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Thought leadership and innovation for the Pharmaceutical Industry

HCP preferences have rapidly shifted towards remote and hybrid engagement. Cultural transformation, data silo elimination, and cross-functional collaboration are key to meeting these new demands through a successful omnichannel transition.

By Anonymous (not verified) on Aug 25, 2023

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Actionable Insights: 

• Companies can either build omnichannel functionalities internally or outsource to third-party service providers: In both cases, data silos should be eliminated to ensure cross-team collaboration 

• Content development and delivery should be personalized and viewed as an omnichannel product to meet expectations: As content cycles shorten to meet demand, collaboration with internal medical, legal, and regulatory (MLR) teams is crucial to speed up content approvals  

• Internal cultural transformation is necessary: Pharma companies can successfully transition to a sustainable and scaled omnichannel implementation   

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a digital shift in all industries, and pharma is no exception. In 2021, 75% of healthcare providers restricted in-person access, leading to a 50% increase of telemedicine consultations. In the same year, when industries were figuring out how to adapt to pandemic restrictions, 68% of HCPs indicated they preferred remote or hybrid communication channels. With remote communication habits becoming deeply embedded, pharma companies must digitalize to meet HCPs’ rapidly changing needs. 

Companies should offer a seamless omnichannel experience that provides a broad range of engagement channels for HCPs. Content, delivery, and communication channels should be personalized based on individual HCP preferences, gauged through HCP segmentation and data insights. Data analysis can elucidate the ways HCPs interact with the broader healthcare system, including patients and pharma companies. Data engineers can use artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to build personalized omnichannel models. 

Companies can adopt an omnichannel approach internally by following roadmaps of other pharma companies that have successfully made the transition. Alternatively, companies can outsource to third-party vendors. External service providers have become increasingly sophisticated in omnichannel approaches and can provide unique ecosystems of synergistic technologies.  

Applying an omnichannel strategy to content development and rollout can help meet the increased demand for more rapid, frequent, and up-to-date information. Content planning should be shortened from the traditional two-to-six-month cycle to a two-to-four-week cycle. Internal teams need to be cross-functional and agile to be able to deliver outputs in three-week sprints. Quicker content generation requires a dynamic mindset, spanning campaign planning, delivery, and A/B testing. Getting internal approvals at this increased rate will require close collaboration with MLR teams during the design and content planning phases.  

Changing company culture is crucial in scaling up from a pilot strategy to a company-wide omnichannel transformation. A consolidated top-down vision must be implemented through strong bottom-up understanding. Companies need to find ways for teams to buy into the omnichannel vision while also prioritizing technology investments. A robust roadmap to full-scale implementation should be segregated into sub-plans for team, regions, and brands to encompass different sections of the organization.  

To deliver the omnichannel experience, eliminating data silos is needed to enable cross-team data sharing. Field teams should have full visibility over omnichannel engagements to adapt their in-person approach accordingly and establish strong feedback loops. In an omnichannel strategy, field and sales teams will remain essential as in-person interactions are not replaceable, although the teams should be flexible as their roles evolve. 

Data privacy should not be seen as a hindrance as it is essential to customer-centricity. Data collection processes should be designed to meet the most restrictive data privacy guidelines, with the potential for alterations based on different regional requirements. The effort to safeguard data privacy can become a competitive differentiator by increasing overall trust in the company.  

Industry Experts Who Contributed: 

• Nikos Georgiades, (formerly) SVP, Global Head of Digital Commercial Execution, Novartis 
• Jill Carbone, (formerly) VP, Executive Director, US Oncology Marketing, Bayer  
• Jeff Bishop, (formerly) VP, Omnichannel Engagement, Takeda Pharmaceutical 
• Gizem Ozbay, (formerly) Global Marketing Director, Vascular, Abbott 
• Nick Mills, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company 
• Dan Shea, Partner, McKinsey & Company 
• Moderator: James Mackintosh, Head of Product, Pharma, Reuters Events