All about me

All about me

By Liz Gopaul, executive VP, engagement and social, Calcium.

It’s all about me (well … the end user, that is). Due to COVID-19 playing a significant role with shifting perceptions towards pharma and media consumption, people are more empowered than ever, as well as more connected. The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer shows the increase in science literacy has almost doubled since 2020, creating more barriers to connect with the end user. My prediction is that pharma’s tried and true MMM model will fade into the sunset and omnichannel strategies will take center stage. With new data-gathering techniques, along with programs and platforms showing promise, the industry will be forced to revisit their approach to marketing to see maximum ROI.

In pharma, each person’s health need, illness, diagnosis, and treatment are unique. This increases the challenge for marketers to deliver push communications and broad stroke message shopping for optimal returns and land the perfect tactical mix to maximize brand performance. Users are becoming more sophisticated. Healthcare sovereignty continues to emerge, where consumers are conducting their own research and investigations regarding their ailments. Consideration and Adherence are two objectives the industry will see greater demand.

Welcome to a different view of marketing where omnichannel solutions can guide organizations to deliver a more customized user experience focused on message delivery not just the channel. Pairing this with the analyzation of real-time behaviors, marketplace circumstances and insights will ultimately allow organizations to create new ways to identify opportunities and allocate marketing dollars outside of the standard MMM model.

Think about it…

The early years of pharmaceuticals were built on personal interactions between the field force and the healthcare professional. Over the past 20 years, despite the evolution and availability of new communication channels (i.e., social media, telehealth, digital content) many companies have been slow to change their approach to customer engagement strategy. This lack of evolution creates a disconnect where field force, personal/non-personal engagement, and multichannel marketing remain a high priority. Adding to the complexity is the implementation of strategies focused on other customer stakeholders, such as patients and payers, without incorporating or providing input that connects with traditional healthcare provider strategies.

Omnichannel marketing (and real-time insights) is the old new. Instead of the fragmented and siloed multichannel approach, omnichannel marketing employs the simultaneous orchestration of channels across personal, non-personal, and media, and addresses the integrated needs of multiple stakeholders’ consumers/patients, healthcare professionals, and payers. Getting it right necessitates a mind shift away from traditional, less personalized approaches to the customer at the center of the pharma marketer’s thinking at every stage, from planning to implementation. It’s something other industries have done and done well. Pharma will be the next player to make this bold shift.

Telehealth has eradicated the need for in-person visits, rerouting the path to information and communication channels used in modeling. Interest in health issues has changed dramatically. Consumers delay treatment for existing conditions or develop new symptoms and fears in physical isolation. Changed media habits are accelerated as media consumption shifts to and explodes on streaming services, digital content, and emerging social media platforms such as Microcurrent platforms such as LinkedIn and YouTube are also revamping their offerings to cater to the pharma world.

So, while I wish I could offer the magic number of channels to implement in your marketing media mix, it all comes down to your customer.

The key? Blending online and offline channels together in a synergistic way to deliver the right information in a manner (and at a time) that works for your target stakeholders. Done incorrectly, multichannel marketing becomes a draining beast delivering limited value. However, the reward for pharma organizations that prioritize customer’s needs through an integrated omnichannel approach, is improved customer relations and better communication of brand messages, leading to mutually beneficial outcomes.