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DTC in FocusGuest Columnist

Transforming Data Compliance into a Competitive Edge: The Role of AI in Aligning DTC Marketing and Regulatory Goals

May 16, 2025 0

In the rapidly evolving landscape of direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical marketing, data compliance has traditionally been viewed only as a necessity— which is often perceived as a constraint on marketing-driven growth, personalization, and operational agility.

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing this perspective, positioning data compliance as a strategic asset that enhances marketing effectiveness, improves data integrity, and reduces risk. Today’s AI technology not only automates and streamlines first-party data collection and handling but also facilitates collaboration, customized reporting, and stakeholder-specific recommendations.

The Evolving Landscape of DTC Pharmaceutical Digital Marketing and Media

In early 2023, the pharmaceutical industry surpassed the technology sector to become the second-largest industry in advertising spending, increasing its share to 14% of total ad expenditures, second only to the retail industry. This significant investment underscores the industry’s commitment to direct consumer engagement as the engine for marketing-driven growth. However, it also amplifies the challenges associated with ensuring that marketing strategies comply with stringent regulatory standards.

A recent study of the data compliance risks on pharmaceutical websites by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and Compliant[1] found that many healthcare and pharma websites failed to meet minimum standards for consumer data collection, consent, and data sharing. Companies like Better Help[2], Costco[3], and many others have found themselves in regulatory and legal crosshairs. Even industry associations have been targeted and found guilty by regulators[4], leaving marketers with no choice but to look for ways to own data compliance themselves.  This has led to a need for new tools to increase efficiency and accuracy in this critical area.

Without ethical guidelines and proper controls, large-scale consumer data collection, processing, and activation expose brands to significant liability and risk—often with minimal transparency or governance.

The rise of AI has expanded data compliance capabilities across multiple applications in the digital marketing business, including the ability to now build, create, analyze, enhance, and interact with consumer data in real-time in a “safe” and consistent manner. Done well, AI can empower marketing, technology, and compliance teams to operate together with greater precision and impact. AI’s ability to integrate compliance workflows with data optimization across websites, media campaigns, and cross-media applications adds unprecedented value for the DTC marketing process.

AI-Driven Data Compliance: A Strategic Asset

Traditional consumer data compliance processes in pharmaceutical marketing are often manual and time-consuming, leading to delays and inefficiencies. And while more than 70% of brands rely on agencies and partners to be educated and act in a legal and ethical fashion, less than one in four used automation to audit and verify data compliance across their digital marketing supply chain[5].

AI helps address these challenges by enabling detailed data compliance testing, verification and remediation across various digital platforms, including websites, applications, and media campaigns. AI-driven tools ensure real-time adherence to regulatory requirements, enabling marketing teams to execute privacy-first media campaigns swiftly and confidently.

Jamie Barnard, CEO of COMPLIANT, emphasizes, “Leveraging AI-driven data compliance is both a sword and a shield. Done right, it can transform this complex subject from a regulatory and business barrier into a competitive advantage. It allows DTC marketers to innovate confidently, technology teams to reduce time allocated and compliance teams to sleep well at night. And it saves money from fines and resources, making the CIO and CFO happy”

Enhancing Data Integrity and Media Quality

In DTC pharmaceutical paid media, the collection and utilization of first-party data are crucial for effective consumer engagement. Finding and marketing to consumers in the healthcare space presents some unique regulatory and legal challenges – not the least of which is privacy and data integrity.

AI-powered compliance platforms continuously audit data collection points, consumer interactions, consent frameworks and other quality metrics to ensure media campaigns are accurate, relevant, and compliant with privacy regulations. This helps both the customer and the company by leading to:

  • Improved Targeting: Ensuring that marketing efforts reach the appropriate audience segments.
  • Enhanced Personalization: Delivering tailored content that resonates with individual consumer needs.
  • Increased Consumer Trust: Demonstrating a commitment to data privacy and security.

Pete Dannenfelser, a pioneer in digital healthcare marketing communications, notes, “The unexpected value add of the integration of AI in compliance processes is that it not only mitigates risk, but also elevates the quality of our data, enabling more precise and impactful marketing efforts. This not only leads to better marketing, but delivers higher quality, more appropriate messaging for the customer.”

