ISSUE 6
S POTLI G HT O N ...
PHAR MA MAR K ETI N G
Inspiring audiences. Motivating change. Thinking beyond. COUCH MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS ©2017. All rights reserved.
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Pharma marketing | 1
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the 6th issue of our spotlight magazine. In this issue we are looking at the ins and outs of marketing and how to use targeting and tailoring to get the right message to the right people. One of the first steps of marketing is getting to know the market. It’s no good pushing all the available marketing glitz and glamour into a high-gloss campaign for product X that treats disease Y, if all the target audience needs is well thought out educational material ab out product Z and its effect on disease A. The traditional route to understanding the market has been through market research but we now have more tools in our toolb ox: S OCIAL M E D IA – creating relationships through listening and answering questions P E R S ONA MAPPI N G – understanding what people really need AM E-BAS E D LEAR N I N G – making education more interesting for healthcare G professionals and patients AI LOR I N G E N GAG E M E NT STRATE G I E S – addressing barriers and educating T for real-life scenarios EY OPI N I ON LEAD E R S – using skills, experience and networks in a K collab orative relationship These all allow us to better interact with the people who are the audience, and market as part of a two-way conversation rather than simply a one-way broadcast. Within this in mind, I hope you enjoy this issue and as always I would love to hear your thoughts. You can email me ash@wearecouch.com or tweet me at @ash_rishi. Till next time.
Ash Rishi Managing Director C OUCH Medic al Communic ations
IN THIS ISSUE Look beyond market research What does social media listening actually tell us? The three steps of persona mapping Playing games is serious with HCP education Tailoring HCP engagement strategies to improve clinical outcomes Why pharma still need key opinion leaders
LOOK BEYOND MARKET RESEARCH When it comes to HCP engagement strategies, marketing gives us all manner of methods to convince targets of how good our brands and products are. These strategies are devised after some pretty thorough market research such as surveys, focus groups and social media listening exercises, to name a few. Through the market research process, and as time passes we start to understand how our customers are likely to respond to our messaging.
B UT WHAT IS MISSING FROM THAT RESEARCH? To answer this question, focus on those times in life when ‘the facts’ just weren’t enough. Anyone with children will know how a guilty kid gives the game away with blinking eyelids or a quivering lip; or why, even after all the evidence has been given at a trial, jury members may find a defendant ‘not guilty’ simply because of their body language. Simply put, we are not robots.
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We are human beings, and as such we don’t always make decisions – and form opinions – with facts alone. Indeed, some experts say that around 90% of everyday decisions are made subconsciously, before any kind of internal logical debate begins. And by ‘everyday decisions’ we can certainly refer to consumer choices as such, and assume that ‘gut instinct’ is something marketers need to aim for when reaching out to consumers.
N EUROSCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND MARKETING Surveys and the like are effective ways of collating information about customers, but they don’t give the full picture. Even when respondents are being as honest as they can be, even they can’t know all the answers about themselves! In choosing a particular product, for example, the brain may say one thing (weigh up the pros and cons) while the heart says another. The first mistake for pharma brands is to assume the customer journey begins with logic, because gut instinct is as strong – if not stronger – than the objective mind. To understand humans is to understand that we are emotional beings as well as rational ones. Fortunately, we live in an age where we don’t have to rely on the traditional data-collecting measures (as valid as they still are). We can ‘look people in the eyes’ as it were, but in a quantifiable sense. In other words, we don’t have to rely on our own gut feelings about consumer gut feelings, but can actually measure and record them.
Surveys and the like are effective ways of collating information about customers, but they don’t give the full picture.
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For example, we have used techniques to track and record the emotional responses of consumers – including eye tracking, speech, behaviour and body language – and then used that data as a direct influence on engagement strategies. Being able to better predict responses, they have been able to implement techniques concerning image, language and speech manipulation – and market in a way that encourages an emotional response as well as an intellectual one. Engagement with neuroscience is beneficial in all industries, of course, but perhaps even more so for pharma. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) have deep concerns which go far beyond lifestyle and product choices. As individuals who know about suffering, they care, rather than share a casual interest, in the medical world. For this reason, it could be argued that emotions are much more relevant, and that emotional responses are more likely to influence decision making. By decision making, however, we don’t mean merely ‘product choosing’. We refer to any action undertaken on the customer journey that leads an individual to know, like and trust a brand. As with all friendships, the one between brands and customers does not begin with a monetary transaction; it begins with making each other happy, safe or welcome in various ways. The strongest connections are made through feelings first of all, and not logical decisions which weigh up the pros and cons of a relationship. Focus on what will arouse emotion first, rather than appealing to rationale, and you stand a better chance of speaking to the human – and therefore a better chance of being heard.
