This first session of MM+M’s Convene Media event discussed using data analytics not just for measurement, but also to optimize engagement, leverage networks, set up feedback loops and build new types of content
Defining the oh-so-popular term, “Omnichannel” Marketing
“With multichannel — the buzzword of three years ago — you’re looking at individual channels of engagement,” said Abedi. “Omnichannel brings them together, with the HCP at the center. And that engagement can be digital and in person — MSLs, Congress support, multiple channels.”
Alison Reichert, former head of digital and omnichannel marketing, U.S. Oncology, for Takeda, pointed out a similarity between omnichannel and multichannel: “All the activities must be aligned with a brand strategy and must meet specific customer needs.”
Iskowitz asked what level of personalization should be aspired to, given pharma’s privacy concerns. “It’s whatever level provides value to the customer,” said Reichert. “It may be one to one, many to one, or some to one.”
Abedi agreed, explaining that the personalization should help the HCP move to that next decision, engaging with a patient through customer journey analytics, in an efficient way. “We have the opportunity to really understand physicians’ preferences, in terms of in person versus virtual, email versus websites, endemic versus non-endemic. We need to give them what they want, where they want it. And when they push back with, say, ‘I don’t want those emails,’ we have to listen.”
“We have the opportunity to really understand physicians’ preferences, in terms of in person versus virtual, email versus websites, endemic versus non-endemic. We need to give them what they want, where they want it. And when they push back with, say, ‘I don’t want those emails,’ we have to listen.”
- Susan Abedi, 81qd Chief Strategy Officer
How Healthcare data analytics can support omnichannel Marketing?
Abedi listed a number of ways, including using data to understand physician personas; segment which physician groups to engage; and determine how HCPs are connected to their peers. She ended with micro-personalization: removing channels that aren’t working, as well as sub-segmenting and prioritizing from a budget perspective.
Data analytics also helps determine message sequencing across different channels, said Abedi. “Say, the first message comes from an email, the second from a visual on an ad, and then the third from the field. The challenge is in breaking out the content.”
How Pharmaceutical companies optimize their HCP omnichannel Marketing & engagement
Reichert stressed the importance of quickly testing to learn, then advancing based on the data. “I’d love to see the further democratization of data,” she explained, “so that people without degrees in data analytics can use it in advanced ways.”
“We call them citizen users” added Abedi. “The data has to be accessible to everyone; we always want to empower that. Today, a lot of data sets are sitting in different places, and you can’t see that physician at the center. We need to pull them together so everyone in omnichannel marketing has access.”
Abedi talked about mapping the ways in which different physicians treat patients — creating a clinical network map that leverages real-world data analytics to show how physicians are engaging and to understand their challenges — then building off that for your omnichannel strategy.
Having a company’s commercial and medical teams work together, said Abedi, will only provide more value to the customer — whether it’s the sequencing of touchpoints or other activities. Citing compliance reasons for the commercial/medical divide, she spoke of clients sharing information internally, “disclosing which channels are being used on the commercial side and on the medical side. They’re also sharing interactions, where appropriate. Developing an integrated plan means the physician isn’t bombarded with messages from medical and commercial on the same channel.”
Reichert pointed out the need to bring in legal, regulatory and other colleagues early on, “so they understand the business reason behind what we’re trying to accomplish for customer engagement.” And she believes that metrics, technology, processes and data must all be in place before an organization can embark on omnichannel marketing — not to mention the right leadership to develop a culture that supports innovation and ensures that everyone understands and can articulate the omnichannel vision.
Do clients need to partner with an ‘omnichannel agency’ to help coordinate data analytics and marketing efforts?
“Some channels may be better in certain segments than others, may have [better] access to different communities in terms of race, ethnicity and location, you can use that to build the groups of vendors and partners you work with.”
– Susan Abedi, 81qd Chief Strategy Officer
