Opinion leader development plus the management of opinion leader programmes has consistently been identified as one of the top requirements for the successful global launch of a new product.1 Very few people disagree with this statement, but many are unaware of the importance of managing the process from a very early stage of development through to launch in a structured and consistent manner. Too often, the process is fragmented, unproductive, and wasteful of internal and external resources. This paper outlines one approach to this vital activity — opinion leader development.
