Where Ecosystem Mapping Becomes Strategy
How a structured understanding of stakeholder influence supports more coordinated engagement across the access landscape
Ecosystem mapping has become an important part of how organizations approach market access planning. It provides a structured way to identify stakeholders across payers, policy, clinical, and patient communities and to understand how those stakeholders contribute to access decisions.
This perspective builds on a recent Magnolia Market Access webinar that brought together leaders across market access and analytics to explore how ecosystem mapping is being applied to better understand stakeholder influence and support more coordinated engagement across functions.
In many organizations, ecosystem mapping is completed, but the next step—using that insight to guide engagement, align teams, and inform decision-making—is not always clearly defined. Stakeholder identification and mapping provide a critical foundation, but that insight is not always consistently applied.
What is becoming clearer is that the value of ecosystem mapping begins with identifying who matters, and is strengthened by understanding how influence operates across the ecosystem and using that insight to guide engagement.
A Broader View of the Access Ecosystem
Access is shaped by a wide range of stakeholders, including payers, providers, patient advocacy organizations, policy groups, academic institutions, and professional societies. These groups interact in different ways, and their roles in shaping access can vary depending on the context.
This broader view reflects how influence operates across the ecosystem, through a network of stakeholders and relationships.
“It’s been evolving into a bigger and bigger project. It’s not just about what ecosystem mapping is, but how it works as a cross-functional process.”
— Amanda Forys, Managing Partner, Magnolia Market Access
A comprehensive view of the ecosystem helps organizations move beyond isolated stakeholder lists to a more complete understanding of how influence is distributed across the landscape.
A consistent approach to ecosystem mapping helps translate complexity into a clearer set of priorities. The framework presented in the webinar outlines four core steps: identifying stakeholders, mapping connections, assessing influence, and profiling priority targets for engagement.
This structure enables organizations to move from a broad set of potential stakeholders to a more focused group that can meaningfully influence access across the defined spectrum.
“Think of it as a funnel. You start broad with all potential stakeholders, and then narrow it down step by step to identify the right stakeholders for the right teams to engage.”
— Andrea Schatz-Anderer, EVP, Strategy & Insights, 81qd
This progression is what allows ecosystem mapping to move from a conceptual exercise to a practical tool for prioritization.
By narrowing the field in a structured way, teams can prioritize where to focus and how to engage.
Understanding influence requires looking beyond individual stakeholders to the relationships that connect them. Influence can be shaped by shared affiliations, co-authorship, conference participation, policy involvement, and broader professional networks.
This shift from stakeholders to relationships changes how influence is understood—and where engagement efforts are focused.
“We call it ecosystem mapping because both parts matter. It’s the range of stakeholders, but also how they’re connected and how influence flows between them.”
— Susan Abedi, Chief Strategy Officer, 81qd
This network-based perspective provides a more accurate view of how influence is distributed and where engagement may be most effective.
Different teams engage with stakeholders in different ways. Market access, medical affairs, and commercial teams may all interact with the same stakeholders, but with different objectives.
Even with a clear view of the ecosystem, engagement often remains fragmented across functions, limiting the impact of that insight.
Without alignment, engagement can become inconsistent or duplicative. This is where a more nuanced understanding of stakeholder relationships becomes critical.
Not every connection is a straight line. Some of the less obvious relationships can create meaningful opportunities if you know where to look.”
— Tracy Baroni-Allmon, Vice President, Health Policy & Market Access, Magnolia Market Access
Aligning on stakeholder priorities, roles, and engagement approaches helps ensure engagement across the ecosystem is coordinated and consistent.
From Insight to Ongoing Strategy
Ecosystem mapping is most effective when it is treated as an ongoing process rather than a one-time exercise. Stakeholder influence, policy dynamics, and competitive activity continue to evolve, and the ecosystem must be reassessed accordingly.
Without this ongoing refinement, ecosystem mapping can quickly become outdated and disconnected from how influence is shifting in real time.
A structured approach enables organizations to:
Key Takeaways for Biopharma Leaders
Ecosystem mapping provides a structured way to understand stakeholder influence
Influence is shaped by relationships and connectivity across the ecosystem
Prioritization is essential to focus engagement on the most relevant stakeholders
Cross-functional alignment supports more effective engagement
Ecosystem mapping should be continuously updated as the environment evolves
The Bottom Line
Identifying stakeholders is a critical first step in ecosystem mapping. The challenge is ensuring that this insight is consistently used to guide stakeholder engagement, align teams, and inform decision-making across the organization.
Ecosystem mapping helps organizations understand who influences access and how those influences are connected.
Its value is realized when that understanding is consistently applied to shape strategy and execution across functions.
Start a Conversation
Explore how a structured approach to ecosystem mapping can support more effective stakeholder engagement and access strategy.
Watch the full Magnolia Market Access webinar, Market Access Stakeholder Ecosystem Mapping: From Segmentation to Impactful Engagement, for additional perspective on how organizations are approaching stakeholder influence and engagement.