Key Takeaways
- Pharmaceutical companies are transitioning from multichannel to integrated omnichannel strategies, enhancing digital experiences and personalized data usage.
- Pharma companies are increasingly embracing social media for marketing, utilizing platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for drug launches and awareness campaigns.
- Adopting omnichannel strategies presents challenges such as regulatory compliance and the need for specialized social media talent.
- Pharma companies aim to create seamless online and offline experiences, integrating telehealth, pharmacy visits, and influencer partnerships.
- Digital engagement in pharma marketing is expected to grow, with companies enhancing their omnichannel ecosystems to provide accurate health information and build trust.
Listen: Pharma brands need to focus on a human-centered approach.
As pharmaceutical companies shift from siloed, multichannel marketing to integrated omnichannel strategies, they’re doubling down on digital experiences and the personalized use of data. It’s another step by pharmaceutical companies to move closer to consumers in digital ways that haven’t been possible before. Similar to the way they are adopting direct-to-patient telehealth, which I wrote about last month, the pharma marketing shift to data-driven omnichannel strategies creates more direct ties to patients and health care professionals, resulting in more effective communications and better health outcomes.
Expanding social media marketing
A key part of the evolving strategy is expanding and integrating more meaningful social media marketing, a relatively new tactic for pharma companies. When social media started to gain traction more than a decade ago, it quickly evolved from person-to-person and community communications to a new way for brand marketers to engage with potential customers.
Initial hesitations and cautious approaches
But pharma marketers hesitated. That’s not surprising—pharma companies typically tend to be more cautious than, say, fast-food restaurant brands or sneaker makers when it comes to emerging marketing strategies. And for valid reasons such as regulatory restrictions and privacy concerns. Still, as consumer brands like Nike gathered millions of followers on Instagram with inspirational athlete stories and Starbucks grew sales by embracing TikTok-ers’ secret menu ideas, pharmaceutical companies’ activity on social media stayed conventional and cautious. Some companies began experimenting on social media, especially Facebook, adopting it as part of their public relations strategy. They used it to share corporate news, talk about medical conferences, or offer general good news about charity events, for example.
Embracing social media in omnichannel strategies
Fast-forward to today, however, and significant strategy shifts are taking hold. Pharma companies are embracing social media not only as a public relations news messaging tool, but also as a key part of their omnichannel digital strategies for marketing. They’re now using Instagram, YouTube and even TikTok for brand-name drug launches, disease awareness campaigns, and to connect with patient advocates and physicians.
Human-centered design in pharma marketing
At the heart of the new strategy is leaning into human-centered design. Pharma companies are crafting end-to-end experiences for patients and health care professionals built on research, insights and savvy data deployment to build direct connections with their customers.
Take Moderna, for example. A relatively new kid on the block in terms of biopharma companies, gaining its first drug approval only two and a half years ago in January 2022, so it makes sense that it’s adopted a digital-first marketing strategy with social media integration. Moderna executives often refer to it as a technology company, built on its mRNA science, which also makes sense for a robust digital and social media presence. Its omnichannel strategy centers on digital and social channels and getting the right message to the right consumer at the right time.
One of its most recent efforts is a YouTube casual conversation video series called Coffee Break Science. It features Moderna scientists answering questions about vaccines like “What are vaccines and how do they help the body against infectious diseases?” and “Why do some people still get sick even after getting vaccinated?” The goal is to clear up misunderstandings about vaccines in a relatable way for consumers, and Moderna is considering expanding the video series in other therapy areas, Moderna Chief Brand Officer Kate Cronin told MM&M in a recent article. “It’s never going to be super polished—that’s not the point. It’s about telling the story in an interesting way and in a way that’s accessible,” she said.
Targeting health care professionals
Pharma social media strategies aren’t only directed at consumers. Companies are tapping into health care professional-only social networks like Sermo and Doximity to advertise to doctors where they work and socialize. They’re also expanding key opinion leader (KOL) programs into social media and enlisting medical social influencers.
Sun Pharma inked a deal with dermatologist influencer Dr. Sandra Lee, better known as Dr. Pimple Popper, earlier this year to talk about its WINLEVI prescription acne cream on social media and streaming TV ads. The effort uses humor to connect with consumers and “encourage young people to have more dialogue about” acne, said Sun’s VP of Sales and Marketing, Andy Nelson, in a news release.
Challenges and solutions in omnichannel strategies
The increasing adoption of sophisticated omnichannel and social media strategies isn’t without challenges. Regulatory hurdles—making sure content continues to be compliant—require that promotional review teams are integrated into the new personalized marketing and content streams. Adopting tactics such as pre-approved and reusable “modular” or digital blocks of content that can be repurposed across different channels is necessary for both speed and effectiveness.
One challenge facing pharma companies is hiring new kinds of talent to manage social media marketing strategies. Internal public relations and corporate communications professionals can adapt and adopt skills, but social media comes with its own set of rules and regulations, and specialists may be needed.
Connecting online and offline experiences
Pharma telehealth opens doors to more direct communication.
Insights & Trends • Marketing & Creative
Returning to human-centered design and considering the total experience of the customer, pharma companies are also working to connect online and offline experiences. Whether it is patients using telehealth to connect to a physician, visiting a pharmacy for vaccines after seeing an ad, or talking to their doctor about a prescription drug used by a social media influencer—like weight management medicines Wegovy and Zepbound—pharmaceutical companies are leveraging newly direct digital contact points to develop closer consumer relationships.
The future of pharma marketing
And it’s only the beginning. About six in 10, or more than 58%, of adults use the internet to look for health or medical information, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But they may not always believe what they read—82% of adult social media users think there is either “some” or “a lot” of false or misleading health information on social platforms, according to a recent study published in Health Affairs Scholar.
With more and more people using social media for health information and often going straight to a drugmaker’s website, the new omnichannel ecosystem offers a way for pharma companies to connect that hasn’t existed in the past. The question then for pharma marketers has moved beyond whether they’ll level up social media inside their omnichannel marketing strategies, but rather when and how.
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