4 tips for selling to millennial physicians

It's about to be a millennial world. The generation Pew Research defines as people born between 1980 and 1996 is already the largest in the U.S. workforce, and data from MRINetwork indicates that millennials will make up more than 50 percent of the nation's labor pool by 2020.

Compared to other professions, the average physician is still older, but the demographics are changing rapidly. According to the most recent physician census conducted by the Federation of State Medical Boards, approximately 24 percent of all actively licensed physicians in the U.S. are millennials. That number is expected to rise dramatically over the next decade as physicians from the baby boomer generation retire.

To gain more engagement with millennial physicians, consider these four tips:

1. Understand the importance of well-designed branding

There's abundant evidence that millennials have forever changed the way products and services are advertised. Younger buyers want tailored experiences, engaging content and transparent business dealings. Brands need to be upfront about the value provided, and their messaging needs to be well-designed from a visual perspective.

Advertisers that fail to manage their branding effectively create risk by not putting their best face forward. For many millennial buyers, poor branding equals a poor product. Pharmaceutical brands need to regularly assess their branded assets for consistency of message, tone and design.

2. Leverage mobile channels

Millennial physicians are more active on their smartphones than older physicians. According to a study from DRG Digital and Manhattan Research, millennial physicians are much more likely to be influenced by mobile apps during the medical decision-making process, compared with physicians aged 55 and up. For example, 50 percent of millennial doctors use their phone to access drug reference databases, compared with 28 percent of older physicians.

Pharmaceutical stakeholders should identify opportunities to leverage mobile channels in order to better engage younger doctors. Nearly half of all millennial doctors use their mobile device to read articles and research abstracts, making this channel a highly effective way to reach this audience.

Millennial physicians rely on mobile devices more than older doctors.

3. Don't ignore print channels

Though millennial physicians rely more heavily on their smartphones and tablets, they have not abandoned print media. Medical, Marketing & Media reported that 95 percent of millennial physicians rely on peer-reviewed journals to learn about new pharmaceutical advances and research breakthroughs. Polled physicians said they place great trust in these publications because they leverage sound scientific processes and evidence-based findings.

For these reasons, print ads in journals remain a strong part of multichannel marketing strategies. Pharma brands that support the publication of important medical research demonstrate their commitment to scientific advancement and patient care.

4. Build relationships over multiple touchpoints

These days, it's all but impossible for brands to establish a relationship with physicians after a single interaction. Effective campaigns need multiple touchpoints to generate awareness and demonstrate value.

According to GSW's chief innovation officer Leigh Householder, millennial physicians respond well to connections made face-to-face. However, getting physicians to meet with pharma reps is becoming more difficult, as few millennials own their own practices. Reps are often forced to go through hospital administrators before they can speak with physicians. Making connections at events could be a better avenue.

At the end of the day, millennial physicians represent a tech-savvy group of medical stakeholders who place a high value on relationships. A multichannel approach to advertising is effective because it offers multiple ways to interact with this busy audience segment. To learn more about how peer-reviewed journal content (in print, online or on mobile apps) can support your marketing efforts, contact an Elsevier consultant today.