Omnichannel engagement is evolving
First published in MM+M.
Medical marketing is in the midst of a transition from multichannel marketing to omnichannel strategies.
Healthcare marketing is an industry dominated by buzzwords and over the past year or so, few have matched the staying power of ‘omnichannel engagement.’
Consumer expectations are constantly changing and marketers are faced with the unenviable task of positioning pharma brands in ways that maximize their value.
Beyond the cliche, omnichannel engagement is a useful strategy that can take many forms for medical marketers and is an ever-evolving practice.
In its 2022 health advertising trends report, Veeva said effective omnichannel HCP engagement strategies can drive “real results.” The report concluded by noting that the most efficient direct-to-consumer and HCP media campaigns of 2021 relied on marketers following a holistic, omnichannel approach.
The industry has always been a bit slower to latch on to emerging trends or adopt innovative technologies, according to John Fitzpatrick, SVP of omnichannel engagement at PRECISIONeffect, but he said the growing popularization of omnichannel engagement should be viewed as an evolution.
“What we’re seeing now is this movement from a multichannel approach to this omnichannel approach,” he said. “There were a lot of benefits to multichannel and it was the golden standard for a number of years because it enabled pharmaceutical brands to drive awareness and sales. Now, with omnichannel, we’re using that same methodology and approach but looking at how we start to connect all of those different things together.”
Fitzpatrick said marketers should recognize that omnichannel engagement is about collecting data to better understand who the target consumers are, what type of content they prefer to receive and optimizing how to deliver that to them.
He underscored the value of using modular content as a pillar of omnichannel marketing and working within the regulations that govern the industry. Modular content gives marketers the opportunity to make decisions and optimize any of the different tactics they’re running to a target audience based on what it is they’re looking for at that moment in time, Fitzpatrick noted.
“The secondary piece that I do think is important is the marketing technology,” he said. “Part of what you’re doing with omnichannel engagement is collecting as much data as you can to give you as good of a view of your customer as possible. A unified view of your customer is important.”
