Case Study

CDMO Market Growth

Introduction

Expanding a global CDMO into the U.S. pharmaceutical market requires more than strong capabilities—it demands strategic messaging, buyer-specific positioning, and commercial alignment. As the U.S. Business Development Manager for Rottendorf Pharma, I supported commercial growth efforts while simultaneously filling marketing gaps that were critical to success. Without dedicated marketing resources, I took the lead on developing content, messaging, and tools that would position Rottendorf’s capabilities for U.S.-based pharma clients, support the sales pipeline, and build internal alignment across global teams.

Challenge

  • Limited U.S. Brand Recognition: As a German-headquartered CDMO, Rottendorf was virtually unknown among U.S. pharma manufacturers.

  • No Internal Marketing Support: The U.S. business unit had no marketing resources, requiring strategic support from within the business development function.

  • Complex Offering: With a broad mix of services—formulation, manufacturing, packaging, labeling—Rottendorf needed a clear, differentiated value proposition tailored for U.S. prospects.

  • Disconnected Sales Processes: Sales materials, follow-up tools, and messaging lacked consistency and weren’t aligned to buyer needs..

Solution

To address these challenges, I provided end-to-end strategic marketing support that aligned internal stakeholders and helped the U.S. business grow more competitively and cohesively.

Key Strategy Components:

  • Positioning & Messaging Development: Conducted competitive and market research to develop a clear, U.S.-specific value proposition aligned to pharma client priorities—quality systems, scalability, and regulatory experience.

  • Sales Enablement Toolkit: Created presentation decks, service brochures, and modular sales sheets tailored to client type (R&D, regulatory, operations) and stage of engagement.

  • Customer Journey & Persona Development: Mapped key decision-maker roles within client organizations to refine messaging and follow-up content. Partnered with global teams to localize and clarify existing assets.

  • CRM Implementation & Pipeline Visibility: Introduced Salesforce CRM to streamline sales tracking and improve global visibility, enabling real-time forecasting and more effective follow-up.

Results

  • Secured a multi-year contract with a top 10 global pharma company, establishing a long-term manufacturing partnership.

  • Surpassed sales targets with a 15% YoY revenue increase, driven by strategic cross-selling and improved engagement.

  • Improved sales efficiency and consistency with ready-to-use marketing tools, reducing proposal and presentation prep time by 30%.

  • Shortened average sales cycle by 20% through improved pipeline visibility and tailored content that addressed client needs earlier in the process.

Conclusion

This initiative demonstrated the power of embedding strategic marketing into business development—especially in lean, growth-oriented environments. By translating technical capabilities into buyer-relevant messaging, and building a foundational toolkit that supported the sales pipeline, I helped Rottendorf expand its presence in the U.S. market, win major business, and lay the groundwork for scalable growth.