The New Era in Physician Marketing

Brand managers for health and life sciences companies have been facing disruptions, evolving trends, and course changes for decades. Times continue to change at a more rapid pace than ever before but still some companies have clung to traditional physician marketing strategies, such as detailing.

Unfortunately, those who continue to compete using traditional strategies may be doomed to failure. We are entering a new era requiring updated approaches to reaching physicians.

So, what are the top changes to consider in your marketing strategy? Here are four areas where disruption has led to accelerating trends. 

Digital Advertising Skyrockets

COVID-19 drove a significant rise in digital ad spend for 2020. The shift to digital was already occurring before the pandemic, as increased patient load reduced physicians’ available time. Limited access due to social distancing drove engagements down even further. And reduced access is likely to linger as further demands on the medical industry are expected.

In response, pharma brands allocated nearly two-thirds of their marketing budgets to digital ads in 2020 – up from less than 1% in 2012. Ads began appearing in more medical journals, telemedicine platforms, industry websites, and other digital venues than ever before.

A Rush to Point-of-Care Marketing

Point-of-care targeting is a relatively new phenomenon, but it’s rising swiftly in popularity. As the Affordable Care Act moved personal health information online, cutting-edge brand managers looked to electronic medical record (EMR) systems as a new channel. And as telemedicine and telehealth became mainstream in 2020, platforms provided another medium for brands to reach physicians at the point of care.

Now, marketers are delivering messages within the context of care, building value immediately by connecting benefits to outcomes as physicians seek remedies. These platforms are providing opportunities to support and educate as physicians search for International Classification of Diseases codes and other tasks.

End of Programmatic Advertising

Automated ad buying driven by personal data won’t be the same in this new age. Data security and privacy have been a front-burner issue for years. As a consequence, programmatic advertising platforms are under fire.

A complaint filed under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation was potentially the “match that lit the flame”, triggering browser giants like Google and Firefox to move us into a cookieless world. As a result, brand managers are pivoting strategies to capture and use first-party data to build HCP targeting lists.

Rise of Visual Technology in Detailing

Detailing is now enhanced with advanced visual technology. Breakthroughs in animation and virtual reality, for example, are driving more interactive, engaging meetings where HCPs “experience” the functionality and application of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other life sciences solutions.

These disruptive technologies are changing the game for marketers, transitioning the industry from impersonal two-sided brochures to fully immersive product explorations. Among the fastest-rising advanced visualization options are:

• Medical Animation: HCPs get a detailed view of how a drug works on a cellular level.
• Virtual Reality: HCPs experience how a medical device operates and interacts with a patient’s body.

Advanced visualization technologies are bringing products to life, helping to connect benefits to features and providing a relatable experience for HCPs. These trends are leading to a new competitive landscape.

Want to keep connected to evolving marketing trends in the medical sector? Follow our blog for the latest pharma marketing trends and tips. 

Article Written by: Alex Brown