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WHAT DOES SOCIAL MEDIA LISTENING ACTUALLY TELL US? It goes without saying: a conversation is a two-way thing. Why, then, do we focus so heavily on talking rather than listening? Don’t get us wrong, we are not referring to the general conversations between pharma and customers – but more specifically to pharma social media teams. The phrase ‘you must listen to your customers’ has been alive and well for centuries but, worryingly, is largely neglected when it comes to social media platforms. On these platforms, there’s a tendency to thrust information at recipients rather than respond to what they ask for. In other words, to talk rather than listen. Social media is a weird and baffling universe at the best of times, and it’s hard to think in terms of it being a ‘conversation’ between two parties when there are, well, millions of parties involved. Yet the first step to understanding social media, in a business sense, is to cement this belief. Try not to think of social media as a platform to get your message across, but rather as a meeting place between you and your customers. The second (and more difficult) step is to understand how the conversation unfurls from then on.
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B UT HOW... AND WHY... SHOULD WE ‘LISTEN’? There are a number of reasons why social media is not viewed as a ‘conversation’ between companies and customers, and these don’t just apply to pharma. The most obvious reason is that the countless social media users out there are faceless, and we haven’t a direct motive to talk to each other. From a research perspective, there’s a wealth of wisdom to be garnered from social media users. They have experiences, opinions and ideas which could be used to improve both treatments and practices (such as reports of side effects and effective drug combinations, for example) – and the methods we use to promote ourselves and our products. The limits and regulations which accompany the usual drug trials do not apply, and the number of participants is endless. And on top of this, these participants do not know they are such – so feel under no pressure to give the ‘right answers’ and will be more honest as a result.
Of course, it is naive to think that ‘listening’ to all these people is as straightforward as conducting a trial with a set number of volunteers in a defined environment. Yet with time and dedication, there’s every reason to suggest that this science can be perfected. And in response to the suggestion that social media users don’t represent the ‘average’ patients, in a survey conducted by Novartis and QuintilesIMS on MS patients, 10,000 pharma social media posts were reviewed to test the “applicability of social media analysis to outcomes research using automated listening combined with filtering and analysis of data by specialists.” The team concluded, positively, that social media intelligence has “the power to analyze MS patients’ personal experiences of treatments, and to chart the most common reasons for switching between therapies.” In short, listening to social media can, potentially, be as effective as trials, surveys or any other form of research. The hard work, however, will come in mastering this new science for the best patient (and pharma) outcomes.
MARKETING AND ‘PEOPLE POWER’ Besides the hard facts and analysis, listening to social media arms us with something abstract and unquantifiable: the ‘finger on the pulse’ of society. Understandably, this ‘unquantifiable’ aspect fills many pharma professionals with dread. Questions such as “how can we trust data that isn’t concrete?” abound, and naturally so.
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Yet fortunately, the internet whizzes out there have developed all manner of data analysis methods which study trends and algorithms, and these can all be accessed to give an overview of what your ‘customers’ (i.e. patients, healthcare professionals (HCPs) and doctors) are talking, asking and worrying about. Armed with this knowledge, you can better see how you can answer their concerns and fit in with their lives. And with further analysis of which forums and sites your public visit the most, you’ll know where to find them too. Unlike the world of medicine, the world of marketing is as much about the unknown as the known. In other words, results aren’t always visible! Marketers go to great lengths to foster relationships with customers before any kind of material gain is seen, and these relationships are forged through simply ‘being there’ first. The finger on the pulse helps you to know which questions need to be answered, so in effect your customer takes the lead. But where does that lead you? Well in the long run, you develop the reputation of an expert in your field – and one who they trust, on top of that. And the domino effect of this is that customers tell their friends, who tell their friends, and so on. Have faith in the future! You don’t need me to tell you that ‘listening to the customer’ is essential in developing a fruitful relationship with them, but perhaps you need some encouragement in the knowledge that social media can be the place where this relationship prospers. It is thriving in other industries, so there’s no reason why pharma can’t join the party.
