Why pharma marketers need to rethink their attitude to change

While everything about pharma seems to be changing, one thing hasn't: Meeting the needs of customers



 

Change is a subject that attracts a great deal of attention because it encapsulates both hope and anxiety.

Most of us think of change in a simplistic way-going from A to B, changing from good to great.

There are others who see change as a need to get better, without clarity on what better is but clarity that the present is not the answer.

This represents a journey away from rather than toward anything in particular.

I want to introduce a third way, a different perspective on change that gives a better explanation of the challenge facing pharma marketers.

This is change as a constant, being in a state of readiness for change as a permanent state-no destination just motion, test and learn, ongoing refinement.

The future of pharmaceutical marketing is about being prepared to adapt quickly, deal with uncertainty and accept that we won't get it right all the time.

More than ever, the future is unpredictable

Creating and delivering value

The last decade has been full of warnings that we have entered a new age, a new paradigm, and the rules of the game are changing.

In recent years, I have made some telling observations that successful pharma marketers will have to manage.

In years gone by, big brands and big organizations controlled the message, the product and the channels.

The emphasis was on managing perception, and organizations led the process.

We were all obsessed with branding and communication, and these were deployed like a trick from our marketing magic box.

The future is going to be about creating and delivering unique value.

For those who get this right, consumers will brand you; for those who do not get it right, consumers will brand you, too.

The focus of the digital revolution is on the technology rather than the underlying trend it enables.

It is true that with digital everything has changed, but it is worth remembering that the fundamental principles it has enabled have always been there.

It has enabled consumers and customers to express their feelings. There are three key changes:

Transparency Consumers have always wanted to know the truth, the truth about products, individuals, organizations and their world. The digital platform has simply been an enabler for this. The need and desire always existed. Today, that penned up wish is being met.

Speed The diffusion of innovation is getting faster and faster. For great innovations bad ones, the world finds out at breakneck speed. This means mistakes are punished more harshly and more swiftly. When we really get it right, even market access issues are mitigated.

Connection The ability to connect and stay in touch with close and not-so-close friends has been redefined. Not only can consumers stay connected, but healthcare professionals are connected, and the level and quality of their interaction is faster and better than what is possible offline.

Is the world really in a state of constant change or are we just going round in circles? Consider the following facts:

  • In the US between 2007 and 2009, consumers who had made purchasing decisions before getting in store went up from 60% to 83%
  • 50% of Internet traffic was predicted (in 2010) to be mobile by 2015; this year, the prediction has been adjusted to 2013
  • Over the last couple of years, trust in online health resources has increased by 44%.

For marketers, the implication is the interesting facet of all this.

Great products and solutions will not be enough; ethics will play a greater role in the future; customers talk to each other faster and better than ever.

Consumer power is moving quickly from the dream box to reality!

To demonstrate ethical behavior by donating 5% of turnover to charity will no longer suffice.

Attitudes toward employees, corruption, the environment and consumers will play a greater role in the future social responsibility agenda.

It is not about digital; it is about the deep needs of customers. While everything else is changing, this hasn't changed.

For more from Mal Barnard, read his previous blogs.

For more on marketing, join the sector's other key players at the 2nd Annual eMarketing Canada on November 8-9 in Toronto and the 11th annual Marketing Europe in November.

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