20 October 2008 VIEW on ESolutions EMARKETING The Web and the digital revolution have made the concept of eRelationship Marketing (eRM) more realistic for Pharma companies. Within Pharma, digital communications are gaining greater acceptance as both healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients/consumers have become more comfortable using multiple channels of communication.With nearly universal adoption of the Internet by both consumers and HCPs, one would expect to find Pharma companies using a vast array of eRM programs. However, over the last ten years, marketers have developed the ability to leverage email along with the Internet promotionally for brands, but find themselves in a future that does not really feel so different from the past. Pharma marketers understand the importance of establishing solid relationships with both HCPs and patients. In addition to creating relationships with specific target audiences, keeping these relationships active and engaged is vital. However, to accomplish this goal insight is needed to target the right customers, not only at a program’s onset but also while it is deployed and evolving.These relationships should continue and mature over time, an aspect that many firms forget to take into account. Committed to Building Relationships Pharma is committed to value added relationship marketing with their customers, as demonstrated by capital investments, customer contact databases, and sales force automation (SFA) applications for HCP customers — applying all of these mediums to better understand the most important relationships Pharma has with the high prescribers of their brands. Pharma companies traditionally turn to technology companies or agencies to solve their eRM needs. However, the expertise required to conceive, design, develop, deploy, and measure these types of programs rarely can be found in any single agency or firm. Partnerships are critical for successful eRM programs. Firms that have the tenure and expertise to partner effectively with internal Pharma divisions and aligned agencies are the most successful at finding collaborative solutions.Technical proficiency, significant Pharma experience, a strong mutual culture to partner with multiple firms, and excellent strategic/creative capabilities are all required to deliver the most optimal strategic solutions with excellence. Defining the Relationship Currently, the intrinsic nature of what constitutes a relationship with a particular brand has changed significantly, based on the explosion of both social networking and the value and availability of health information online. Search engines, trusted websites, and threaded comments from social net workers are among the many ways people obtain health information. Online relationships can be disposable if they do not provide true value. Further more, the economic constraints of traditional personal selling are affecting the demand for eRM. Knowing how to match your audience’s information needs against a given brand’s objectives is not a one size fits all proposition. Each solution should be customized and specialized if the need is to gain wide acceptance and maximize the program’s potential impact.Will text messaging be a valuable component in your eRM program? Is email an acceptable medium for receiving confidential or sensitive information? How can the Closed Loop Marketing potential of Tablet PCs be leveraged? To be successful, Pharma brands must work to build teams of smart, hardworking people with diverse backgrounds who possess the ability to work in collaboration with Pharma’s internal information technology department to bring together a meaningful and impactful eRM campaign. Simply asking firms that do sales aids or manage databases to pull together an eRM program is not an effective way to execute a program. Expecting a traditional RM agency to understand the nuances of the digital channels available for executing an eRM program may prove to be unrealistic and asking too much. Developing a Successful Relationship eRM programs that have been truly successful are intelligently designed and deployed and always produced in an environment that allows a diverse group of talented agencies and firms to bring forth their best work and leverage interactive talent at the proper junctions. Finding the right digital and interactive agency that can help bridge the gaps between technology, audience, message, creative, project management, and measurement should be a requirement for any Pharma company to develop a sound and effective eRM program in the 21st Century. Partnership & Power: Pharmaceutical Relationship Marketing in the 21st Century eRM programs that have been truly successful are intelligently designed and deployed and always produced in an environment that allows a diverse group of talented agencies and firms to bring forth their best work and leverage interactive talent at the proper junctions. Jack Bilson III Vice President Kinect Interactive Digital Communications KINECT INTERACTIVE DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS is the full service, eMarketing communications agency within the Corbett Accel Healthcare Group, a subsidiary of the Omnicom Group Inc. For more information about Kinect, please contact Geoff Melick, Executive Vice President, Interactive Marketing and eInnovation at 3124752607. For more information, visit kinect.com. Actually, what’s lost is critical data on who saw our ad, what exactly was read, and whether it was passed along to anyone else. If you’re less than thrilled with how well your valuable eMarketing dollars are being spent and tracked, look into a productive new relationship with an accountable partner. Life’s Too Short. Contact [email protected] or call Geoff at 312.475.2607. kinect.com An Omnicom Group Company 2008 CAHG KPV0508 BUILDING DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIPS The irony of an interactive agency running a print ad is not lost on us.

Download PDF