Three Key Lessons for Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Advertisers

Healthcare and pharmaceuticals is an industry that usually falls behind in adopting the latest digital marketing trends for several reasons. However, with technological advancement and telehealth becoming popular, there are key lessons for advertisers in the industry. Harshit Jain, founder and global CEO, Doceree, discusses the key learnings for healthcare advertisers.

The healthcare and pharmaceutical marketing industry has historically been behind in adapting to the latest trends in digital marketing. This is due to various factors, such as HIPAA and privacy regulations which make targeting audiences challenging. Not too long ago, patient health records and prescription delivery were done manually. With advances in technology and the rising adoption of telehealth, the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry is catching up when it comes to digital transformation. 

With these advancements come key learnings for advertisers and marketers in the healthcare industry. As global privacy regulationsOpens a new window rise and the death of third-party cookies draws near, now is the time for all advertisers to take note of what works well in the pharmaceutical industry. It is also time for them to ensure all platforms, like programmatic marketing, are leveraged to get the right message in front of key audiences.

See More: The Future Pharmacy Is Powered by Data

Breaking Through the Noise

One challenge pharmaceutical marketers face today is the actual act of reaching healthcare professionals (HCPs) and providing them with the latest information on prescriptions and treatments. This is primarily due to the fact that physicians are busy. To overcome this roadblock, advertisers must ensure they are reaching medical professionals at the right time on the right platform. And since it is a specialized industry, effective platforms are limited. This means marketers must be highly focused on reaching a specific audience. In healthcare, it is quality over quantity when running a targeted campaign, a practice that many advertisers would benefit from. 

With limited platforms and time to reach busy HCPs, nailing the message is critical. Adding personalization is not a “nice-to-have” but a “must-have” for effective campaigns. One way to accomplish this is by leveraging data-backed insights through artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. Using AI for messaging helps increase brand recognition and improve the overall call to action for HCPs. Data also plays an important role when it comes to trigger-based campaigns with a specific call to action. 

Additionally, AI-powered platforms should be prioritized where possible. For example, in the healthcare industry, AI is being used to accelerate the process of drug research and development and was worth around $11 billion globally in 2021 alone, according to StatistaOpens a new window . In the coming year, AI will help make patient care more inclusive. Marketers should look at how AI is used in their given industry. 

Understanding what platforms an audience is on will play a role in how receptive they are to receive brand messages, which is important to achieve a direct call to action. This also means that communication will increase the effectiveness of campaigns as brand marketers will be able to target at opportune times. But before advertisers can understand the right channel and the right time, they must ensure they have access to data gathered through the audience’s available digital actions. With healthcare, for example, this strategy improves the efficiency of the treatment given to HCPs’ patients while also enhancing the brand’s value.

Leaning Into Programmatic

Advertisers should also take note of general programmatic marketing trends, especially since a recent Statista reportOpens a new window found that by 2026, 86% of overall digital advertising revenue will come from programmatic ads. This is a trend that will become evident in 2023. For marketers to achieve the highest ROI, they will need to ensure there is a focus on investment efficiency by using tailored communication strategies to reach their desired audience. As we head into economic uncertainty and budget cuts, marketers must ensure they are spending more wisely and allocating funds to prioritize programmatic strategies. In the healthcare industry, reaching pharmaceutical marketing audiences has been made more effective and efficient through programmatic. 

Programmatic marketing not only benefits the larger pharmaceutical companies navigating tighter budgets but also gives emerging start-ups a competitive edge, a key learning for all industries. Another added benefit is the accessibility that programmatic platforms provide, allowing marketers to accurately and efficiently target their audience. 

See More: The Future of Self-Service Drug Label Information with Natural Language Processing

Embracing the New World of Healthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the popularity of telehealth. Patients were forced to transition from in-person doctor visits to a digital environment for the first time. While there may have been hesitation initially, telehealth is now a quarter-trillion-dollar business, according to McKinseyOpens a new window , showing that it was not a pandemic fad and will not be going away anytime soon. Advertisers in all industries should ask, “What else might be moving to a digital environment?” 

With figures as high as 70 billionOpens a new window for investing in the metaverse, it is slowly becoming the next iteration of the online world. This gives new opportunities for advertisers as consumers and patients become more digitally savvy and embrace a virtual world. The popularity of telehealth is just the beginning, and it is evident that a growing percentage of the population is getting more comfortable with the online world and will potentially embrace the metaverse for other needs. 

Advertisers worldwide will continue to face challenges when it comes to reaching a targeted audience. Although third-party cookies will not disappear in 2024Opens a new window , 2023 is the year to understand how to reach audiences alternatively by using first-party data. Luckily, marketers in the healthcare industry have implemented successful strategies without using cookies for years and can provide inspiration to other industries. Truly understanding the behavior of audiences allows for effective targeting with relevant and personalized messaging. It is a win for all. 

What do you think are the key lessons for advertisers and marketers in the healthcare industry? Let us know on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .

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