Uncategorized - DTC Perspectives

Point of care has always been a critical stage for reaching consumers and patients in their healthcare journey – and now, that has amplified since the emergence of COVID-19. As Mark Boidman, Head of Media & Tech Services at PJ Solomon told Karen Newmark, Executive Director of the Point of Care Communication Council (PoC3) in a recent interview, “there is no better place than the POC setting because it’s an authoritative setting, it’s a trustworthy setting, and it’s a setting where consumers are going to look for information and trust it and listen to it.”

When addressing media buys and inventory at large, Boidman acknowledged that some advertisers have paused, postponed, or cancelled their inventory purchases. But he expressed “the hope is that this is a short-term pause and that things will come back quickly once we come around to the other side of this virus.” He also predicts, when patients resume more normal doctor visits, that point of care will see an increase in traffic as people “realize that health is everything.”

PoC3 issued a message earlier this month to its members and our community at large, recommending four key “important considerations” to DTC marketers: “1. Know that this public health crisis is temporary. … 2. Look at the specifics for your brand and business to guide you in decision making. … 3. ROI and efficiency matter. … 4. Consider appropriate strategic evolutions or shifts within your POC plan.” The association group reminds us that each situation is “unique and will change over time through the course of the pandemic.” Being nimble and accommodating will help best serve patients, healthcare providers, and our industry.

POC3 will also be releasing a COVID-19 study as it relates to the point of care space in the coming weeks. This survey of executives from top POC marketing companies will reveal how such businesses are adapting in a post-COVID-19 world as well as what they are doing to support the healthcare and pharma community during this crisis.

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Three new member companies have joined the Point of Care Communication Council (PoC³), as announced this month: CoverWrap Communications, Rx EDGE Media Network, and Targeted Media Health (a division of Meredith Corporation). In addition to “[helping] influence and amplify the future of POC marketing. In the near term, they plan to immerse into the PoC³ Verification & Validation Guidance effort and the establishment of measurement best practices.”

David M. Kenyon, CEO at CoverWrap Communications, Nate Lucht, President & CEO of Rx EDGE and Leverage Point Media, John Kenyon, VP and Managing Director with Targeted Media Health, were all in agreement as they shared their enthusiasm in joining PoC³ and helping to advocating for and strengthening the point of care space, as per the news release.

Karen Newmark, Executive Director with PoC³, shared how this continued expansion helps the association lead the progress: “PoC³ has grown tremendously over the past year, and we anticipate the growth increasing in 2020. We expect to see different types of companies, all with common interest in the PoC³ mission, wanting to build on the unprecedented momentum in the POC channel.”

Click here to read the complete news release and full team member statements: https://www.poc3.org/post/point-of-care-communication-council-welcomes-three-new-members.

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Sharecare recently launched its first-ever Sharecare Awards, honoring standout health and wellness programming and productions. The evening was hosted by Dr. Mehmet Oz, cofounder of Sharecare, and his daughter, Daphne Oz, at the Atlanta History Center.

Winners included Pfizer's “This is Living with Cancer” for the Chronic Conditions category; “Healthy Living Video Shorts” by the American Heart Association for the Health Living category; and “Male Caregivers in Philadelphia” by AARP for the Sexual/Gender Identity category. According to the updated news release, five additional, special awards were also issued, including:

“Lifetime Achievement Award to acclaimed actress, producer, author, social activist and philanthropist Marlo Thomas for her nearly 30 years of charitable work at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital;
Humanitarian Award (Individual) to renowned neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta;
Humanitarian Award (Organization) to the American Red Cross.”

A judging panel comprised of top healthcare and media professionals with relevant expertise selected the finalists. Winners were selected during a second round of judging, which was conducted “by the deans of the Academy of Judges and a committee of additional experts.” Operated through the Sharecare Foundation, the Sharecare Awards are in association with The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, New York Chapter.

Click here for more details, including the full list of finalists and winners.

Join Dr. Oz when he presents a keynote speech at this year's DTC National Conference. The DTC National will be held April 16-18 in Boston.

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The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most powerful sectors in the United States. The United States government has long realized how much of an influence the industry has had since its origin over a century ago and has regulated the industry as such.

Pharmaceutical companies' largest expenses are research and development costs, which typically range from tens of millions of dollars to several hundred million dollars. With such substantial costs, companies have dedicated more time and energy into developing creative marketing strategies to attract additional consumers.

Here are some of the best marketing strategies that the pharmaceutical industry has seen thus far.

Lobbying and TV Advertisements

Did you know that the United States and New Zealand are the only two countries to allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise their drugs directly to consumers? In the United States alone, pharmaceutical companies have spent countless billions of dollars in order to maintain the ability to advertise directly to consumers over the years. Although lobbying costs are not technically considered marketing expenses, they have a significant effect on direct-to-consumer advertising and, therefore, correspond with advertising expenses.

Although direct-to-consumer advertising in the pharmaceutical industry has several benefits for consumers, it is important that these ads instruct consumers to see physicians prior to deciding on their own that they need to take drugs that are advertised directly to the public. In order to prevent any complications with the medication and to build reliability between consumers and the company, direct-to-consumer advertisements should always encourage consumers to check with their doctor before taking a new medication as well as accurately describe the drug and its purpose.

