The evolving healthcare advertising landscape
February 20, 2024 | Medical Communications, Medical Publishing, Pharma marketing, advertising, health advertising
Industry experts share their insights on the emerging trends in healthcare advertising
In recent years, the healthcare industry has experienced significant disruptions. The evolving consumption patterns of healthcare practitioners (HCPs) have led to changes in healthcare marketing strategies. Furthermore, the introduction of complex industry regulations has presented new challenges for pharmaceutical marketers and their media buyers when trying to effectively convey promotional brand messages to HCPs. As a response to these shifts, pharmaceutical budgets have started shifting from purely promotional efforts to more educational initiatives. In light of these ongoing changes, we engaged with industry experts to gather their insights on current and future trends in healthcare advertising. This post presents their perspectives on the following topics:
- Challenges and opportunities in healthcare advertising
- The importance of source and content credibility in pharmaceutical marketing
- Best practices to deliver engaging and high-impact healthcare advertising strategies
While traditional print advertising is still used, we’re seeing a continuing drive for digital channel reach. Our [Wiley’s] clients are looking for stronger return on investment (ROI) for advertising campaigns and prefer targeting highly engaged audiences.
— Tracey Davies, Associate Sales Director, Wiley
Challenges and opportunities in healthcare advertising
- Cutting through the noise:
“[HCPs] have been exposed to more convenient digital engagements and have many digital options for accessing what they need. Those who deliver superior customer experience will punch through the digital noise. Pharma must level up the value they deliver. It’s not about shouting the loudest – it’s about being present and relevant at the right place and time.”
— “The gaps between HCP demand and pharma supply of medical information” by ECG Health
Time-poor HCPs rely on their peers and online journals to keep up with the latest developments in their field. According to a global survey conducted by Wiley, 80% of HCPs seek medical-related information online on a weekly basis to improve their knowledge. What’s even more significant is that 78% of them view published journal articles as trustworthy sources.
The survey also highlights the growing preference for interactive, bite-sized content such as webinars, case studies, e-learning, etc. Additionally, HCPs are more likely to engage with advertisements or promotional information when it is presented on platforms they trust, especially if the ad links to scientific content. Therefore, it’s evident that both the authority and credibility of the source and the message within the advertisement play pivotal roles in influencing HCPs’ information choices. Pharma marketers and media buyers should consider these factors when developing a robust healthcare advertising strategy that aligns with the content preferences of their target audience, namely HCPs.
- Tracking impact: Measuring impact of healthcare advertising poses a challenge for media buyers and pharma marketers who want to evaluate the success of their strategies and track ROI. Consequently, they may rely on conventional success metrics such as clicks or views, which may not always be universally relevant or effective in healthcare advertising. Commenting on recent developments in this area, Karl Franz, Regional Sales Manager, US, Wiley, states, “It’s gone far beyond just clicks today. Third parties also get involved in proving that a campaign works. So, establishing ROI is a major priority for everyone.”
Delivering engaging and high-impact healthcare advertising solutions
Despite the challenges, established society publishers are uniquely positioned to help media buyers develop customized solutions driving high-impact, multi-touch marketing activities with global reach. Karl elaborates, “There are opportunities for publishers to meld the budgets of a pharma company. There are ways to promote education with advertising materials, so that an agency thinks beyond the brand. As a publisher, we can help find that happy medium.” Joseph adds: “As a company that values our advertising clients, we [Wiley] ensure[s] that users [HCPs] who see these ads have the best experience possible. We offer multiple avenues like print, digital, e-mail, or even ePDF advertising, our latest upgraded solution which is a full-screen rich media ad embedded at the front of an article. We also feature content on multiple devices.”
Source and content credibility
Publishers have established themselves as reliable sources of peer-reviewed, vetted content. Collaborating with them to identify custom ways to integrate marketing alongside published content could be a useful strategy. Tracey and Karl have interesting examples to share here. Tracey explains, “Our [Wiley’s] clients want to be associated with credible content, which is available on Wiley Online Library. As a strong society publisher we are also reaching many highly engaged HCPs, that’s of interest to our pharma customers. For example, we see high engagement on ePDF advertisements which we embed on the articles of participating journals from Wiley Online Library. We always recommend matching a publication’s audience with that of the advertising offering to drive optimal interest and engagement with the ad’s message. Ad compliance with latest industry standards and needs adds a level of complexity in the system but our team is well equipped and experienced to recommend the best solution.” Karl adds, “Having an ad on a Wiley journal will have far more relevance than if it is in publications or magazines that do not demand the same respect as a peer-reviewed publication.”
Metrics are important, but they don’t tell the full story
There is no doubt, monitoring campaign success is important and our experts agree that the click through rate (CTR) could be one of the parameters of ad success. However, not every click has the same value and impact. They strongly emphasize that the credibility of the platform, and the content it leads to, plays a key role ion the ultimate impact of an advertisement campaign. A click on an ad that drives to or is associated with trusted content that will impact HCPs’ knowledge and clinical practice holds a significantly higher value than any other clicks.
The future of health advertising
Acknowledging the need to design audience-focused strategies, Tracey says, “There definitely will be greater focus on the target audience, so knowing who the audiences are will be important. Foreseeing this trend, Wiley is investing into technologies to get more granular data about our audience (while complying with regulations).” Karl concurs: “Wiley is evolving with the market and understands the importance of identifying our audiences on a global scale.”
Joseph is really hoping for video in e-mail. “That will be a game changer. It’s not just a repeating GIF—it’s something that tells a story, can promote facts and a product. So, in such ads, you’re telling a mini story with the power of film.” Tracey predicts, “We are going to see a much more modern approach, trying to align with quick, digestible formats of information, because that’s how the younger generation have been educated. However, journals will continue to be important because of their association with credibility and a reputable society or publisher.” Karl thinks, “We need to be mindful that younger audiences consuming content engage with media differently than physicians who began their careers with print as the sole option for education.”
How can pharma deepen engagement?
Healthcare advertising campaigns can set themselves up for success by getting right three basics—first, being relevant to the target audience, second, making the campaign conversational, and finally, knowing which metrics for success need to be measured. The evolving healthcare advertising landscape indicates a more regulated environment with an increasing need to focus on end users (HCPs) and their content consumption preferences. The content of advertisements should also evolve from being purely brand focused to becoming an opportunity to deliver educational content.
Media providers are innovating to deliver ad formats that blend in with the users’ content consumption journey and preferences while staying compliant. Partnering with trusted, independent channels from publishers like Wiley with global specialist reach is a real opportunity for health advertisers. The collaboration enables effective, engaging advertising campaigns on channels HCPs trust and engage with to build their knowledge and guide their clinical decisions.
Read here for more information about Wiley’s advertising solutions or contact our team for some personalized advice.
References
- How do Healthcare Professionals Access Information? Three Take-aways from our Global Survey
- Evolving trends in content consumption by healthcare professionals
- The gaps between HCP demand and pharma supply of medical information
- Wiley Online Library (WOL) data 1 Jan, 2002 - 31 Dec, 2022
- Why including medical journals in your advertising strategy is more important than ever
- How Visuals Can Help Boost Engagement in Pharma Marketing
- The transformation of the Pharma, Publisher and Healthcare Professional (HCP) dynamic
- The Future of Healthcare Marketing is Already in Your Pocket
- Digital marketing in healthcare
This content was provided by Wiley