Patient-Centric Pharma Marketing: Obvious … or not ?

Patient-Centric Pharma Marketing: What, How and Why?

Patient-centric pharma marketing is an important strategy for your marketing campaign, even if pharma companies cannot sell directly to patients. The patient is the ultimate beneficiary of your product or treatment. Their needs should therefore be the main concern of your marketing plan. That is where patient-centric pharma marketing can come in.

From our research we conclude that many pharmaceutical companies still focus on demonstrating the superior functional quality of their treatments in their marketing campaign. Meanwhile, healthcare practitioners (HCPs) are evolving from technical discourse about a treatment to how it can help the patient: improve quality of life and be easy to use. A patient-centric approach. If you succeed in translating mechanisms of action into impacts on a patient's life, you forge better connections with both HCP and patient.

Two examples to illustrate the above:

• In case of non-life-threatening conditions, HCPs will discuss aspects like ease of use with their patients, rather than merely product effectiveness.
• In case of major and life-threatening conditions, besides the effectiveness of the product, quality of life (or tolerability) is often a decisive argument.

So, aside from the advantages to your intended audience, patient-centric pharma marketing also offers considerable benefits for your company.

The Benefits of Patient-Centric Marketing in Pharma

Patient-centric pharma marketing has ample benefits.

Firstly, it builds trust. When patients feel heard and seen, it is easier for them to place their trust in your treatment when the HCP proposes it. You can further strengthen that trust by offering clear and valuable information on various healthcare topics, for instance on the management of adverse effects.

Even if the topics diverge somewhat from your service or product, the patient receives relevant information on the best solution for their specific problem through your marketing campaign. Therefore patients will consider you a trusted source of knowledge.

Secondly, getting to know patients’ needs will also allow you to better position yourself towards HCPs and patients. It can be very difficult to differentiate when all competitors focus on effectiveness. When, on the other hand, you choose a more patient-centric approach to your marketing strategy, you stand out.

For instance, in our research on the treatment of adult schizophrenia, one pharma company based its ‘unique selling point’ on a HCP’s patient-centric view on care: “the patient can lead a normal life.” This resulted in a patient credibility rate that was 35% higher than competitors'.

How to Apply Customer-Centric Marketing in Pharma

Customer-centric marketing is a widely used strategy, but how is it best applied in pharma?

Healthcare is a dynamic and unpredictable environment with numerous variables influencing current trends on the market. Additionally, the nature of various healthcare services can differ greatly, each requiring a distinct marketing plan addressing the HCP with the patient in mind.

In order to properly apply customer-centric marketing in pharma, our research of the past years shows a set of success criteria. To name a few – aside from legal compliance:

• Throughout different stages of a treatment’s life cycle, investigate the need of HCPs. Make sure your messages to HCPs (and patients) match the HCPs’ evolving knowledge of your treatment and their experience prescribing it.
• After the launch, it is often better to communicate about specific patient types or patient cases where the treatment has unique benefits, rather than trying to be a fit for all types of patients.
• In addition to tailoring your content to your audience, customer-centric marketing in pharma also involves a multichannel approach. Reaching HCPs through their preferred channels shows them that you put their needs first.

About  Optigage

The best way to apply a customer-centric marketing strategy in pharma is by bringing in an experienced pharma marketing consultant. Optigage has over 15 years of experience in 20 different treatment areas, we adapt our workflow to fit your needs. We work alongside our clients as one team, building capabilities with a shared ambition to achieve outstanding results through tailored patient-centric pharma marketing.

Are you interested in discovering the benefits of patient-centric pharma marketing for yourself?