People actively involved in their health and healthcare generally have better outcomes in managing their condition. So how do those of us working in healthcare and healthcare marketing motivate people to get more involved? While we don?t have all the answers, Health Union has learned some valuable lessons and practical tips for enhancing patient engagement […]
By Ritesh Patel
March 11, 2015
Digital Musings for Pharma: Rethinking Social Media Engagement
Since 2009, the nascent medium called social media has blossomed into something that is now entwined into the very fabric of our personal lives. Billions of people flock to Facebook daily. Some 90% of journalists now get their news and news ideas from Twitter. LinkedIn has dramatically altered how we find and recruit talent, and […]
By Bob Ehrlich
March 6, 2015
DTC in Perspective: Patients are Becoming The Payer
We have an impending health care cost crisis facing many Americans. Anyone with employer subsidized insurance has seen their share of the cost rise over the years. My personal premiums as a Pfizer retiree have risen every year and now approach $5000 a year plus my deductible. So before I see much reimbursement I pay […]
By Bob Ehrlich
February 27, 2015
DTC in Perspective: Advertising New Indications
One of the reasons for the rise of DTC spending in 2014 is the advertising done by brands adding new indications. We see several brands with three indications. Humira is a good example of a drug that started advertising for rheumatoid arthritis, then for plaque psoriasis and lately for Crohn’s Disease. Botox, which started advertising […]
By Bob Ehrlich
February 18, 2015
DTC in Perspective: FDA Doing Study About Risk Communication
FDA is proposing a study which I call ?less is more.? The study is long overdue. They are concerned that too many risks are being presented in television ads and perhaps this confuses consumers. The basic lesson of advertising is to focus on the main point or compelling benefit if you want people to remember […]
February 18, 2015
Prescribing Programmatic Buying for DTC Media Plans
Programmatic advertising, the automation of media buying and selling using technology and data for hyper-targeting, is one of the ad worlds? hottest trends. Research firm eMarketer recently estimated that digital display ads bought programmatically in the US grew 137% to more than $10 billion in 2014, and now account for 45% of all display ad […]
By Ashik Desai
February 18, 2015
The Pharma Marketers’ Innovator?s Dilemma
Why innovate? It?s a question frequently asked by many pharmaceutical marketers. From a campaign development perspective, innovation is seen as a way to break through the clutter in order to set new benchmarks for success. Unfortunately, in the process, it?s easy to just innovate for innovation sake, and implement the latest thing without regard to […]
By Chris Tuleya
February 18, 2015
Can DTC Marketers Develop Digital Content Interesting Enough to Hold the Attention of Patients?
The strategic role of content marketing in DTC campaigns is a hotly debated topic. While many industries have shifted their focus to building content that is authentic, educational and even whimsical in the hopes of building a rapport with patients, the healthcare industry is still finding its voice. Brands leading discussions can be perceived as […]
By Katie Rogin
February 18, 2015
A Generational Approach to DTC Creative
Direct-to-consumer marketing efforts for many prescription drug brands rely not just on appropriate clinical targeting but on creative executions that are emotionally relevant and resonate deeply with appropriate patients. That creative, whether it?s a television or a print ad or a website or a brochure, needs to be grounded in a big creative idea that […]
By Fred Church
February 18, 2015
Branded vs Unbranded Media Buying Dynamics
For many pharmaceutical or biologic brands considering DTC advertising, the pursuit of either a branded or unbranded campaign is a critical decision.? The best approach can be determined by focusing on several specific factors: the extent to which patients with the disease remain undiagnosed, the amount of fair balance the product requires in a branded […]
