Modernizing Media Strategies / Pharma Voice

 

The pandemic created an opportunity for the industry to invest in and reap the benefits of new media tactics.

Over the years, the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry had been hesitant about fully jumping on the social media bandwagon, but the pandemic of 2020 forced companies to go to places like TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media channels.

If the pharma industry wanted to be where consumers were during COVID-19, then it had to move to media channels that are creative, mobile, and personalized. On the upside, having its hand forced by the new digital climate to use social media has given companies the opportunity to see that SM can work, even within its heavily regulated environment.

Under the auspices of COVID, pharma companies and their brand names are appearing in places such as TikTok, Twitter, and other social media channels, sometimes by consumers posting about getting their vaccine and what brand they received. In other posts, healthcare providers are spreading information relevant to the pandemic. For example, Jeff Wright, who is a comedy writer for the Late Night with Seth Myers show, wrote a script for a video for the show that later appeared on Twitter, called “If the COVID-19 Vaccines Interview for a Job.” 

 

The bit featured actors representing Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson in a parody about the different COVID-19 vaccines. Even though the skit was not created by or even for pharma, the door has been opened and there’s no looking back now.

Over the past year, pharmaceutical marketing has shifted toward more digital channels as the industry experienced decreased salesforce access, a move to virtual medical meetings, and fewer in-office patient visits, says Kristen Tappan, VP, media, CMI Media Group.

On the consumer side, she says, there was adoption of telehealth services and increased time spent with social media and television, even while live events were interrupted and networks struggled to produce new content. On the professional side, targeted digital media and content journeys are more important than ever for brands to stay relevant and generate engagement between less-frequent sales calls. “Messaging is more impactful and media buys are more efficient when they’re tailored to a specific audience or segment, a direct response to a prior engagement or market event, or sequenced in a meaningful way,” Ms. Tappan says. “We are increasingly automating this type of targeting to drive impact and eliminate waste.” Más