THE TRANSFORMATION OF PHARMA DIGITAL SELLING HAS BEGUN - PHARMA MARKETING MANAGEMENT
Secure Big Data is Unleashing a Transformation in Pharma Brand Management
This is an update to a 2017 article for Pharma Marketing Management titled Pharma Brands are Finally on the Brink of Digital Transformation
A profound shift to rapid, iterative, data-driven brand management is taking place in pharmaceuticals. It will significantly improve patient outcomes by enabling physicians to obtain solutions that are better tailored to their patients’ needs without undermining the confidentiality of patient data that is so important to patient-physician trust. Pharma brands are transforming from digital laggards to leaders by harnessing privacy protected data across the global healthcare ecosystem to work with physicians to improve sufferers’ paths to adoption and adherence.
Conditions have matured for this major shift:
For the first time since the potential of digital healthcare emerged pharma leaders have the means and opportunity to effect digital transformation in their go-to-market strategies. Newly available data sources are enabling pharma leaders to adapt their physician and caregiver engagement strategies rapidly and iteratively based on close to real time feedback. They can target and tailor content more specifically, improve interactions and experiences more effectively and offer value-added services more broadly.
Means: Pharma brands now have omni-channel access to physicians and other caregivers. New approaches such as account based marketing (ABM) make it possible to offer content, programs, services, access and formats at relevant steps in the path to adoption and adherence.
Opportunity: The explosion of de-identified patient treatment and social data is the game changer ushering in this transformation. Extensive patient claims data is now finally available at a granular level for many of the largest health conditions. De-identification allows pharmaceutical companies to harness this data without violating the privacy or regulatory requirements that are so crucial to patient trust and the ethical operation of the business.
The digital transformation of physician engagement is developing in phases:
Digital transformation in other industries marked by multiple stakeholders and technical product innovation indicates pharma’s transformation will undergo three successive phases of development.
Phase 1 Marketing/Sales Innovation – is already underway. It is characterized by iterative, data-driven delivery of content and media across channels so it is more relevant to sub-segments of physicians and caregivers at each step in the path to adoption and adherence. Pharma brand teams are adopting the rapid test and learn capabilities and mind-set of digital marketers to leverage the newly available data sources.
Phase 2 Experience Innovation – is beginning to take hold. It typically follows marketing innovation. It is being shaped by innovation in the interface between pharma companies and physicians as well as in AI guided mechanisms to provide added value services, self guided learning tools and access enablers that spur adoption and adherence. To succeed pharma brand teams will need to develop experience touchpoint design and continuous improvement expertise to supplement the A/B testing skills required for marketing/sales innovation.
Phase 3 Solution Innovation – will take some time to develop as pharma brands uncover how to incorporate their solutions into larger connected ecosystems for home, work and health. Brand teams will need to develop their ability to prototype and test innovative solutions within and across the full range of potential ecosystems (e.g. with hospital operating systems such as EPIC, and with device makers such as Medtronic’s insulin pumps as well as with new software, networks or devices). Pharma company understanding of patient data protection will need to be shared with ecosystem partners while brand teams must learns how to negotiate, evaluate, test, deliver and improve ecosystem partnerships.
An experience operating system is needed:
Digital transformation requires integrated planning, measurement, implementation and governance across the path to adoption and adherence that I’ve termed an experience operating system.
The system relies on a data-based visualization of each step in the path to adoption and adherence for different patient/physician profiles. Behavioral metrics (e.g. first prescription or share of scripts) and important attitudinal data from social listening (e.g. reluctant to try new treatment, confused by drug administration directions) are refreshed regularly while remaining linked to de-identified patient and physician profile information. The view reveals how the path to adoption and adherence shifts for segments of physicians and caregivers as products and programs are launched and evolve in the market. It provides the foundational data-driven platform for assessing progress in growing the brand and for test and learn experiments in marketing, experience and solution innovation.
Talent: New talent with skills in data analysis and privacy protection will typically need to be added. Marketing, experience and solution innovation skills as well as test and learn expertise must be enhanced and expanded throughout the team.
Process: A macro process for measuring progress, rapidly adapting strategies and plans, identifying innovation opportunities, concepting, in-market testing and scaling must be built. It must operate more adaptively and iteratively than the annual planning routines that underlie most of the work of brand management in pharmaceutical companies.
Tools: Path to adoption visualization tools and analysis tools capable of integrating both behavioral data (what we do) with perceptual data (why we do it) will be key additions to the brand management toolbox. AI is a key capability that must be developed in pursuit of engaging with physicians and patients not just in drug development. The enterprise must also codify routines to work with data and partners in ways that ensure patient data privacy.
Teaming: The need to foster organization-wide adoption of a digital mind-set that relishes rapid, iterative, data-driven improvement and the team design to carry these actions out are crucial to success . Fostering a digital mind-set is not limited to brand management. It includes other functions and, most important, senior leaders across the organization.
Beginning the transformation
Building an experience operating system takes a multi-disciplinary approach that relies on partners who can incorporate:
Brand management expertise from inside Pharmaceuticals and outside industries
Marketing, experience and solution innovation understanding
Digital transformation experience
Big data integration, analysis and patient data security skills
Change management and employee engagement capabilities
Operationalizing an initial, very basic, data-based visualization of the path to adoption and then growing it in sync with building the talent, processes, tools and teaming is the best way to operationalize the system. This approach delivers quick wins that generate momentum in the business that, in turn, drives additional investment in building out the system.
