How to Drive Pharmaceutical Marketing Success
Pharma and Biotech marketing teams play beat the clock with the time they have to market a drug to HCP and DTC segments. Once a patent ends the drug can go generic and the money goes away. Having worked with many Pharmaceutical companies, there are several actions internal marketing teams can take to speed up and increase the potential of campaign success.
Adding a Permanent Digital Marketing Member to Medical, Legal, Regulatory Teams
The speed in which campaigns are activated can make or break how you influence your target market. A lot of the work for Pharma & Biotech companies is done by marketing agencies. Many times the work has no one to defend it at review meetings. We’ve had work sent back because a review member didn’t understand why a word is plural verses singular which cost an additional week in the review process. There are to many people submitting on the agency side, representing on the brand side, and reviewing all around. Simplify the process. Have a permanent marketing member that’s versed in all things digital and traditional marketing, and the process will be significantly shorter.
Choose the Right Agency That Cares About You More Than Your Money
Often times Pharma companies shell out millions and get little in return. Find the right agency partners that go above and beyond for you to make your organization better. To often, agencies propose non effective strategies that became irrelevant years ago in order to beef up their proposals. That is a red flag that the relationship will revolve around money, and not spent on treating the brand like their own company. Make sure internal marketing teams are skilled to vet proposals and tactical plans in order to cut down waste. Don’t be afraid to ask why something is being done or what the desired results are.
Stop Doing Tactics that Result in Waste
I hear every agency try to pitch programmatic media buys. Why? Because you made media buying flashy with the word programmatic? Internet users have developed blinders to internet ads. Try focusing your energy in native and an overall holistic content strategy. Granted, everything needs to align with the brand and target audience, but don’t be afraid to create long lasting relationships with your target audiences.
Don’t Be Afraid To Embrace the Future
With technology changing everyday, it’s safe to say there will be plenty of new places to reach health care professional and consumer segments. Voice, VR, and AR are upon us, don’t be afraid to test and experiment. Voice is our current best bet with functionality of voice assistants like Amazon Echo becoming more advanced every month. Voice isn’t a big focus for Pharma brands, but with any migration event, you need to go where the attention is. Creating Alexa Skills and investing in things like podcasts can really move the needle moving forward.
Regardless of what Pharma brands do one thing is certain, don’t stay idle and watch technology and competitors pass you by.