Fostering Continuous Collaboration Between Teams

AI facilitates seamless collaboration between compliance and marketing teams by providing unprecedented transparency and control, real-time insights, and automated reporting. This continuous alignment reduces the need for multiple meetings and streamlines communication, allowing teams to focus on strategic initiatives and objectives.

Shailee Vimadalal, a partner at ZS Associates, observes, “Implementing robust AI-driven compliance solutions fosters greater transparency and control, enabling marketing and compliance teams to work in harmony towards shared objectives.”

Real-World Application of AI-Driven Data Compliance in Digital Marketing and Media

Today, data compliance platforms are removing risk and enhancing marketing performance for leading consumer brands worldwide.

Consider a pharmaceutical company launching a new DTC campaign. With an AI-driven compliance platform, the company can:

  1. Confidently Activate Consented First Party Data : AI ensures that first-party data collection methods comply with privacy laws, maintaining data integrity.
  2. Ensure Compliant Media Buying: AI ensures the impressions, audiences and media purchased through agencies/DSPs and from digital media vendors (publishers, SSPs and other 3rd party data sources) are properly consented and have higher data integrity.
  3. Facilitate Cross-Functional Collaboration: Real-time compliance transparency, controls and insights promote a unified approach to campaign development which delivers greater trust and confidence to the organization.

This integration not only expedites campaign launches, but also helps ensure that all regulatory requirements are met, thereby enhancing the campaign’s overall integrity and effectiveness.

The Return on AI-driven Compliance

By embedding AI into compliance processes, pharmaceutical companies can transform a traditionally manual, reactive function into a proactive strategy that drives business value. The benefits include:

  • Operational Efficiency: Streamlining compliance tasks reduces time-to-market for new campaigns.
  • Risk Mitigation: Proactively identifying and addressing compliance issues minimizes the likelihood of regulatory penalties, lawsuits or reputational damages.
  • Enhanced Outcomes: Marketing-driven growth is predicated on finding the right customer, and serving them creative ads in context and with consent. Using data integrity and compliance metrics becomes an additional KPI.

Actionable Steps for DTC Marketers

To leverage AI-driven data compliance in digital media effectively, DTC marketers should:

  1. Assess Current Data Compliance Processes: Identify areas where AI can automate and enhance existing workflows.
  2. Invest in AI-Powered Compliance Tools: Select platforms that offer real-time monitoring and analysis of marketing activities.
  3. Promote Cross-Functional Collaboration: Encourage ongoing communication between marketing and compliance teams to align objectives.
  4. Stay Informed on Regulatory Changes: Utilize AI tools and services to monitor and adapt to evolving regulations, ensuring continuous compliance.

By adopting these strategies, pharmaceutical companies can turn compliance into a catalyst for innovation and a significant competitive advantage in the DTC marketing landscape.

Conclusion

The integration of AI into digital media data compliance marks a pivotal shift in DTC pharmaceutical marketing.

By automating compliance tasks, creating transparency among teams, enhancing data integrity standards, and fostering collaboration between marketing, IT and compliance teams, AI can transform compliance from a regulatory obligation into a strategic growth opportunity.

Pharmaceutical companies that embrace AI-driven compliance solutions are better positioned to navigate the complex regulatory environment, drive innovation, and achieve sustained success in the competitive DTC market.

 

Sources:

[1] 2024 ANA Compliant Website Benchmark Report (LINK)

[2] FTC Better Help announcement (LINK)

[3] Costco sued for Facebook pixel placement on Pharmacy homepage (LINK)

[4] IAB TCF framework judged illegal (LINK)

[5] ANA Compliant report

Ian Wolfman

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DTC-In-Perspective by Bob Ehrlich

Revolutionizing Pharma: The Rise of Direct to Consumer Pharmaceutical Drugs

December 3, 2024 0

One of the current trends in DTC marketing is the availability of some branded drugs shipped directly from the manufacturer. Some pharmaceutical companies are starting to cut the wholesalers and retailers out of the purchase cycle. While still in its infancy, the direct to consumer operations have enormous implications for how consumers will get their drugs in the future. Eli Lilly and Pfizer are the first to offer this service.

