Customer behavior has changed significantly. The micro-moments that drive preference and decision-making have the most impact on a customer journey. Businesses try to make the best use of these micro-moments by focusing on digital customer experiences.
Can the pharma industry also adopt the B2B customer journey that has proved efficient for other industries like retail?
Can pharma create connected HCP customer journeys and deliver exceptional experiences?
The marketing landscape is constantly fragmenting itself, from influencers to micro-influencers and market segments to micro segments. The target consumers refuse to be treated like fragments and instead prefer to be treated as individuals. Google reports that 69% of online consumers agree that the timing, quality, and relevance of a brand message influence their decision-making process.
Healthcare professionals are no less and expect the same level of personalization in their customer experience journeys. Modern HCPs prefer digital modes of interaction, especially after the pandemic. HCP engagement is no longer optional, it is a necessity for pharmaceutical companies.
Evolving HCP engagement landscape
The internet and emerging technologies have empowered HCPs to access crucial and relevant medical information on multiple channels. Traditional digital channels no longer work effectively. Marketing and content are evolving day by day. Starting from engaging with HCPs on a single channel to multiple channels, then omnichannel, and now channel-less, digital experiences have come a long way.
An omnichannel strategy focuses on connecting as many channels as possible whereas a channel-less strategy focuses on the experience delivered on any channel. This progress works in tandem with the preferences of HCPs. The kind of medical information HCPs require has not changed but the timing, format, and delivery of such information have changed.
HCPs require a pharma company that provides them with relevant, authenticated, and curated medical content. The new generation of time-constrained HCPs does not have time to gather and consume copious amounts of information. They want relevant and useful content that they can consume at the right time. When it comes to effective HCP engagement, the when, where, and how matter significantly. And these essential facets are the main pillars of a connected HCP customer journey.
Why create HCP customer journeys
The pharma industry has a direct relationship with HCPs, not the patients, and yet it plays an important role in the HCP decision-making process that impacts patients directly. A customer journey will help pharma clarify the interplay between its customers, the HCPs, and their customers, the patients. It will also align the latest customer needs with customer behavior and emerging technologies.
A customer journey also enables pharma companies to keep up with the latest developments in the industry that is evolving rapidly. Pharma companies can curate effective marketing communications targeted at a relevant audience and reduce the high costs that come with poorly targeted marketing. To sum up, a customer journey provides insight into HCP behavior and needs and empowers pharma companies to prepare themselves to fulfill those needs most effectively.
Leverage content, data, and technology
Content
The content still matters the most. What is required is content that engages HCPs meaningfully with deep educational information. HCPs desire curated medical information to understand new treatments and make better therapeutic and diagnostic decisions.
A content strategy should be a part of an HCP customer journey. All of the following will help pharma to leverage content in delivering better HCP engagement.
- Personalized and high-quality content
- Content library to engage across the whole journey
- Interactive content for multi-touch experiences
- Relevant information to cut through the clutter
- Medical topics tailored to HCP’s personas
- Content in bite-sized, downloadable, and animated format
- Rich facts, stats, and evidence for products
Data
Pharma companies have large volumes of data at their fingertips that can be used efficiently. Sales-based data helps to identify the sales potential of HCPs, such as the level of decision-making or the annual number of prescriptions. Behavior-based data provides insights into the differences between HCPs in their beliefs, prescription habits, or scientific appetite. Data based on content and channel preferences yield results on the level of engagement, popular channels, and modes of engagement.
A data management strategy coupled with predictive and visual analytics will help pharma companies to chart an HCP customer journey based on the insights. The following steps help to include data-driven insights in an HCP customer journey.
- Identifying rich data sources
- Assessing data quality and addressing data gaps
- Sourcing additional data if required
- Centralizing HCP customer data
- Connecting data from across the organization
- Identifying tools and capabilities required to process data
- Defining audience segments from current data insights
- Creating HCP customer personas
- Personalize content as per customer personas
Technology
Choosing the right technology depends on two main verticals: content and channel. Content as considered above is the information and messaging delivered to HCPs, and channel means the technology that is currently used to deliver the content. Technology in an HCP customer journey needs to fulfill the following engagement criteria:
- Seamless and intuitive engagement across omnichannel
- Recognition of internal and external user workflows
- Optimized user experiences tailored to HCP interests
In the past pharma companies have used descriptive analytics to launch traditional business models for communication and engagement. Today, technology has increasingly progressed towards sophisticated analytics that is powered by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Predictive, visual, and prescriptive analytics transform communication strategies to deliver meaningful interaction with HCPs.
Technology should be an essential part of business strategy for pharma companies. Some capabilities that pharma requires for elevating HCP engagement are:
- A 360° view of HCPs and their customer journeys
- Integrating marketing automation tools with CRM systems
- Aggregating real-time insights across all digital channels
- Real-time engagement through social media
- Insights to identify the right mix of channels for each HCP
- An ideal blend of digital and in-person channels
Creating quality experiences for HCPs
HCPs will appreciate and engage fully only if pharma companies deliver quality experiences. Such experiences can transform HCPs into loyal customers who will continue to engage with pharma more in the future. While there is no one-size-fits-all experience, pharma companies can succeed if they consistently fulfill the below criteria in their HCP customer journey.
Relevant: Interactions must be truly helpful and make the best use of an HCP’s time.
Consumable: Content must be conveniently digestible to an HCP
Accessible: HCPs should be able to access the required support on their own terms.
Connective: HCPs should be able to connect with like-minded peers to share knowledge and insights.
Purposeful: Any HCP interaction or content must authentically add to the purpose of helping patients.
Successful HCP customer journeys
QED42 has been working with multiple big pharma companies to personalize HCP customer journeys and deliver exceptional digital experiences. Consider a few examples.
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories
We partnered with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories to design and build a digital engagement portal for healthcare professionals to access high-value medical resources content tailored to their various practice needs.
Results
- 1772 HCP onboarded
- 3 seconds load time
- 1 day to roll out a new website
Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company
We partnered with a top leading pharmaceutical company to create a digital engagement portal for healthcare providers to access high-value medical education resources, articles, & research papers via an easily accessible healthcare provider portal.
Results
- 40 websites rolled out in 2 years
- Rich data insights from HCP interactions
- Peer-to-peer collaboration
- Facilitated knowledge consumption
Fortune 500 biopharmaceutical company
We partnered with a huge biopharmaceutical company to deliver a seamless user experience across 3000+ websites with improved security, performance, and feature enhancements.
Results
- 3000+ websites managed
- 25+ modules audited
- Regular sites update to secure from breaches
If you are looking for a similar elevated HCP engagement for your pharma, plan and work on creating connected and personalized HCPs customer journeys.