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THE THREE STEPS OF PERSONA MAPPING Although persona mapping is a relatively new marketing method, at its heart is the oldest notion in the book: empathising with customers. Many of us, however, confuse empathy with ‘sympathy’; there’s a tendency to think it’s merely an attitude of care – of understanding the customer’s feelings and doing one’s best to bear these feelings in mind. Such understanding is essential, of course, and anyone – in any line of work – should put the customer’s feelings first. But to be somewhat cold, empathy is more about the mind than the heart, and persona mapping is more about science than sentimentality. Paradoxically, though, the success of this science will make happier customers! And from the marketer’s viewpoint, a persona makes life so much simpler. When you have a particular character in mind, it’s possible to tailor your message to that one individual rather than try to please multitudes. So how, then, do you create this ‘character’ who will make both you and your customers happier? If you have an ‘average customer’, how multidimensional do they really need to be?
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In short, the answer is a further question: how multi-dimensional are you? One great rule of marketing is “to convince others, you must convince yourself first”, so on that basis you must assume that your average customer (and hence your persona) is as least as complicated – if not more so – than you are.
When you have a particular character in mind, it’s possible to tailor your message to that one individual rather than try to please multitudes.
STEP 1: THE OUTER RING – DEMOGRAPHICS The Although you’re of course free to adapt this at will, we like to think of persona mapping as a threeway process. Each part in this process represents a facet of the character not unlike the Id, Ego and Superego (in a sense), and our job is to nail down every aspect of these facets in order to create the full persona. We think of the persona as a circle, with each facet being a ring within it. Like an archery target, if you will. The first of these facets, the outer ring, refers to the basic demography factors of age, location, occupation, race, salary and so-on. For many marketers, this is where creating a persona starts and ends, but it’s really just the tip of the iceberg. The demographics part is really about discovering how society sees the individual, and the role they play in it. So once you have the vital statistics figured out, think about what your persona does in an average day, who they meet, and where they spend their time. You should know as much about them as, say, a passing acquaintance at this point.
STEP 2: THE INNER RING – HABITS Without being exactly private, this facet is harder to find than demographics – and involves what your persona likes to buy and from where, but also where they like to ‘hang out’ online. Knowing that this person shops regularly at M&S and has 728 followers on Twitter, for example, gives a clearer picture than merely knowing their age and occupation. The real ‘digging’ comes when you track their online presence more thoroughly and find out what groups they belong to, what content they have shared, how they have responded to forums and
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debates, and so-on. You can now go beyond their basic role in society to see how they are actually affecting it, or even what their political affiliations may be. Remember, though, that this is not an exact science! You just want to build a clearer picture of an individual to enable an easier message.
STEP 3: THE INNER CIRCLE This facet is the one which represents what really makes your persona tick. What are their deepest concerns, fears and desires? Their beliefs? What keeps them awake at night and gives them a reason to get up in the morning? This sort of knowledge is usually reserved for best friends, so now you’re really getting to the heart of the matter. Going beyond market research (i.e. one-on-one interviews) would always be a winning formula at this point, but questionnaires (especially if anonymous) have a good knack of encouraging volunteers to pour their hearts out. But even when they don’t, ‘reading between the lines’ is always possible – and advisable. Loaded questions can of course help, such as “Would it anger you if such-athing happened?” rather than “Have you heard about the plans for such-a-thing? Discuss.” The main point of getting to grips with this ‘inner circle’ is to, ultimately, answer two huge questions: What does your persona need? How can you provide it. These needs will constantly change as you adapt your persona with the passing of time. Your persona is not the solution to any given marketing problem, but rather something (or someone, rather) to consistently refer to. When it comes to customer engagement, we don’t begin in a privileged position – simply because we aren’t best friends. With a fully rounded persona at our fingertips, however, we have the next best thing. Can we afford not to have one?
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PLAYING GAMES IS SERIOUS WITH HCP EDUCATION As any teacher will tell you, students learn best when they’re having fun, regardless of their age. In fact, finding ways to make learning fun is an integral part of teacher training. So why not extend this well-established principle to HCP education? The search for ways to use existing funding more efficiently is never ending, as is the search for ways to improve patient care and outcomes. In this search, learning through games is proving a valuable tool.
T HE PROFESSIONAL SIDE OF GAMING Games are not all about filling time and providing entertainment for bored minds. They have a unique ability to form memorable mental and emotional associations, making relevant information easier to recall. They also make learning new facts enjoyable and relaxed, instead of being a tedious effort of concentration. Game-based learning, or serious gaming, has been introduced across many sectors, including aviation, management, science and politics, as well as in HCP education and for MSL training. Used in these environments, maturity and professionalism is maintained, but with an added element of sociable fun that makes for memorable learning.