The direct sales of drugs to consumers have been in place for nearly a decade from non-pharmaceutical companies. Hims started in 2017, and there are now many non-pharmaceutical companies diagnosing, prescribing, and shipping to consumers. Drug companies have decided to enter direct sales in the past few years.

Why are drug companies now getting into the direct sales business? There are several good reasons for this new approach. First, drug makers are now seeing a huge growth in direct sales companies offering compounded versions of their drugs. These are cheaper and, in categories like weight loss, have lots of appeal to consumers. Second, cutting out the middlemen gives drug companies better ability to lower drug prices. Third, there are enormous marketing advantages to knowing your customers and tracking their purchases over time. Fourth, drug companies are concerned about counterfeit drugs through reimportation which is a real problem for consumers ordering from the internet. Fifth, consumers like the convenience of getting diagnoses and prescriptions without having to see their doctor in person.

“Cutting out the middlemen gives drug companies better ability to lower drug prices, know their customers, and combat counterfeit medications – reshaping how consumers access healthcare”

I would expect that drug companies will greatly expand their direct to consumer programs and use traditional DTC advertising to make consumers aware of their purchase options. The direct business will not replace retail drug stores or drug wholesalers for most drugs. Most of the growth will come from lifestyle categories like weight loss, sexual dysfunction, sleep disorders, migraine, anxiety, and depression. Any category where an online survey and virtual healthcare can diagnose a consumer condition is an opportunity for direct sales.

There are legitimate ethical and policy implications to expanding direct pharmaceutical distribution. The non-pharmaceutical direct business makes it easy to get prescription meds through an online survey or telemedicine that inappropriate prescribing is possible. I expect pharmaceutical companies will have better controls in place to make sure a prescription is justified. After all, these big pharma companies have a lot more to lose in public reputation and through regulatory, public policy, and legal actions.

The Amazoning of America has certainly shown that consumers love the convenience of shopping from home. Getting a diagnoses, prescription, and delivery online is becoming accepted for many drug categories. Drug companies see the potential and expect major growth in this channel.

Bob Ehrlich

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DTC in FocusDTC News

The Power of Point of Care in the Marketing Channel

December 2, 2019 0

 

Your parents are the ones who always take care of you.  Mom kissed your knee when you fell on the playground, and Dad drove you to the hospital when you needed to get your tonsils out.  Your parents kept you healthy and safe.  They were your rock and knew all the answers and just what to do.

Time passes.  You’re in your thirties and somehow in an instant the role of caregiver has flipped.  This was the case for me.  Nothing could prepare me for the moment I learned my mom, my rock, was diagnosed with a form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  I recall googling “NHL” only to be served hockey statistics; I was frustrated and scared.  Every time we went to see her oncologist or when I accompanied her to chemo, I would get hit with a wall of anxiety.  Each time we stepped into the hospital, what my mom and I truly needed most was support.

As a caregiver and patient, I understand the emotional moments that can happen at the point of care.  As a healthcare marketer, I also understand the value of this space as a channel, and I’ve been fortunate to see it evolve over the tenure of my career.  Today, pharmaceutical brands and healthcare and lifestyle advocacy groups push messages at these point of care (POC) settings, hoping to educate patients about therapy options.

But POC as a marketing channel needs to be treated both similarly and differently from other marketing strategies if a marketer wants to appear relevant and connect in a meaningful and useful way.  The reality of distracted, concerned patients and worried caregivers means brands that want to engage with patients at the POC need to approach them with greater empathy and understanding, with content that resonates emotionally and rationally with this audience.

But what makes POC unique anyway?

The POC channel supports the patient at critical moments of their health journey. 

