During the week of October 17th, four members from our VDX.tv Pharma vertical team attended the Digital Pharma East conference in Philadelphia. The event, which featured a series of keynote speakers, case studies and panel discussions, was focused on the latest digital marketing trends and transformations in the pharmaceutical space. While at the event, we noted three digital strategies that are defining the future of pharma marketing and that will take pharma campaigns to the next level.
Omnichannel Strategies
One trending topic of the conference was “Omnichannel” and one full day was dedicated to discussing omnichannel strategies. Client marketing teams, data teams and agencies all have different definitions of what “omnichannel” means to their organizations. This can mean an interconnectedness with data, creative, and messaging and/or ensuring that all media formats, including linear TV, digital, and CTV are supported and unified. While linear TV may still be king for the pharma industry, there is increased interest and investment in CTV as part of an omnichannel ecosystem. Pharma companies today are seeking to create a cohesive brand experience across channels and target users (whether that be patients or HCPs) at the right moment in the patient journey. Leveraging the power of video across CTV, desktop and mobile devices to reach medical professionals and patients where they are and drive the right results has become an important part of the omnichannel approach.
Data & Measurement Strategies
Data and measurement were other hot topics addressed at the conference. Pharmaceutical companies are taking a more strategic, data-driven approach to their digital efforts and metrics such as prescription lift are becoming more paramount to measuring the success of campaigns.
Connectivity between data sources will continue to impact the pharma industry. The need to demonstrate the value of both advertising and field efforts is essential to Pharma marketers. Digital lends itself to the ability to measure success, and there is a lot of interest in centralizing this data and linkage between large, sometimes disparate data sets. This was a shared goal among speakers, and it was positive to see the close working relationships between brand marketing folks and their omnichannel data counterparts. We see this as a shift for the pharma industry, with pharma companies becoming more strategic about partnering with the right digital partners and data vendors to drive campaign success.
Creative Strategies
Modular content and creative were noted as a tactics that can help pharma companies adjust and adapt their marketing to easily change messaging for relevant audiences. Modular solutions enable pharma marketers to produce and distribute content more quickly and efficiently, utilizing core campaign creative within a framework that can be customized further with templated elements (images, calls-to-action, headlines, copy, etc.)
Pharma marketers can apply the same approach to their digital advertising with ad formats can be scaled and delivered across different devices. For example, a single video creative asset can be leveraged for a linear TV ad, a CTV ad, and a video ad served across personal devices, with each version incorporating different branding/interactive elements that complement the channel or cater to a specific audience. Target audiences will not only feel like the ads are more relevant to them but will more deeply connect with the cohesive and impactful brand experience.
Want to learn more about the digital strategies and tactics that will drive impact and take your pharma campaigns to the next level? Contact us at pharma@vdx.tv.
