Reshaping Pharmaceutical Marketing: the 5 key factors of Multichannel

The Multichannel Pharma in Italy is not a different way of marketing than in the past, it is just a way of representing communication to the consumer or customer or patient or doctor in a more effective way, using, in a co-ordinated and joint way, all the channels available today.

It is not new marketing, it does not involve reducing or contracting previous activities: but a new vision of the relationship with the doctor, more 'holistic', and certainly more attentive to the needs, interests and behaviour of the individual doctor.

In contrast to 'traditional' marketing, we can only detect a greater ability to coordinate actions so that real feedback is taken into account in a short period of time. This is enabled by new technological platforms and a deeper analysis of the data collected. But at the centre remains the person and the quality content we are offering to engage their interest. So, in this sense, it is certainly largely traditional marketing: the ability to use new channels effectively is then generally an innovation that marketing has always known how to do. The steps this has taken in using radio or TV or billboards, while continuing to use the more usual paper advertising, are emblematic. Specifically, some elements can be considered more carefully and can be used to plan a Multichannel campaign more correctly and validly.

People

• Consumer centric;
• Deep interaction;
• Engagement;
• Trust;
• Peer to peer.

It cannot be taken for granted that we are talking to people among people. That is why nothing is more direct and clear than The Cluetrain Manifest and its recently published update. Markets are conversations and people can be recognised by their voice. If the consumer is not at the centre of your project, but the product or service is, Multichannel is not the right tool. It is useful to remember that, in the world, communication is strongly influenced by the relationship between peers: between mothers in the paediatrician's waiting room as much as between doctors at a congress. It is vital to take into account the two-way, two-way communication generated by conversation, so the transition from 'communicating' to 'communicating with' is part of the Pharma Multichannel Marketing in Italy. Even if you talk and they don't believe you, little will be the effect of the chatter: the fiduciary relationship based on reputation is the main driver of behavioural change.

Content

• Content is the king;
• Production of quality content;
• Beware of quantity;
• Adapting to the channel

It even seems self-evident and predictable, to speak of content is trivial. But in pharmaceutical marketing in Italya completely content-driven one has to be particularly careful. In the multichannel, content is consumed, digital is a ferocious devourer of content, it consumes a lot of material that quickly becomes stale. Adaptation to the channel is essential and the combination of the need to produce a lot of material and to deconstruct it per channel puts the structure under stress. This must be taken into account.

Data

• Activity indicators;
• Interaction with the principal;
• Interaction with the Customer;
• Effectiveness in resource allocation.

The enormous amount of data generated is both an opportunity and a threat. Generating all data and not controlling it, or generating only part of it, can be limiting factors. The data that is created in the multichannel is two orders of times larger than in a traditional process. From data it is possible to derive KPIs, to analyse the depth of the relationship and the ability to influence. Data are both process data (such as activities performed) and outcome data (such as dwell time) and need to be correlated. It is surprising how much impact can be measured, but also how much new needs can be understood.

Technology

• The CRM platform;
• The ability to offer what is needed;
• The flexibility of analysis;
• The management of multiple actions.

Pharma Multichannel Marketing in Italy cannot be applied without an appropriate technology platform. It is a must. Trying to communicate the right message to the customer is also possible because you have the track record of everything that has been done. The customer is not a province or a brick, the customer is not a customer code, the customer is a first and last name with behaviour and needs expressed during interactions. Combined action management stems from the fact that both the relationship and the actions to be taken are in the same platform.

Process

• Perfect execution;
• Smart outsourcing;
• Continuous Outcome of New Interests;
• Monitoring KPIs.

Nobody underestimates execution. It is often the main cause of failure. The quality of execution is often the combination of the elements I mentioned above: people, data, technology... but the result is the client's perception. Is the result of the project a multiple aggression from which you cannot escape or is it the pampering of those who understand your needs? The perfect execution must also take into account the mood of the staff, the commitment they put into it and the feelings that pass through the channels. The focus must be on training, coaching, the active desire to generate something good. Since execution is often outsourced, this is all the more important.

Multichannel is a complex recipe; for us Italians used to good food, who know how many variations a carbonara can have, this is no surprise. We know that the perception of quality is different from the concept of quality itself. Learning the modelling and use of the multichannel in pharmaceuticals is particularly complex because regulatory aspects have to be taken into account.

But the joy of generating real interest in customers and turning it into sales is unparalleled.