Which Marketing Channels do Healthcare Brand Managers Favor in 2020?

Healthcare solutions firm Indegene released its 2020 Digital Savvy Pharma Marketer report earlier this year. It was a global survey of chief experience officers and marketing directors and managers.  

The survey asked questions about channel preferences and effectiveness along with budget allocation. Among the responses were favorable ratings for webinars, journals, and non-promotional websites.

Here is a breakdown of some key findings.

2020 Digital Savvy Pharma Marketer Results

According to the survey’s summary of insights:

• The average allocation toward digital channels from overall marketing budget reached a peak of 34% this year, twice the 2016 allocation figures.
• About 20% respondents foresee an increase in their digital spend by more than 50% over the next 3 years
• Digital channels deliver 24% higher productivity as compared to traditional channels such as TV/radio to engage patients
• Key opinion leader (KOL) webinars, social media, and marketing emails are viewed as the most effective digital channels to engage healthcare professionals
• Personalization of content has become a key focus area to maximize value for customers

KOL Webinars are Favored by Many

Across all regions, key opinion leader webinars are either number 1 or number 2 in usage by marketers to reach HCPs. Sponsorship of these events is committed by over 70% of respondents in Asia and the Americas. In Europe, KOL events are sponsored by just over 65% of marketers.

According to the study, “KOL webinars rank among the top 3 channels across all regions in both called-on as well as white space marketing channels. It is the channel of choice for marketers.”

Journal Usage is Rising

Journals ranked 4th highest in usage by respondents in Europe and the Americas, while ranking 6th among Asian respondents. Journals are the most used channel for reaching healthcare professionals in Europe, with just over 67% advertising via journals – either online or print – ranking that channel in the top three.

In Asia and the Americas, journals are seen as channels with high potential by the largest number of respondents. In addition, journals are among the top 3 rising marketing channels for the European respondents.

Non-promotional Websites Have Potential

In Europe, non-promotional websites were favored by 65.8% of respondents. In both the Asia region and the Americas, they are viewed as top upcoming channels by 66% and 67.4% respectively. These websites are used by the most respondents in the Americas and Europe, while ranking 4th in overall usage by respondents in Asia.

Part of the prevalent use of these more authoritative channels may be explained by recent skepticism in the pharma industry.

Elsevier offers KOL webinar sponsorships, non-promotional website placement, and brand visibility in over 2500 globally respected journals that reach hundreds of thousands of HCPs in nearly every specialty. We can help you align your brand with industry respect within today’s favored marketing channels. Contact us to get started today.

Download the Indegene survey

Want to gain more advertising industry insights? Elsevier asked 1814 physicians around the world to share their experiences of using medical journals, and their thoughts on the influence of advertising within these channels. Download the new and exclusive infographic now.

Article Written by: Alex Brown