From acute illness to more chronic or prolonged conditions, important milestones of the health journey happen at the point of care.  Through a recent survey collaboration between Outcome Health and Nielsen, we learned that the wait times within the rooms of point of care are substantial, with patients waiting on average up to 38 minutes in the waiting room and then another 36 minutes in the exam room.  These wait times represent a huge opportunity to communicate with and impact patients, caregivers and physicians all at the same time — essentially turning a “captive” audience into a “captivated” and educated one.

Inventory is finite if POC content is done right.

POC differs from other digital ad channels because inventory is specific, targeted, and limited.  Think about it.  There are only so many rheumatologists in the United States, and there are only so many brands that treat or support patients who see a rheumatologist.  Factor in the attention span of the average person today, include the other places they can get content in the doctor’s office (like magazines, posters, pamphlets), as well as the fact that we are all walking around with smart devices that can deliver content that we ask it anytime, anywhere, and you realize how critical it is to provide content that is aligned with why a patient may be in that rheumatologist’s office in the first place.  This content (continuing with the Rheumatology example) could include anything from signs and symptoms of Lupus, to managing rheumatoid arthritis through diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices, to understanding how to best support a loved one who has osteoporosis — this is just the short list of potential content that may be pertinent to patients or caregivers seeing rheumatologists.  The funnel of dependencies leading to the opportunity to message a patient who is seeing their provider for an ailment and being able to support that patient on their journey means that there are finite opportunities like this, which makes messaging at the POC more sophisticated and challenging in the same breath.

The point of care is the final touchpoint of the marketing message. 

On many occasions, I’ve heard pharma marketers muse, “What if we could hold hands with patients when they have those important conversations with their provider?”  In the POC channel, you can.  Unlike TV, print, and digital that serve to create awareness for new therapies or reach patients before they reach the office, POC holds their hand in the office, moments before and during time with their physician.

POC drives patients to take action.

Messaging at the POC has been proven to impact and shift patient behaviors.  In a study by ZS Associates, patient behavior was measured after being exposed to digital signage at their provider’s office.  Of those exposed, 84% were more likely to ask their doctor about an ad they saw, 68% asked their doctor for a specific medication, 31% were more likely to fill their prescription, and 34% were more likely to take their medication as prescribed.

Where does POC marketing fit in alongside DTC and traditional channels?  The point of care should serve as a complement to your brand’s other marketing and sales efforts, with specificity and context for patients waiting to see their doctors, moving them forward towards treatment.  POC marketing can be leveraged as a digital tool, as a TV alternative, and even as a patient engagement solution to share benefits like co-pay assistance programs.  Because your ad is now in the room with patients and their physician, messaging must be tailored for this space; simply dropping your TV spot onto an exam room screen isn’t likely to cut it with patients who are waiting to see their doctor.  Advertisers should welcome the opportunity to become more deeply integrated into the patient-doctor experience and develop content that can be integrated into the clinical setting.

Because there’s such a range of experiences (and emotions) that happen at POC, it’s important that any content (sponsored or not) intended for this space is sensitive to that.  You can’t create effective content without considering the patient’s mindset.  Content must be curated and contextualized for each touchpoint of the point of care experience.  Videos should be relevant for that clinic’s specialty and help to facilitate physician-patient conversations.  When you’re at the doctor’s office, sitting in a gown (or in the passenger seat supporting an ill parent), wouldn’t you prefer fact-based, custom information that’s helpful and supportive of the conversation you’re about to have with your physician?

On the other hand, there are also moments of the health journey when patients don’t want to dig further into their treatment plan or condition and prefer access to content that simply entertains or distracts them.  We as marketers need to take into account the range of experiences that happen within the point of care and provide content that aligns with and supports these unique moments.

The most important thing to remember is that patient needs vary within the POC environment, and you can’t take a “one size fits all” approach with your messages within each channel.  The diversity of needs and experiences is prompting the space to evolve beyond just awareness.  New trends within the space include patient education, adherence, support group registration, and more.  The channel is poised for continued growth and we, as healthcare marketers, need to continue to innovate so that everyone entering the POC space can feel informed, inspired, entertained, and renewed during the most critical moments of care.

