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Personalised pharma: How to drive effective digital engagement
In a time where personalisation of marketing and communications has become the norm in consumer engagement, the pharma sector is feeling the pressure to deliver for its customers, but it’s proving tough for many. Our CEO, Rob Verheul, explores how we might overcome these challenges.
by Rob Verheul
25 September 24
25 September 24
Originally posted in Pharmaceutical Executive: September 2024 https://cdn.sanity.io/files/0v...
Digital pharma leaders acknowledge that personalised digital interactions and content are critical for engaging healthcare professionals (HCPs), who are often strapped for time and inundated with information. Those customers want to receive relevant communications, yet many pharma companies are still struggling to deliver. Our latest research report, “Disconnected Pharma”—based on interviews with 100 senior decision-makers at leading pharma organisations—highlights significant gaps in the sector’s journey toward effective digital personalisation. Here, we explore the importance of personalisation of digital engagement in pharma, the structural and technological barriers to its implementation, and the collaborative efforts needed to drive innovation and disruption in this space.
HCPs are inundated with vast amounts of information daily. In this context, delivering relevant and personalised content is not just beneficial but essential. Personalisation can greatly enhance HCPs’ engagement with digital products by ensuring that the content they receive is pertinent to their specific needs and interests. This targeted approach will save HCPs time and demonstrate empathy and understanding for their day-to-day reality—allowing them to focus more on patient care and less on sifting through irrelevant information.
Personalisation in pharma goes beyond just tailoring content; it involves understanding the unique preferences and behaviors of each HCP. By leveraging data analytics, drugmakers can create detailed profiles of their audience, enabling them to deliver more meaningful and impactful interactions. However, achieving this level of personalisation requires overcoming several significant hurdles.
The challenge of legacy systems
A major impediment to digital transformation in the pharma sector is the reliance on outdated legacy platforms. About 35% of pharma leaders report that these platforms hinder their progress toward adopting new digital technologies and strategies. These legacy systems often lack the flexibility and scalability needed to support advanced data processing and personalisation efforts.
To address this issue, many pharma companies are prioritising the creation of internal digital tools and systems in 2024. In fact, 40% of industry leaders are focusing on developing robust data processing and quality management systems. These new systems aim to provide a solid foundation for the complex data handling required for personalisation.
Structural issues, regulatory concerns
It is widely regarded that pharma manufacturers have operated with siloed mindsets, where different departments work in isolation rather than collaboratively. This fragmentation can prevent the seamless sharing of engagement data and insights on customer needs and preferences.
The industry is also heavily regulated, with stringent guidelines around data security and privacy. While 37% of pharma leaders believe that ensuring robust data security and privacy measures is crucial for driving digital disruption, the risk aversion associated with these regulations often makes it challenging to explore and implement innovative personalisation strategies. To overcome these barriers, companies must work toward breaking down internal silos and fostering a culture of collaboration. This cultural shift can facilitate better data sharing and integration, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of HCPs’ preferences and behaviours.
Cross-sector learning
Greater collaboration across the pharma and healthcare sector —and potentially with other sectors—could be a game-changer for personalisation. Pharma leaders recognise the need for increased knowledge-sharing efforts to overcome the challenges they face. By learning from examples in other sectors that have successfully implemented personalisation strategies (i.e., Netflix), the pharma industry can gain valuable insights and best practices.
Fostering collaboration and sector-wide learning requires deliberate effort and the creation of platforms and forums for sharing knowledge and experiences. Industry conferences, cross-sector partnerships, and collaborative research initiatives can provide opportunities for pharma companies to learn from each other and from other industries.