In 2017 alone, the pharmaceutical industry spent over $6 billion on advertising in direct-to-consumer fashion in the United States. Without lobbying, the government would likely have shut down this form of advertising in the pharmaceutical industry. The industry’s unique ability to keep the direct-to-consumer channel open, along with persistent and coordinated lobbying efforts, make DTC advertising one of the most powerful marketing strategies in the industry.

Drug Discount Cards

Few places outside of the pharmaceutical industry offer coupons that reduce the cost of goods purchased by up to ninety percent. One of the most popular marketing strategies in the industry is the use of drug discount cards. Drug manufacturers work with pharmacies to provide consumers substantial discounts. In return, manufacturers give pharmacies a portion of the original purchase price in exchange for accepting less money directly from consumers.

Pharmacies support discount cards because they encourage people to spend more money on non-drug items inside their stores. In addition, pharmacies that do not accept discount cards have been known to consistently miss out on business in their local markets because the cards have been so widely adopted. Discount cards are both useful and convenient and have therefore been a largely successful marketing tool for the pharmaceutical industry.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a relatively new form of marketing that has taken the world of business, not just the pharmaceutical industry, by storm over the past few years.

Rather than paying for advertisements that blatantly push messages such as “Buy me now,” content marketing involves authoring helpful guides and blog posts that help consumers learn new information or otherwise offer them something that is completely free of charge.

Content marketing is especially important in pharmaceuticals because it helps build customer loyalty. Most people look up information related to pharmaceuticals when they are concerned about themselves or loved ones due to an illness or medical condition. Accurate and informative guides help build a sense of trustworthiness between the consumer and the company. Connecting with consumers at such significant and emotional times is a solid way of building loyalty to the pharmaceutical company.

Caryl Anne Crowne

The other night I tucked my nine-year-old son Caleb into bed and closed the door. I walked by his room shortly thereafter expecting him to be out cold. Instead, I heard him belting out “Tresiba rea-dy” in tune with the TV commercial we had seen that day. A few days later I took him for a check-up with the pediatrician and was floored when he requested a prescription for, you guessed it, Tresiba.

Okay, it’s possible I made that last part up, but I’m thinking that the song stuck in Caleb’s head wasn’t the brand recall Novo Nordisk had in mind when they contracted for that jingle.

Whether it’s catchy ditties, adorable characters like Xifaxan’s gut guy, or celebrity endorsements, pharma marketers have been pulling out all the stops to make their brands stand out. While these efforts are unquestionably splashy and often memorable, they don’t necessarily resonate with the right audience. Of course, TV commercials like these have drawn scrutiny from the wrong audience, serving as a magnet for criticism of DTC advertising from the American Medical Association, patient advocacy groups, and Congress.

Pharma TV spend crossed the $4 billion mark for the first time in 2016 and rose even higher in 2017 per Kantar Media. It’s clearly not going anywhere any time soon, but with TV spend still dwarfing digital and other media spend, there is a real opportunity for pharma to get it right on DTC by taking advantage of far more targeted platforms.

TV drug commercials are inevitably going to be irrelevant to a large majority of the audience. Even a commercial involving a highly prevalent disease such as diabetes will be applicable to a limited portion of viewers. And most advertised drugs are for conditions with far smaller patient populations than diabetes. Broadcasting these ads to a large, general audience leads to the exact issues critics point to, namely, higher drug prices to offset huge marketing costs and the mass hypochondria caused by self-diagnosis. Yes, there are some who will gain awareness of a condition they or a loved one may in fact be suffering from or a treatment option they should consider, but most who see these commercials will not.

DTC ads do play an important role in fostering an important doctor-patient conversation around treatment options. Utilizing these ads in the right context is the best way to counter anti-DTC sentiment.

Digital media –Splashing billions of impressions all over the Internet would be no better than the mass marketing of TV. However, both endemically-aligned contextual campaigns and wider data-driven targeting offer far less wasteful DTC options.
Search – Search engine marketing will continue to be a tried and true method. It cuts out the fat by gauging the user’s interest off the bat.
Social Media – Various social platforms offer excellent targeting options to reach those following an organization or individual tied to a given condition. Pharma is certainly still learning how to play within the limitations of social, but with a growing number of people getting health information from social, there’s no doubt it’s a place pharma will want to be.
Point of Care – There are numerous in-office opportunities that allow for targeted, relevant consumer advertising. Such efforts are particularly valuable in specialty offices.

A side benefit of all of the above is that they are immediately actionable – for digital tactics, users can interact with ads or click-through to learn more about a given treatment. For point of care, of course, they can have a conversation with their healthcare provider on the spot.

Each of these avenues avoids the chief criticism of DTC advertising mentioned above. Promotion through proper channels to an audience primed for relevant messaging will cut back on excess doctor’s appointments and will help reduce the burden on the healthcare system. Reallocating budgets and shifting to more focused options will mean efficient marketing budgets and would ultimately help reduce healthcare costs.

