Tips for marketing to millennial physicians

The millennial generation, generally considered to consist of people born between 1981 and 1998, is an often-misunderstood group. The advent of the internet and related technologies shaped the way this group grew into adulthood – but even within the generation, there are many discrepancies of experience.

The older members can recall the days before wide-spread dialup internet, while the youngest grew up with a connected device in their pockets.

For medical marketers, it is the older millennials who are most likely to be the target of their efforts. A physician born in 1981 would have graduated high school in 1998 and left college sometime before the Great Recession. This means that practicing millennial doctors are still in the early years of their professional careers, and more millennials are about to finish medical school.

Millennial physicians are quick to adopt new technologies.

Are millennials really that different?

Making generalizations based on generational differences can be tricky – it seems unfair to judge individuals solely on the cohort of peers they grew up with. And yet, most of us can probably pinpoint a few ideological differences between millennials, Gen Xer's and baby boomers.

The real question is whether or not these generational differences affect how physicians react to marketing efforts. If you were to place the same medical device advertisement before a 35-year-old and a 55-year-old, how would their reactions differ?

"92% of millennial physicians want to prioritize work/life balance."

First, medical advertisers may need to adjust their view of millennials. In the media, members of this generation are often portrayed as twenty-somethings with their noses plastered to smartphones. However, the oldest members of the millennial generation are closer to 40 than they'd like to admit.

Therefore, practicing millennial doctors are likely struggling to find an appealing work/life balance. Advertisements that promise to optimize processes and make work more efficient are likely an effective tactic. The American Medical Association (AMA) supported this claim, stating that 92 percent of millennial physicians rated work/life balance as a top priority. However, 65 percent say they have yet to achieve this goal.

Which appeals most affect millennials?

Aside from time management, millennials tend to think about their jobs in terms of how they are benefiting society and the environment. AMA noted that millennial physicians often view themselves as advocates for patient health – that means they're more likely to speak out publicly regarding medical reform, research and other key issues.

MD Magazine reported that millennials are quick to adopt new technologies – they're less resistant to change than previous generations. This is likely because technology has changed so rapidly throughout their lives. This is good news for advertisers who want to disrupt an existing market. Millennials tend to trust that each subsequent generation of technology will be better than the last. Showing how a product improves on the status quo is a good method of appealing to millennial doctors.

Where do millennial physicians read industry news?

Although the term "fake news" has only recently entered the nation's lexicon, millennials have grown up with a distrust of online sources. According to a 2016 report from the Ohio Hospital Association, only 19 percent of millennials in the healthcare industry believe that people are generally trustworthy.

This distrust of online news sources has driven millennials to seek out trusted outlets, such as peer-reviewed journals and expert-curated websites such as PracticeUpdate. Advertising in these reputable channels will mean your readers are already in a more trusting mindset.

To reach millennial physicians where they're most likely to read content, consider taking a multi-channel media buying approach with Elsevier Pharma & Life Sciences Solutions.