HEALTHCARE

Using dynamic messaging to market effectively to healthcare professionals

October 2013

2epsilon.com

Introduction3

Movingfromstatictodynamic4

Creatingadynamicmessagingprogram5

Optimizingmeasurementsandresults8

Epsilonrecommendations9

Conclusion9

Epsilonsolutions10

Ourapproach10

Contents

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Anincreaseininsurancepaperworkandotheradministrativerequirements,heavierpatientcaseloadsduetopayerrequirements,andaninfluxofcommunicationsviamultiplechannelshaveplacedsignificantconstraintsonHCPs’timeandhavecomplicatedyourabilitytocapturetheirattention,letaloneeffectivelymarkettothem.

Whileface-timeviasalesrepresentativescontinuestobethemostimpactfuldriveroftheHCPrelationship,incorporatingmultiplechannels—email,directmail,theWeb,andmobile—intoyourmarketingcampaignswillboostyourchancesofreachingmoreHCPs.Butreachisonlypartoftheequation.YoumustalsocommandthelimitedattentionofHCPsandengagethemwithuniqueandrelevantcontent.BygatheringdataabouteachHCP’sengagementwithyourbrandorbrands,youcanbegintodevelopdynamicmessagingacrosschannelsthatwillspeaktoeachcustomerandprospecttoachievestrongerandmoreenduringrelationships.

ThejoboftheHealthcareProfessional(HCP)haschangeddrasticallysincethedayswhenthegeneralpractitionertreatedthemedicalissuesofanentirefamily.

Introduction

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Moving from static to dynamic

PhysiciansandHCPstodayareinundatedwithmessages.They’reoftensopre-occupiedwithcaseloadsandadministrativeworkthattheyhavelittletimetomeetwithsalesreps.Caseinpoint:only20outof100repsthatvisitphysicians’officesactuallyspeaktoadoctor,accordingtoeMarketer1.Andwiththeproliferationofmobiledevicesandtheaccessibilityofonlineinformation,thenewrealityisthatHCPsareusingmanydifferentchannelstostayengaged.Tobeeffective,youmustbegintoleveragedataandinsighttosupportanapproachtoomnichannelengagementthatdeliversthemostrelevantandcompellingmessagesthroughthechannelsthatphysiciansaremostreceptivetousing.

Bynature,healthcarecompaniestendtobeconservativeandrisk-adverse,qualitiesencouragedbytheFDAandothergovernmentagenciestheyworkwith.Thisisonereasonwhymanyintheindustryhavebeenslowtomovefromstaticmarketingtodynamicmessaging.

1Physicians and the Internet: Where They Go and What They Do Online,eMarketer,Jan.2013

However,nowthatotherindustrieslikeretailandfinancialserviceshaveproventheeffectivenessofdynamicmessaging—usingarecipient’spreferencesandresponsestotailorsubsequentmessagesandboostengagement—healthcarecompaniesarebeginningtofollowsuit.Thatmeansyoushouldimplementadynamicstrategy,orrisklosingmarketsharetothosethatalreadyhave.

“It’samatterofoptimizingsalesreptouchpointsbylayeringonrelationshipmarketingactivities,”saysJoyceNichols,VP/GM,HealthcareSector,Epsilon.“Companiesneedtobuildarelationshipwithhealthcareprovidersandengagethemsothatthey’recontinuingtothinkabouttheirbrands,especiallywhenbudgetsareconstrainedandsalesrepsarefocusedontoptieraccountsonly.”

Howdoyoudothis?Youneedtoaugmentthesalesforce.Therearetwowaystoachievethis.First,youcanoptimizesalesreptouchpoints,suchasextendingtherepcall.Secondly,youcansupplementthesalesforcebyleveragingdigitalprogramstoreachhard-to-seeornoseeHCPs.BothprogramswhenusedtogetherproducestrongROI.

60% 49%

2013 2012

HCPs who used digital sales material

MM&M Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide Marketers Trend Report 2013

One in four physicians in practice refuse to meet with sales reps

eMarketer, Jan. 2013

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Creating a dynamic messaging program

Thefirststepistoconductadataaudit.Assesstheinformationyouhave,determinewhatyouneed,anddecidehowtofillthedatagaps.MostcompanieshaveHCPdatathattheirsalesrepshaveloggedintotheirsalesforceautomationsoftwarefollowingeachHCPvisit.Thisinformationvariesfromthebasics—specialty,samplesprovided,emailaddresses—towhichfollow-updirectmailandemailmessagesHCPshaveresponded.

Whiletheprospectoftransformingarelativelysimplecontactstrategyintoadynamicmessaging,omnichannelmarketingprogrammayseemdaunting,itcanbebrokenintothreestages:

EstablishinganonlinepreferencecenterisperhapsthemostefficientwaytoobtainadditionalinformationabouthowtoengageHCPs,butyoumayneedtoencourageHCPstoofferthisinformationbygivingsomethinginreturn:freesamplesoraccesstopatientsavingscards.Alternatively,taggingandtrackingactivityovertimeisamorereliableapproach.

