Over the first half of the year, I’ve had the opportunity to listen to more than 300 Board of Directors presentations delivered by participants in our business acumen simulations. These presentations are the culmination of the learning journey: each team steps into the role of senior leadership, presenting their strategy, goals, accomplishments, and future guidance for their simulated company.

Nearly every team uses or slightly adapts the templates we provide, and the resulting presentations are often thoughtful, structured, and insightful.

As I was reviewing a few over the long weekend, one in particular stood out. It was from a team that participated in a pharmaceutical simulation back in March. The title of their final presentation was:

Let’s be honest and reflective for a moment.

For far too long, marketers, especially in the pharmaceutical industry, have been confined to a largely tactical role: content producers, email deployers, CRM campaign owners, and brochure creators. You get the drift.

But in 2025 and beyond, the rules have changed.

Omnichannel marketing is no longer just about building campaigns. It’s not just a tech stack or a sequence of well-orchestrated messages. It’s a new way of thinking, one that inverts the traditional model to center on customer experience rather than brand-driven messaging.

And the marketers who thrive in this new environment aren’t just good at segmentation, sequencing, and channel orchestration.

They think like General Managers.

They see across the business enterprise, connecting customer insights to brand strategy, aligning with field force realities, integrating medical collaboration, navigating regulatory constraints, and translating analytics into action.

They understand not just what needs to be done but why, when, and with whom.

They’re not just marketers. They’re enterprise leaders, and in our business simulations, they’re often on a path to running the company.

The shock of what I just heard didn’t wear off for quite some time.

I had just introduced our brand-new, state-of-the-art Pharmaceutical Marketing Omnichannel simulation to a group of eager early career learners. As we wrapped up the overview, I asked the group, “Any thoughts or questions?”

A hand shot up.

“This sounds great,” she began, “but let’s be real. Even if we master these incredible tools and learn how to shift from multichannel management to true omnichannel engagement at the individual HCP level, it won’t matter. Why? Because we’re the only ones who believe in this.”

She went on.

“The Sales team still believes this is, and always will be, about their one-on-one relationships. They view themselves as the primary revenue drivers. And Medical Affairs? They think they own the truth because they have the data. Unless they buy in, all this training, this business simulation…it’s just a waste of time and money.”

Then came the mic drop. “The only way this works is if we use everything we’ve learned and become change agents—not just marketers. That’s the only way omnichannel sticks.”

You could feel the energy shift in the room. Heads nodded. Eyebrows raised. Everyone knew she was right.

Yes, omnichannel strategy, segmentation, content orchestration, and channel analytics are all critical. But they’re not enough. Not if you want to make it real inside a matrixed pharma organization. Because no matter how good your plan is, if your cross-functional colleagues don’t see the value, or worse, feel threatened by it, it goes nowhere.

The reality is that omnichannel marketers must become change agents. You must bring others with you. Earn credibility. Challenge assumptions. Build bridges. And yes, sometimes push back hard.

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that this upcoming 4th of July weekend will be a welcome relief, and a much-needed breather, after what’s been one of the most volatile and complex starts to a business year in recent memory.

From a business acumen perspective, we’ve navigated on-again, off-again tariffs, heightened geopolitical risk, extreme weather events disrupting global supply chains, and continued organizational shakeups in how and where people work.

Yet somehow, in the midst of all that uncertainty, the markets have roared back. As of this writing, the S&P 500 is within a point of its all-time high. Institutions like Goldman Sachs and BMO Capital Markets are forecasting continued growth, with targets as high as 6,700 by year-end.

So, as we gather with friends, watch fireworks, and celebrate the independence of our country, it’s also a good time to reflect on five business insights that feel particularly relevant as we cross into the second half of 2025:

Here’s a startling fact: In the first half of this year, I personally delivered 99 unique business acumen and leadership workshops, each centered around business simulations, focused on improving decision-making, strategic thinking, and driving results through clear strategic goals and objectives.

And yet, in those 99 sessions, not a single team—0.0%—completed their goals and objectives forms correctly in either their pre-simulation planning or their final board of directors’ presentations.

Let that sink in for a moment. More than 2,800 participants engaged in an exercise to set and execute a strategy in a simulated business environment, and not a single one came up with acceptable goals and objectives.