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In healthcare, there is growing evidence of the positive effect that serious gaming has on both behaviour change and rehabilitation. The same positive effect is seen with both healthcare providers and patients.
In healthcare, there is growing evidence of the positive effect that serious gaming has on both behaviour change and rehabilitation.
G AMING IN PRACTICE When games are built with specific learning in mind they can be used either as standalone options, or in traditional learning environments. They can impart a great deal of information to participants, and allow for the assessment of competences. One such usage of specific learning was in the delivery of HCP education to a diverse and geographically widespread team, on the subject of preventing pressure ulcers. Research by Midlands and East Strategic Health Authority revealed the need to motivate frontline staff, so undertook a communication and engagement campaign, which they called, “Stop the Pressure�. Part of the campaign was the development of a game intended to complement other models of training. During game development, the team identified certain objectives:
Patients also find the game useful to learn more about how to help themselves. Being portable, the game can be taken to conferences and played by delegates. During an annual link nurse study day, attendees were put into Stop the Pressure teams when they registered. Afterwards they reported finding the sessions lively and fun, making them think more carefully about the issues surrounding tissue viability.
T HE PRACTICAL BENEFITS OF SERIOUS GAMING Used alongside other teaching materials, games are portable and stimulating. They promote and encourage: discussion of ideas active learning positive emotions that make learning fun
an understanding of the target audience
focus on the issue in question
clearly defined learning objectives
motivation, since people like to play and have fun together
outlining the challenges faced by frontline clinicians With those points in mind, the project group developed and tested prototypes in various clinical settings, having established the practical skills needed to prevent pressure ulcers. Needing minimal equipment, just players and a table to sit around, the game needs little facilitation. It explores all areas of pressure ulcer care through simple answers to given questions and group discussion. When played in teams, it’s also possible to introduce a competitive element. Reinforcing current knowledge and HCP education practices, the game allows staff to pool experiences, engage in critical analysis, and reflect on and review their performance, all in a safe, supportive environment.
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In the case of the Stop the Pressure board game, the results speak for themselves. Having introduced more than 800 games since its development, Midlands and East region has seen around a 50% reduction in the number of new pressure ulcer cases. Staff feedback is positive: the game is a fun and informative method of training. Adding online versions that make games available on mobile devices also appeals to younger audiences and is accessible to more people. Education delivered in this way makes learning effortless. It facilitates team building and allows for competency assessment. Games provide memorable highlights in a working day, making information easier to recall and increasing the likelihood of improved patient care.
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TAILORING HCP ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE CLINICAL OUTCOMES Currently, there are huge opportunities to address patient needs and improve clinical outcomes by taking a smarter approach to HCP engagement and effecting change. This is best done through taking a holistic view of what’s needed in health education, thereby facilitating strategies that move from the targeted to the tailored.
U NDERSTANDING TAILORING VS. TARGETING TAILORED STRATEGIES are customised to an individual level. They create a personal connection, and may be crafted around individual personalities or character traits. Tailored strategies relate directly to specific needs within a previously identified group, and the messages or programmes are developed to perfectly fit the needs of those within the smaller grouping.
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T ARGETED STRATEGIES, on the other hand, are broader and take more of a scattergun approach. They often fail to recognise variations that may exist within subgroups of the intended audience. While recipients of targeted strategies may share some characteristics, there is more chance to improve clinical outcomes when the message is less generic and more personally relevant.
T AILORING STRATEGIES AND THE CLINICAL CARE GAP There is so much information available today thanks to electronic records and patient data, that the ability exists to tailor specific educational materials to meet patients’ personal needs and improve clinical outcomes. Drilling down into regional data could, for instance, form the basis of regionally targeted programmes to address specific care gaps. Taking a closer look at available data and identifying regional areas of concern is often hampered by a market need to demonstrate performance indicators. While understandable, focusing heavily on numbers can lead to missed opportunities, because the focus is more on creating broad programme awareness rather than identifying gaps in clinical care. The quest to improve clinical outcomes would be better served by pharma identifying areas of specific need, then delivering exactly what’s needed to those who need it. In today’s timeand resource-starved environment, non-tailored programmes are easily overlooked. It’s accepted that healthcare providers move through various stages on their way to a change in clinical practice. Those stages take them from broadly recognising a need to change, through contemplating what change is needed, and eventually into taking action. Gradually, as physicians move through the phases, any perceived disadvantages involved in behaviour change decrease, with a resulting lowering or overcoming of barriers to change.