“Whilepreferencecenterscanprovideawealthofcriticaldata,theycanbeadouble-edgedsword,”cautionsStaceyRaiche,SVP,Strategic&AnalyticConsulting,Epsilon.“TheyallowanHCPtoveryclearlynotehispreferences,butonceyouask,you’vegottodeliver.”

Pastbehavioralsoprovidesusefulinsight.IfanHCPconsistentlyinteractswithformularyratherthanclinicalmessaging,makeformularymessagingmoreprominent.Likewise,ifinthepastyearanHCPfailedtoclickthroughanyemailmessages,butregularlydownloadedpapersfromyourwebsite,encouragehimtooptintoreceivealertsofnewpapersoncethey’reposted.

STEP 1

Hunt and gather

35% 29%

2013 2012

Amount that HCPs decreased spending on printed sales material

MM&M Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide Marketers Trend Report 2013

SELLING TO THE SALES FORCE

With omnichannel marketing, the sales rep is no longer the sole or primary connection between HCPs and the pharmaceutical company. In this model, reps may feel that their role is diminished or marginalized, and as a result, they may be less cooperative in providing information and ceding what they consider their “ownership” of the customer relationship.

“It can take a while to get the sales force on board,” admits Lindsey Himstead, VP/GM, Healthcare Sector, Epsilon. “You need to reassure them that it’s not going to affect their relationships or incentive plans.”

Hands-on, in-person training on the new procedures and systems is critical. Also important is ensuring that the reps continue to have a sense of investment in their customer relationships. For instance, when contacting HCPs who requested email as a primary channel, you could ensure that the emails not only have the doctor’s name in the header, but also have the rep’s name in the footer, reinforcing the one-on-one relationship between rep and customer.

6epsilon.com

Databasesegmentationenablesyoutopersonalizeyourcontactstrategyinapractical,manageableway.ForHCPs,segmentingbyspecialtyandprescribingbehavioraremostlogical.

However,asyoucollectmoredataandgainagreaterlevelofinsightintoHCPbehavior,considercreatingdistinctsegmentsforprospects,one-timecustomers,andrepeatcustomers.Also,considercreatingmoreusefulattitudinalsegmentssuchaspatientcentricorcostsensitive.Thesewillallowyoutotailoryourcommunications

STEP 2

Segment and conquerwiththingslikepatienttestimonialsandmanagedcareinformation,respectively.

Segmentationcanalsohelpyoutailorthecontentofyourmessages.Thiscanrangefromsimplyincludingeachrecipient’snameintheheadingofanemailtoreferencingarecentconferenceinadbannerstoattendeeswhovisityourwebsite.EffectivedynamicmessagingthatresonateswiththeHCPshouldemployastrategicandsophisticated,data-drivenmethodology.Youneedtimeandefforttobuildaprogramthathaslastingeffect.

Identifyingyoursegmentsgoeshandinhandwithyourcontactandcontentstrategies.DynamicmessagingentailsmuchmorethansimplysendingeveryHCPthesameverbiageviatheirpreferredmedium.Itrequiresstrategicallythinkingaboutyouroverarchingmessagingplatformandthevariouscomponentswithinit,andalong-termcommunicationsplan.

STEP 3

Map and message

:)

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“Ifabrandhasthreecoremessagestodeliver—let’ssayefficacy,safety,andaffordability—tosupportadynamicmessagingplatform,themarketerneedstothinkaboutthevariouswaysinwhichtocommunicateeachcoremessageandthinkaboutthecreationofmodularcontentassetsthatallowhimorhertodynamicallygeneratethemostrelevantandimpactfulmessages,”Raichesays.“It’simportanttothinkthroughthedesiredsequenceofmessagedeliveryandhowtoadaptyour

messagingplatformasHCPsengagewithitandyoulearnmoreaboutthem.Muchlikeyourpersonalrelationships,adynamicmessagingstrategyisanorganicprogramthatevolvesandchangesovertime.”

Dynamicmessaging,whendoneproperly,andwhenbaseduponknownHCPinsightandpreferences,willresonatewithandcreateastrongerdialoguewitheachHCP,differentiatingitselffromthetypicalbatchandblastmessaging.

email direct mail mobile social

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Think of a dynamic messaging platform as a decision tree of ‘if/then’ statements

For example, if Dr. A frequently checks managed market status of your brand, you can send him cost comparisons followed with an offer for savings cards. Similarly, if Dr. R is a newer/lighter prescriber, you might send her an offer for samples. Finally, if Dr. Z is patient- centric, you might want to target him with patient testimonials and savings cards. This type of modularized content allows for highly efficient, personalized dynamic touches.

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Optimizing measurements and results

Onceyou’veimplementedyourmarketingefforts,thedynamicaspectofyourcampaignsbecomesevenmoreimportant.Andasyoumonitorresponse,youmustcontinuallymodifyyourmessagingstrategytoimproveeffectiveness.Youmuststartbysettingattainablegoalsforyourprogram.Doyouwanttoincreaseprescribing?DoyouwanttocorrectdosingissuesorgetmoreHCPstousethesavingscardprogramwiththeirpatients?Thesegoalsshouldbedefinedatthebeginningofanyprogramandthenfollowedwithawell-designedmeasurementplan.

