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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