 

Matt McNally

DTC-In-Perspective by Bob Ehrlich

DTC in Perspective: A World Without DTC

July 14, 2017 0

Imagine there was no DTC advertising because of a government ban. Let’s put aside the free speech issues for a moment and assume the courts supported a ban. Also let’s assume the health care system is similar to what we have now. That is, it is still a mix of private insurers, Medicare, Medicaid, with free market pricing for drug makers. I am not saying a ban will happen but it is possible given the hostility towards drug companies.

Bob Ehrlich
“A world without DTC will not make the patient better off.”
-Bob Ehrlich

Let’s examine what this world of no DTC means for the constituencies of health care. First, what would happen to drug sales? If we assume an ROI of $2 per $1 invested in DTC which is probably in the ballpark then drug companies will lose about $7 billion in annual sales. That is based on an actual estimated drug company DTC spending of around $3.5 billion versus Nielsen reported at $5.2 billion. Why? Drug makers get large discounts not accounted for in the reported numbers. Insiders tell me they spend about 70% of reported numbers.

That $7 billion dollar loss is only about 2% of total drug sales so it is not an industry killer. It does hurt newer drugs more because they use DTC to accelerate the awareness curve. It may also hurt high price drugs more because advertising those drugs puts pressure on insurers to cover them.

Congress would likely be happy with no DTC because they falsely think demand would decline for branded drugs. Unfortunately, they would soon find out that drug makers will ramp up physician promotion instead and make up for lost consumer awareness. Consumers would be back to having less information and trusting that physicians and insurers have their best interests at heart. We know physicians may not be up to date on newer drugs and insurers do not want to pay for expensive drugs. So, I am afraid consumers may not be informed there are newer drugs available.

Physicians may like a ban because consumers will not ask them about an advertised drug. On the other hand, DTC brings patients in the door and that means opportunities to do reimbursed tests and services. I am sure dermatologists, psychiatrists, ophthalmologists, podiatrists, cosmetic surgeons, and other specialties benefit by increased traffic from DTC. Physicians need to get used to the new world where patient information is widely available and trying to restrict it is just not practical.

Insurers would love a no DTC world because they can negotiate without those pesky consumers wanting to know if they cover expensive drugs like Harvoni, Keytruda, or Opdivo. Drug companies will try to negotiate fast access but I suspect formulary access will be delayed without consumer pressure.

What will happen to price under a DTC ban? Drug companies will not lower prices because there is no DTC. There is a general misconception that DTC expenditures are a cause of high prices. That is false. DTC, if successful, raises demand that more than offsets the cost. Therefore sales will be less without DTC so why would a drug maker lower prices? DTC allows new brands to enter faster and create competition which will lead to lower prices. Banning DTC ensures the established brand can keep its leadership longer and prices higher.

Banning DTC may make critics feel better but will have very minor impact on demand, pricing, and overuse. Instead less information will be available to consumers who will now have to trust biased insurers and busy doctors to suggest what is best for them. We all recognize DTC is meant to advocate use of a drug and is not unbiased information. Our healthcare system, because it is a mix of profit making entities and government payers concerned about budget, is inherently subjective. Therefore, banning DTC just leaves other constituencies to their push their own biases about what is best for patients.

A world without DTC will not make the patient better off. Drug critics were complaining about drug prices before DTC and will continue even if it is banned. Unfortunately, DTC has become an easy target and will remain in the crosshairs of legislators, physician groups, and insurers. As a DTC community, we must tell lawmakers the facts and the dangers of limiting speech.

Bob Ehrlich

DTC-In-Perspective by Bob Ehrlich

DTC in Perspective: Pharmacists Join AMA in Calling for DTC Ban

June 24, 2016 0

The AHSP, the organization that represents 43,000 pharmacists and technicians in hospitals and other acute care settings, called for banning DTC. This was a change from previous positions that supported DTC in limited use. The AHSP does not represent retail pharmacy but it is still an important voice in health care. Along with the AMA this call for a ban adds fuel to the political fire related to drug company bashing over pricing and marketing.

