For many business leaders, sales and marketing are interchangeable specialties with a singular goal: increasing revenue. However, sales and marketing teams should align together for a single objective. The truth is that they are distinct fields with differing strategies.
Marketers often prioritize brand equity and capturing customers’ attention, while salespeople focus exclusively on immediate customer conversions. And more importantly, sales needs marketing to succeed.
This is especially true within the pharmaceutical industry. Digital marketing’s rise makes it crucial for business leaders to grasp how marketing functions in the current landscape. And the best place to start is by answering a critical question: what is pharmaceutical marketing?
Although its primary objective is to increase product awareness. Along with driving demand, and ultimately influencing healthcare professionals and consumers to choose a particular brand over others.
Pharmaceutical marketing also aims to create a positive image of the drugs and the companies that manufacture them. It attempts to accomplish this by presenting scientific data, case studies, testimonials and other content persuasively.
To do this, pharma marketers activate various channels, including digital marketing, traditional marketing (TV and Print), branding, direct-to-consumer advertising, and events.
Target Audiences in Pharmaceutical Marketing
However, to be successful at increasing product awareness and driving demand. Pharma marketers must first understand who their target audience is and how to reach them. So, who is the target audience for pharma marketing?
- Healthcare Professionals: The primary target audience for pharma marketing is healthcare professionals (HCPs), including physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other medical professionals. Pharmaceutical marketing aims to educate HCPs about the benefits and risks of various drugs. Their usage, administration, and to improve their prescribing behavior. Pharma companies can improve the chances of prescribing and selling their drugs by engaging with HCPs.
- Patients: Additionally, pharma marketing targets patients and caregivers to promote products and create brand awareness. Direct-to-consumer marketing has become increasingly prevalent.
The Role of Digital and Mobile Marketing in Pharma
While the target audience for pharma marketing is specific, pharma marketing strategies can vary. But they all have an underlying goal; to persuade the target audience to take action. The following are a few common channels pharma companies use to reach them.
- Pharma Digital Marketing: With most people’s lives centered around the digital space. Online marketing tactics have become increasingly popular among pharma companies.
They use interactive websites, social media, SEO, and targeted Ads to reach HCPs and patients. HCPs receive product info and data through newsletters, emails, digital catalogs, and text messages. For patient-centered marketing, the goal is to make people aware of a brand and educate them about a health issue.
Digital marketing also offers valuable data to pharma companies. Which can help them understand the customer’s needs better, make informed decisions, and create personalized marketing campaigns.
- Pharma Mobile Marketing: Mobile technology has simplified its engagement by offering a direct channel of communication. Platforms like the ZING Engagement Suite offer features like video conferencing, SMS messaging, and AI-powered automation.
This allow HCPs and patients to communicate with pharma reps at any time, on any device. Mobile technology also accelerates the time it takes to receive information. Rather than scheduling an in-person meeting, HCPs and patients can connect with reps at their convenience.
The Use of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising in Pharmaceutical marketing
DTCA is a type of advertising that focuses directly on patients. DTCA promotes prescription drugs, medical devices, and health services. Supporters of DTCA say it can make people more aware of health issues and treatments, leading them to seek medical advice. Despite its criticisms, DTCA remains a popular marketing channel. Pharma companies that use it must be careful about creating accurate and informative advertisements.
Engaging Healthcare Professionals: Conferences and Events
Pharma companies often sponsor and participate in medical conferences and events. These conferences and events provide education and networking opportunities for healthcare professionals to exchange new product information and data.
These conferences provide a platform to launch new products, engage with HCPs, and create a positive brand image. The conferences provide opportunities to showcase equipment, technologies, and services, and they offer an environment for networking and developing relationships with HCPs. For pharma companies, this is an opportunity. In these events they showcase their products and offer solutions to the challenges faced by HCPs.
Networking and Information Exchange in Pharma Industry
Pharma companies often hold educational events for healthcare professionals to learn about their products and how to use them. These events allow HCPs to learn more about the product, its features and benefits, and how it can solve a specific health problem.