February 2024

3 Ivan, J et al. (2019) Mathematical Problem Solving: One Way to Prevent Dementia. Cited at: https://ijmi.ir/index.php/IJMI/article/view/179 Last accessed: February 2024

4 Gilliland N (2016) Article: Six Brands that have made false health claims in advertising. Cited at: https://econsultancy.com/six-brands-that-have-made-false-health-claims-in-advertising

Consumer healthcare: don’t fear talking science

Health is now a top-three priority (up from 12th pre-pandemic) in the UK. This increased interest has led to a deluge of health-related content bombarding us, often with conflicting messages.

It’s getting harder for consumers to distinguish between accurate information and hearsay. Therefore, and quite rightly, they want effective, data-driven, science-backed health and wellness solutions they can trust. And they want this in and above clean or natural products with no such evidence – a trend identified by McKinsey.

Yet most feel they don’t have the confidence, knowledge or understanding needed to take control of their health. Right now, nearly half of Gen Z and millennials are turning to TikTok and YouTube over and above online or a GP, and a third of Gen Z trust TikTok more than a doctor.

While the use of social media to gather health information makes it simpler and quicker to find, the chance for misinformation is higher than talking to a doctor or using a validated online source.

So, what can brands do about this?

The opportunity is to bring efficacy to the fore by placing a stronger emphasis on the scientific evidence behind their products. And by making the science simple, reputable brands can make it easier for consumers to see the value in their products.

This is a win-win situation for the consumer and for reputable brands. With efficacy data to support marketing, consumers will benefit from proven products. The second win is that it will discourage people buying products that have dubious or no substantiated claim and no proven health outcomes.

But how should brands communicate?

  1. Approach consumers in the right way: this heightened interest in efficacy can be used as a hook to educate and empower the consumer, the brand becoming a gateway to and a trusted source of accurate health information – and, ultimately, the tool to strengthen customer trust and loyalty.
  2. Build credibility: this includes brands listening to the needs of their audiences, responding with authority, and collaborating with influential and accredited individuals, groups and businesses to ensure messages resonate.
  3. Provide information to consumers in a way that builds trust and provides knowledge to empower self-care and fact-based decision-making – it’s all about the science.

When it comes to communicating complex science in a simple way, pharma and life sciences leads the charge. While red tape limits (and with good reason) free-flowing communication around drugs with lay audiences, much can be learned from the approaches used to talk about the evidence for drugs and applied to consumer health products. It’s a rarely tapped-into approach with immense potential.

Wise brands that set out to drive empowerment by emphasising the science behind their products to educate (not promote to) their customers will build all-important trust that leads to improvement in the brand-to-customer relationship, sales and longer-term loyalty.

Please get in contact with paul@foxandcat.co.uk if you’d like to find out more.