Bob Ehrlich
“The AHSP..cites.. much misstated data on drug marketing..”
-Bob Ehrlich

The AHSP statement calling for a ban cites the much misstated data that says drug companies spend more on marketing than research. They also say that DTC can be misleading. Therefore they feel that pharmacists and other clinicians can best help consumers with drug selection. This reasoning is faulty. Drug company marketing data includes sales force expense, sampling costs, physician ads, as well as DTC. The drug companies spend over $50 billion on R&D. That is ten times the amount spent on DTC.
Are drug ads misleading? FDA requires all claims to be clinically supported and requires fair balance. They review all ads for accuracy. While advertising is designed to sell, drug ads are the most scrutinized of all advertising categories.
Despite the facts, the anti DTC forces are a major concern for drug advertisers. Hilary and Trump are not friends of the drug industry. It is clear from their statements that neither has their facts straight. Hilary sees drug companies as her enemy, an evil profit hungry industry. Trump sees drug companies as one of his vendors to be squeezed like a mattress supplier for his hotels.
What drug company employees and their media and agency partners must do is let Congress know the facts. Take the time to educate your Congressional representatives how important drug advertising is and why it is important to consumers. Have them understand that DTC does not raise prices. Banning commercial speech for lawful products is a bad idea. What category will be next?
The call for a ban by hospital pharmacists is hypocritical given the huge investment hospitals are making in DTC. Almost every hospital advertises these days. These same hospital based pharmacists think it is acceptable to advertise surgery on television but not drugs.
DTC advertising is not perfect but deserves to be one way for patients to get information. If pharmacists think banning information helps patients, they are wrong. Their input is valuable but to say they and the physician should have a monopoly on patient communication is unrealistic in the Internet era.

Bob Ehrlich

DTC in FocusDTC News

Prescribing Programmatic Buying for DTC Media Plans

February 18, 2015

Programmatic advertising, the automation of media buying and selling using technology and data for hyper-targeting, is one of the ad worlds’ hottest trends. Research firm eMarketer recently estimated that digital display ads bought programmatically in the US grew 137% to more than $10 billion in 2014, and now account for 45% of all display ad sales. eMarketer expects programmatic spending to increase another 47.9% this year and by 2016 to reach $20.41 billion, or 63% of U.S. digital display ad spending.

Why the tremendous growth in programmatic? With the rapid increase in digital media over the past decade, there was simply too much inventory for humans, both buyers and sellers, to keep track of. Previously, the inventory that was hardest to monetize was aggregated into popular exchanges, bought and sold through real-time-bidding (RTB).

Buyers were purchasing “remnant” inventory via RTB. Premium inventory on premium sites was still limited. Enter “programmatic direct” or “automated guaranteed” – as the Interactive Advertising Bureau calls it – which allows advertisers to buy guaranteed premium inventory in advance from desired publishers. While programmatic direct made up only 8% of all programmatic sales in 2014, according to eMarketer, it’s expected to reach 42% by 2016.

And that’s where pharma advertisers should take notice. While RTB-based programmatic buying focuses on audiences, usually through some kind of cookie-based tracking, often behavioral in nature, programmatic direct brings the focus back to the editorial environment of context and content where pharma brands like to be.

DTC advertising, after all, has lagged behind every other category, as per Nielson reports citing a 22% decline in display ad spending from 2012 to 2014. For an industry specifically dubbed “direct-to-consumer,” DTC has often appeared to be neglectful of where consumers are actually looking for product information – online! eMarketer, after all, noted that since 2013, consumer digital use has even surpassed TV viewing.

The situation is compounded when you consider how quickly consumer mobile use is growing. comScore reportedin August that mobile use had overtaken desktop use. And while 44% of programmatic spending in 2014 was already on mobile, eMarketer projects that number will also surpass desktop this year.

DTC, alas, is also lagging in mobile. Funmobility’s Mobile Advertising Trends Report 2014 found pharma dead last in mobile spending amongst nine categories, and concluded: “This provides a gap in marketplace saturation that savvy advertisers can capitalize on.” The solution? “Preferentially target mobile ads to tablets, not smartphones. Tablet owners tend to have more disposable income, are 3x more likely to make a purchase based on a mobile ad, and use their devices primarily for web browsing – which is the behavior that health and pharmaceutical ads need to encourage, in order to educate users about their product.”

