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Integrated Marketing Integrated Marketing Statistically Stacks Up Barriers to Integrated Marketing Practices Brand Team Ownership Consumer-Driven Focus Trending Now: With the increasing rate of adoption of digital media by physicians and patients, experts say it is crucial that the industry begin to harness the power of a well-integrated, multi-channel marketing plan. Integrated Marketing Statistically Stacks Up As mobile and digital technologies become fundamental parts of the pharma marketing mix — not just add-ons — integrated marketing techniques become all the more critical to success. According to Manhattan Research’s Cybercitizen Health U.S. 2012 study, in the U.S. population, consumer use of multiple screens for health activities has increased dramatically. The number of people in the United States (ages 18 and up) using mobile phones, including smartphones, for health information grew from 61 million in 2011 to 75 million in 2012. Tablet-related healthcare activity doubled from 15 million to 29 million in the same time period. Using data from the International Communication Union, PwC estimated in 2012 that the world’s 7 billion people had almost 6 billion mobile phone subscriptions — and that connections would outnumber people by the end of 2013. Successfully integrating digital and mobile channels with traditional ones will make it possible to target physicians based on channel preferences, medical practice characteristics, patient types, and relevant features and benefits of the brand, says eyeforpharma in its Pharma E-Marketing Report 2011-12. Experts say the biggest challenge for the industry will be learning how to integrate all the channels successfully. Barriers to Integrated Marketing Practices Becky Bodenner Senior VP, Creative Director Dudnyk @dudnykhealth Everyone knows that integrated marketing — a consistent brand identity deployed across every single marketing channel — is the secret to product success. So why is it so hard to achieve in pharma marketing? 1. An Exploded Marketing Mix. In the past, integrated marketing meant the sales aid, the journal ad, and the PR messages looked and sounded the same. There were brand guidelines to make sure everyone stayed on script and avoided knocking out the logo. Today, reaching customers is exceedingly complex, with mobile, Web, search marketing, and social media to consider. It’s not just about deploying a brand message anymore; it’s about orchestrating a brand experience. 2. Specialized vs. holistic marketers. Traditionally, marketers focused on one discipline and ignored the rest. For example, advertisers didn’t know PR and were baffled by ephemera like “ink and air." Today, as the lines between specialties have blurred, effective marketers must have a holistic view of what’s needed to move the brand forward. 3. Silo agency smack-downs. Most medcom, advertising, PR, and digital agency partners come on board for a new product launch professing to “play well in the sandbox." In fact, it’s more like building forts to protect territory. This gets in the way of integrated marketing, which requires good communication, mutual respect, and shared vision. 4. Tactical brand plans. The integrated marketing vision needs to be driven by the brand plan. A plan full of shiny tactical objects misses the point that consistent messaging across multiple channels enhances the brand experience. This requires looking at things from the customer’s perspective, hammering out strategy, and meticulously deploying a differentiating campaign across multiple channels — on strategy, in lock-step, and integrated. Brand Team Ownership Zoe Dunn Principal Hale Advisors @zdunnhealth To move to an integrated marketing strategy, change needs to begin at the planning process. Because of the staff turnover on many brand teams, it’s challenging to have a perspective on legacy efforts or take a thorough look at results and optimize accordingly. Without this comprehensive perspective, brands tend to operate in a reactionary way, often with a blend of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it" and “what’s the shiny object that senior management and/or our agency partner is mandating we showcase?" This leads to fragmented tactical plans and multiple agencies ‘owning’ pieces of the brand history. Until the brand team takes ownership of this tactical roadmap, has the resources to evaluate it, and has adequate budget to achieve a perfect blend of traditional, innovative, and experimental programs, it will be difficult to create an integrated strategy. Consumer-Driven Focus Lara Viau Senior VP, Marketing Digitas Health An integrated marketing strategy is a customer-centric approach, while a multichannel strategy is a product-centric approach. An integrated marketing strategy is driven by consumer insight. A deep understanding of the audience — their needs and behaviors — is at the forefront. It is achieved through the orchestration of insights, the value proposition, and the promotional channels that fit most meaningfully into the lives of the consumer. A multi-channel strategy is centered on communicating product features and/or benefits using multiple channels for optimal reach and frequency. Shire’s campaign for Vyvanse, You Do The Rest, is a great example of an integrated marketing strategy. The UDotheRest.com site brings the campaign to life and is designed for young adults to help make everyday tasks manageable, especially for patients with ADHD. The site includes a compilation of apps, tips, and tools that are curated by a panel of experts and organized into six categories. With a deep understanding of the customer, the program supports the needs of the audience beyond medication to help them do the things that are most important to them. The campaign was spearheaded by Sheri Stump, senior director at Shire and created by Digitas Health.