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Tailoring programmes that specifically address identified barriers, along with identifying where individuals begin to change their behaviour helps to ease and speed up the journey. But that involves understanding where gaps in clinical care exist, followed by tailored education programmes that fill the shortfall.
S EEING THE BIG PICTURE As well as identifying the where, what and how of changing behaviour to improve clinical outcomes, it’s vital to take a holistic view of the learning journey and recognise that things change over time. Medical practice will never be a ‘set and forget’ procedure, but is a life-long learning experience that takes into account individual learning preferences, where individuals are in their personal education journey, and how increasing experience changes learning perceptions. Tailoring strategies to successfully improve clinical outcomes needs to draw on diverse skills from various disciplines and areas of specialism. It takes analytical expertise to see the real-life situations behind the numbers, and deep psychological understanding of the complexities of the principles involved in creating behaviour change. But by bringing those talents to bear on tailoring strategies, we can move beyond the targeted into the tailored, and from there begin to really make a difference in people’s lives — both patients and HCPs.
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WHY PHARMA STILL NEED KEY OPINION LEADERS Where key opinion leader (KOL) engagement was once primarily sought from the ranks of traditional consultants in scientific, medical academic or healthcare circles, the KOL field is now much wider. For instance, as the NHS goes through some of the biggest changes in its history, pharma can get creative in the type of person they approach as part of their KOL engagement strategy. Many nurses in hospitals, for instance, are influential, specialised, and have prescribing powers. Other types of healthcare professionals pharma could approach depend on the product, but consideration could be given to practitioners such as physiotherapists or dietitians. By casting the net wide, pharma companies position themselves to take full advantage of the many reasons why they need KOLs:
K OL ENGAGEMENT DRIVES RESEARCH It’s all about involving the patient from the very beginning of drug development. Developing any new drug is expensive, and success depends on patient engagement, which in turn depends on support and advocacy from key opinion leaders who can raise awareness.
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KOLs who work closely with patients on a daily basis, such as in big hospitals, have their finger on the pulse of patient needs, concerns, desires and difficulties. These influential individuals can help drive research down paths pharma may not consider otherwise. When drugs and treatments are devised specifically with the patient in mind there is less chance the drug will be ignored, either in trial or when it comes to market. While it may be more relevant for drugs that treat chronic conditions such as diabetes or hypertension (which have potentially more generic competition), the need for early patient engagement also exists for drugs which treat severe diseases such as HIV or cancer.
W IN-WIN FOR PHARMA AND PRESCRIBERS A mutually beneficial relationship between pharma and prescribers can raise the profile of both. In developing strong thought leadership relationships pharma companies gain insight into new perspectives regarding their markets, and physicians expand their expertise, gaining respect and extending their spheres of influence. In short, the relationship is beneficial for both: FOR PHARMA: Gain insight into market trends and patient needs Understand and appreciate patient opinions on medication or treatments Engage patient participation in trials Extend local, national, and even global reach Disseminate trial results via trusted sources
F ROM INCEPTION TO COMMERCIALISATION At every stage, from pre-clinical research and development through to final rollout to the patients who need it, KOL engagement sustains the drug development lifecycle. Through two-way, open and targeted communication, pharma companies that recognise how crucial patient’s responses are to drugs and treatments, can take advantage of KOL insights. When a valued opinion leader reports either positive or negative patient or community feedback, pharma has an excellent opportunity to improve it’s message, service, or initial concept. By asking questions without leading, and presenting a sympathetic response, the roots of any problem are quickly exposed and fixed. Without KOL engagement, pharma companies have an even steeper uphill journey to research, identify, develop, and ultimately deliver needed pharmaceuticals to the medical community.
FOR KOLS: Increase reputation as an expert in a given field Have access to the latest drug information Work with innovative new therapies KOLs who publish can tap into a rich seam of unique information and knowledge
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KOLs who work closely with patients on a daily basis have their finger on the pulse of patient needs.
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| Behaviour 16 | Pharma change marketing
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We are COUCH – a full service medical communications agency. As an esteemed partner to pharmaceutical, healthcare and lifestyle industries, we aim to help make a real difference to patients’ lives by inspiring audiences, inspiring change and thinking beyond.
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