Of course, most pharma marketers are already vying for standard destinations and portals. But they can add programmatic strategically to improve the efficiency of their media plans, find relevant patients with larger reach, and get access to targeted consumers at lower cost. Here are some possibilities:

  • Contextual – Target via contextual analysis at the page level to reach patients in relevant environments along the patient pathway.
  • Overlaying first and third party data sources – IMS, Crossix and Symphony, to name a few, offer different products to better target relevant patients across the exchanges.
    • For Example, look-alike segments…cookie-based, without following patients
  • Geo-targeting – Use prevalence of a condition, script-level physician data, or patient data to improve campaign performance.

With safety being paramount to the placement of any campaign, the proliferation of brand protection services offiers pharma marketers the ability to verify context, block non-human traffic, optimize for viewability, and more.

So, for pharma media planners feeling the pressure from increased CPMs caused by lack of quality inventory and too much competition for premium inventory, adding programmatic placements to the media plan may well be the perfect prescription.

Bill Jennings

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The Pharma Marketers’ Innovator’s Dilemma

February 18, 2015
Why innovate? It’s a question frequently asked by many pharmaceutical marketers. From a campaign development perspective, innovation is seen as a way to break through the clutter in order to set new benchmarks for success. Unfortunately, in the process, it’s easy to just innovate for innovation sake, and implement the latest thing without regard to how it will accomplish brand objectives or scale in a meaningful way. Measurement is also often an afterthought that mitigates the cultivation of valuable insights and leads to irrelevant KPIs.

Widespread conservatism within the industry, due to regulatory burden, compounds the issue. Unorthodox innovation initiates a waterfall of time-consuming MLR reviews, which can lead to the dilution of the concept itself in order to gain approval. That new thing you were so excited about? Not only has it lost some of its luster, but the window for launch has been delayed to the point that it is no longer considered breakthrough. To make matters worse, the annual planning cycle compresses your once innovative idea to a four-month flight.

Marketers should never veer from paving new ground. It is essential that we identify and execute new marketing strategies that best align to our brands, can be effectively measured, and also meet the restrictions unique to our industry. In a time where technology, platform and content evolution is happening faster than ever in leading consumer and HCP channels such as mobile, social and point-of-care, it’s critical that marketers understand the challenges of adopting new strategies and utilize a tactful, big-swing approach to overcome each of them. That said, a methodical approach to prioritizing should be considered so that the new path leads to meaningful success.

Herein lies the innovator’s dilemma. How do pharmaceutical marketers embrace innovation successfully while adhering to the constraints unique to our industry?

For all of us, a brand’s life cycle is finite. FDA approval process and patent law has given us a clear start and end point. We’re all under pressure to use this time and our yearly budgets as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, the default is to reinvest in tactics that have worked well in the past. While this is not 100% unwise, there are steps to be taken to reset our baseline for success.

  1. Be Selective: Pursue innovative tactics that are conducive to meeting your objectives. Just because everyone is talking about the next big thing doesn’t mean it is right for you. It’s critical we take aggressive bets on the right innovation, as that is how we can raise the bar.
  2. Think Big: Rather than pursuing many ideas at once, focus on a couple ideas that can make a meaningful difference.
  3. Think Long-Term: Twelve month media planning cycles aren’t going to change anytime soon. What can change is the way we think about our most strategic programs. Rather than approaching impact from an annual perspective, you can focus on ideas that you incrementally improve over time. While you may not be committing to a multiple-year program, empower your partners to ideate with you on what a long-term vision could look like.
  4. Consider Immediacy: Immediacy comes in two flavors – launch timing and time to impact. Innovation doesn’t have to mean creating new assets. It could be deploying them in new ways. Giving legs to proven assets not only squeezes more out of your creative budget, but it also allows for a more timely review so that you can move the needle for your brand faster.

As new technologies, channels and strategies surface in our industry, all marketers will inevitably face the innovator’s dilemma. Take confidence in knowing that innovation can truly change the success of your brand. If we as an industry can take an approach to adoption that is thoughtful, sustainable, and scalable, the pay-off will be tremendous for all groups involved.

