What is preventing pharma from going digital ?

About the Author

Richard Meyer is a passionate Internet DTC marketer with over 15 years of progressive experience in consumer marketing who`s worked on top pharmaceutical brands like Cialis, Prozac and Sarafem, as well as two years with Medtronic Diabetes. He is currently consulting for his own company, Online Strategic Solutions, and writes a DTC column for PM 360 magazine and blogs for Eye for Pharma in addition to his own blog, World of DTC Marketing.

According to a new Harris Poll pharma is the 2nd most least trustworthy advertising behind financial service companies. Of course you would never know this by watching the network news where most of the TV spots are still from pharma. Why is this continuing to go on when so much data says that the ROI of TV ads is really poor ? Here are some reasons…

1. We’re going to play it safe: It’s safer and easier to do what is already being done than to try new things to earn patient and customer trust.

2. We don’t understand digital: This is perhaps the biggest roadblock. I can’t tell you how many big pharma and biotech companies have great analytic programs but don’t know how to fully leverage them and read what the data is telling them. Usually if there is an emarketing person on a team she/he is only one person and it’s virtually impossible for one person to do everything today in the digital world.

3. Lack of capabilities: Last weeks ePharma summit reminded me that there are an awful lot of people out there who aren’t up to speed on what’s going on in the digital world and why it’s happening. You can’t rotate people into an eMarketing role and expect them to develop cutting edge digital strategies because by the time they learn it’s already changing.

4. Consolidation of agencies: Traditional ad agencies make more with traditional media than with digital media. In addition it has been my experience that the big agencies are not as responsive to opportunities within the online channel. Smaller agencies are a lot more responsive and less expensive.

5. Wasting too much money on search: OK, sure search is the first place people go when looking up health information but you need to understand how they are searching and determine ROI of your search marketing.

6. TV is where the action is: It’s a great way to show people in the organization that you’re doing something even though it’s wasteful.

7. Just go to the meeting and check off the box: No passionate marketers in pharma anymore. Today they are people who go from meeting to meeting and chose to be loved rather than do what is best for the brand and customers. Matrix organizations equals too many people with hidden agendas and patients lose.

Marketing is an art form today and there are no artists in pharma marketing anymore. They fear for their jobs and to them its about keeping their jobs safe and secure not about focusing on patients and consumers.