Despite mounting pressure to eliminate DTC advertising, pharma can still provide real value for patients in the right environments to help them make important health decisions. There is too much at stake for the pharma industry and other key interests for an all or nothing outcome. In the end, it may come down to more appropriately-targeted, below the radar approaches that serve as a compromise. While Caleb may still get that Tresiba jingle stuck in his head, at least it will be while researching the merits of basal insulin instead of in the middle of watching a Bulls game.

Aryeh Lebeau

Nathan “Nate” Lucht has joined Rx EDGE^® Media Network as President and CEO, as it was announced in a news release yesterday. He will take the reigns from former CEO, Jim O'Dea, who will continue on with the company as Chairman. Having held leadership roles with companies such as General Mills, Boston Consulting Group, and IRI, Lucht has an established track record of success from his background in the CPG, consulting, and data and analytics service industries. “He is experienced in leading organizations, establishing business strategy, and leveraging data and analytics to achieve results measured by not only earnings growth but also in driving customer engagement and loyalty,” stated the news release.

Jim O'Dea shared that they “are thrilled to have Nate join us and lead the next phase of the company’s continued growth strategy.” With Lucht adding, “As part of our industry’s unique media mix, pharmacies are in the very best position to be where potential patients are receptive—and motivated to act. I am looking forward to building on the company’s current strategy and collaborating with the team to develop new strategies and ideas to help our clients reach more consumers and grow their businesses.”

Rx EDGE Media Network, a division of LeveragePoint Media LLC, is a leading provider of consumer media solutions distributed through a network of 30,000 retail pharmacies. Having partnered with more than 175 brands from 70 pharmaceutical manufacturers across a variety of therapeutic categories since 2000, Rx EDGE programs provide health information and education to consumers at a critical point-of-care touchpoint.

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According to the fifth and final chapter of the eBook, Modern Pharma Marketing: Pharma's Data-Powered AI Revolution, the authors from Intouch Solutions and Digital Health Coalition (DHC) look ahead to 2023. They note “[w]e believe that AI today is analogous to the ‘e' revolution of the 1990s. By 2023, we won’t be talking about AI-powered solutions – the same way that we eventually stopped talking about ‘e-business.' Terms that specify a technology’s inclusion stop being used when the technology becomes an assumed part of life.

“So: must you run out and create an AI project today to keep up appearances? Absolutely not. But AI is going to become a fundamental part of modern pharma marketing in fairly short order. This will happen in both blatant and subtle ways – from specific AI tools, to behind-the-scenes use of AI technology.” Among their predictions are: how AI will be used to help us better collect, analyze, and manage data; the gradual implementation of technology into our everyday lives, including providing us with better predictions or doing more with less instruction.”

Mark Bard, DHC co-founder, was quoted for the chapter: “AI is becoming part of the healthcare delivery system at every step. In a world where AI powers clinical decisions by providers and payers, the rules of engagement – and influence – evolve. Pharma and medical device companies must become conversant with the technology and algorithms to understand where they stand and how to optimize the role of products within the new world of data-driven medicine.”

Click here to read the latest and final chapter.

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Breast Cancer Healthline launched shortly before Breast Cancer Awareness month in October. This new app provides 1:1 support for patients, survivors, and caregivers through an online community that offers shared experiences, advice and encouragement, as well as the latest news, research, and information, all in real-time. As stated in the news release, “Designed by Healthline to empower people to live beyond their disease through support, hope and knowledge, the Breast Cancer Healthline app offers:

Peer support with many ways to connect, from one-to-one messaging to six group chats accessible anytime, anywhere;
Personalized guidance and customized content for both patients and caregivers;
Access to meet other members and discuss whatever is on their mind, like self-care, nutrition, relationships and work;
Breast cancer content that is medically reviewed, socially inspired and data-driven;
A single destination where each member understands that they are not alone.”

Ann Silberman, a current user and patient/survivor, was also quoted in the news release, saying, “My matches have been about my age and stage, so we've touched on our worries and fears. It's incredibly helpful to have the matching system. Because I'm stage 4, travel is hard and without the online world I would not be able to even talk to people with my similar diagnosis.” The app is available for both Android and IOS. It has been featured as one of Apple's Appstore's “New Apps We Love” since it's June premiere.

Healthline is the fastest growing consumer health information site, having reached 67.3 million unique visitors in August 2018, 53 million of which were from the US, according to comScore. As noted in the news release, the company's property domains – Healthline.com and MedicalNewsToday.com – saw significant gains over the past year: Healthline.com posted a 62% growth in monthly unique visitors vs August of last year and MedicalNewsToday.com saw a +206% increase when compared to August 2017. This helped Healthline debut in the top 50 digital media properties according to comScore.

As per the news release, “Our plan for 2018 was to increase people's access to Healthline properties, in order to touch more people, improve health and change lives,” said David Kopp, Chief Executive Officer of Healthline Media, Inc. “I'm proud that our team's active listening to the public, online queries and proactive content development is meeting people's needs and attracting more users, making Healthline one of the fastest growing digital media properties in the health information category.”

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