Ashik Desai

DTC in FocusDTC News

Can DTC Marketers Develop Digital Content Interesting Enough to Hold the Attention of Patients?

February 18, 2015
The strategic role of content marketing in DTC campaigns is a hotly debated topic. While many industries have shifted their focus to building content that is authentic, educational and even whimsical in the hopes of building a rapport with patients, the healthcare industry is still finding its voice. Brands leading discussions can be perceived as self-serving, and creating authority in a world where brand communications are rarely heard is a challenge.

When determining the role of content marketing for Rx brands in the healthcare industry, our hands may be tied a bit, but it can still be a valuable tool when used correctly. The greatest opportunity for Rx brands is in content with broad appeal, because content has to compete for attention on a level playing field with everything from information to community to entertainment. This means that therapies addressing conditions with larger patient populations are most likely to have success with content marketing.

Given that content can travel across the Internet, many pharmaceutical marketers aren’t comfortable with models that distribute branded content into places their legal teams aren’t able to approve ahead of time. For many, this will mean that initial content marketing tests are best conducted with unbranded communications. Before you start producing content though, developing and agreeing upon a sound strategy is key.

It is important to focus on information patients, KOLs and caregivers want from you. Not trying to be everything for everyone is difficult to accept, but having focus can still allow your voice to be heard.

The recent campaign by Shire Pharmaceuticals does just this. The campaign focuses on driving education and awareness around Binge Eating Disorder (B.E.D.), a condition officially recognized in 2014 by the American Psychiatric Association. When treated, Shire benefits with approval of their drug Vyvanse being the only medication approved to treat moderate to severe B.E.D. in adults in the US. Because of this unique situation, they are in a position to drive the conversation around B.E.D. among patients in a landscape where they are one of the few voices.

When you are in a position to drive a conversation it is easy to be heavy-handed and talk only about your company or brand. This is one of the biggest mistakes Rx brands can make in this area. Eisai Pharmaceuticals developed a content and social campaign around their weight-loss drug Belviq. They have developed a social strategy under their corporate name, which is a step in the right direction, but it is clearly focused only on their own agenda.

It is no surprise that the above message has very little engagement as the entire program is focused on promoting their support and savings programs. Consumers can sense when they are being sold to versus having a conversation with, and will act accordingly.

While consumers hate being sold to, they do appreciate and trust authorities. Focusing your information to the right audience is important, but proving to be the authority on that information is what will gain traction and trust with your audience. Biogen Idec recently announced a partnership with two athletes who will act as patient advocates for the company’s multiple sclerosis campaign, MSInspiration.com. Both Tyler Campbell (former NFL prospect) and Chris Wright (former NBA player) suffer from the disease and take Biogen’s MS infusion treatment, Tysabri. The goal of MSInspiration.com is to drive MS sufferers to submit their own inspirational stories just as both Tyler and Chris have. Chris Wright (@self_madeest89) is regularly promoting the site as well as his own foundation while Tyler Campbell’s Hall of Fame father Earl (@earlccampbell) also actively promotes the effort.

This is a great example of a brand knowing they cannot always be the face of a content campaign and get the results they want. Instead they align themselves with an authority figure that can help get the message out.

A common hurdle most pharma content marketing campaigns face is keeping content fresh. A large part of this can be attributed to the seemingly insurmountable challenge that regulatory bodies can present in approving content at a pace that will keep patients engaged. With legal reviews, what goes in is not always what comes out, and unique and creative content is usually the first thing to hit the cutting room floor. Knowing this variable isn’t going away, it stresses the importance of thinking strategically about what role content marketing plays for your brand and if it is a channel worth pursuing. If you are not able to produce the content that is truly meaningful to your target audience, an alternative channel or platform may be a better option.

While there is no doubt that content marketing can have a large impact for Rx brands when done right, it is not always a feasible option for everyone. Before content development begins, it is important that the appropriate marketing teams think strategically about the role it plays and quantify the value to determine its worth.

Chris Tuleya

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