Omnichannel marketing is the answer but what’s the question?

SUMMARY: Omnichannel marketing employs the simultaneous implementation of channels across personal, non-personal, and media and addresses the integrated needs of multiple stakeholders — consumers/patients, healthcare professionals, and payers. Sounds good but is that the answer?

There is no doubt that healthcare is the middle of an evolution not seen in over 30 years. Today there are microsegments of markets, and one message shouldn’t be used for all. Based on the increasing availability of data along with technology and analytics, marketers have the ability to get closer than ever to their customers in order to meet their expectations and satisfy their information needs.

For pharmaceutical companies to serve their HCP customers in relevant, meaningful ways that build direct relationships based on a real value exchange, they need to employ omnichannel marketing, which is fast becoming the standard for providing the most impactful customer experiences across many industries

InTouch Group

Why Omnichannel?

1ne: Physician expectations from pharma have shifted. They want pharma to “get to the point” and stop trying to “sell” so much. They are also overwhelmed with data, and there are trust issues around the sources of data.

2wo: Patients are becoming “customers” of healthcare as they pay more for health insurance. They want to be treated as individuals, not just as a number. They expect and want more from HCPs and pharma companies.

3hree: How people consume health information is changing. The pandemic led to more people going online for health information, and that trend will continue.

4our: The old DTC model of raising awareness through heavy TV is not enough. Today’s patient journey from awareness to Rx is long and fragmented.

5ive: People are interacting with their doctors in new ways. There is no longer a need to go to the doctor to ask for an Rx renewal. Today you can schedule an appointment online, which is a lot more convenient.

The medical industry is shifting from a model that revolves around sales reps to an omnichannel world in which HCPs are able to access information as and when they need it. Although reps remain the main point of contact, companies are augmenting this relationships with new resources and tools and coordinating them across channels to address stakeholders’ needs

McKinsey

But…

Omnichannel has become a vast buzzword, but frankly, I’m seeing a lot of clients wasting vast amounts of money on omnichannel marketing. Omnichannel marketing, for example, depends on the audience size and the message development. A small biotech company may benefit more from hyper-targeted marketing than omnichannel.

The other issue is that some specialties rely heavily on their relationship with the sales rep. They trust the representative to give them essential information based on their past and ongoing relationship.

It’s more important for market research people to draw a “map” from awareness to conversion to identify critical opportunities to reach patients and HCPs. Where are they going, and who do they trust to give them the best information?

Don’t fall into the omnichannel trap before you lose a lot of money. Map it first.

Originally published at https://worldofdtcmarketing.com on November 16, 2021.