Sinceyoucan’timprovewhatyoudon’tmeasure,establishfromthebeginningKeyPerformanceIndicators(KPIs)foreachelementofyourcampaign,anddeterminehowtomeasurethem.“Improvedcustomersatisfaction”maybeaworthygoal,buthowwillyoumeasureit?Whataboutemailopenratesortimespentonyourwebsite?Withouttangible,easy-to-trackmetrics,youwilllacktheabilitytodeterminehowwellyourprogramisworkingorwhetheryoushouldimplementchangesduringtheprogram.

Thesechangescanbeamatterofoptimizingthemessagesthemselves.Ifemailresponsefallsshortofexpectationsacrossalldatabasesegments,considerreviewingthecreativeandtestingchangesinthedesign,thecopy,orthecall-to-action.Iftheresponsetocertainmessagesvarieswildlywithinseveralsegments,reevaluatehowyou’vesegmentedyourdatabaseorassigncertaincustomerstonewsegmentssotheyreceivedifferentmessaging.

Thebeautyofadynamicmessagingprogramisthatitgoesfarbeyond“oneanddone.”Ifoneparticularmessageresultsinadisappointingresponse,usethelearningstoimprovesubsequentmessaging.

“Much like your personal relationships, a dynamic messaging strategy is an organic program that evolves and changes over time.”

Stacey Raiche, SVP, Strategic & Analytic Consulting, Epsilon

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Epsilon recommendations

Think big, start small. Ittakestimetocreateafullydynamicsystem.Butyoucanstartintroducingdynamicelementsintoyourcurrentmarketingnow.IfyourplatformcanonlyhandleA/Bsplitsratherthanmultivariablesegments,startwithA/Bsegmentation.Also,considertestingdynamicmessaginginasinglechannel(e.g.,email)andwithasinglecontentasset(e.g.,call-to-action).Test,learn,andworkoutanykinksbeforeyouentertainalargerrollout.

Partner, partner, partner.Successfullydesigning,implementing,andmanagingadynamicmessagingplatformrequiresthecoordinationandalignmentof

severalkeystakeholders.Brandmarketers,agenciesofrecord,thesalesforce,mediapartners,IT,etc.mustworktogethertoensurethatthestrategy,contentcreation,businessrules,andsupportinginfrastructureareinplacetosupportadynamicengine.

Establish performance metrics, and track response avidly.Determinehowtomeasurethesuccessoftheprogramandeachofitscomponentsbeforeimplementation.Ratherthansimplysettinganendgoal,developincrementalgoalstogaugetheeffectivenessbeforetheprogramconcludes.Bygettingareadonresponsequickly,youcanoptimizeyoureffortsfastertoachievebetterresults.

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Asyouadaptyourexistingmarketingprogramtoamoresophisticated,moreeffectivedynamicmessagingstrategy,youshould:

ConclusionHCPshavemoremediaandchannelscompetingfortheirattention.Fortunately,youhavethosesameoutletsatyourdisposaltograbtheirattention.BycompilingandorganizinginformationaboutHCPs’individualengagementhistoryandpreferences,youcancreatedynamicmessagesthatwillresonatewithand

engageeach.IfyouknowhowindividualHCPsinteractwithyourmessagesacrossmultiplechannels,youcanthendeterminesubsequentinteractions,strengthenyourcompany’srelationshipwiththem,andbuildabetterdialoguebetweenHCPsandyourbrands.

10epsilon.com

Epsilonistheprovenleaderincreating,executing,andmanagingdynamicmessagingneeds.Withourworld-class,data-drivendigitalmarketingcapabilities,weofferthestrategic,creative,andanalyticservicesyouneedtodesign,create,andmanageyourdynamicmessagingstrategy.Asyourdataexpert,wecancombineproprietaryandthird-partydatasourcestohelpyoubetterunderstandyourcustomersandprospects.ThroughAgilityHarmony,Epsilon’snextgenerationdigitalmessagingplatform,weprovidethetechnologythatdrivesomnichanneldynamicmessaging.Our

full-serviceagencyteamscanhelpdefinethestrategybehindyourrelationshipmarketingprogramsanddevelopthecreativeplatformforthem.Andouradvancedanalyticsexpertisehelpsusdivedeepintoresultsandinteractionstoensurethatyoureffortsareaseffectiveaspossible.Asyourpartner,wecanhelpyouactonHCPbehaviorinstantaneously,strengtheningyourengagementopportunitiesanddrivingimprovedbusinessresults.Tolearnmore,pleasecallSteveMessina,BusinessDevelopmentManager,Epsilon,at905.425.0440.

Epsilon solutions

Our approachCreating effective connections that drive tangible business results

About Epsilon

Epsilonisthegloballeaderincreatingcustomerconnectionsthatbuildbrandandbusinessequity.Anewbreedofagencyforaconsumer-empoweredworld,ouruniqueapproachharnessesthepowerofrichdata,world-leadingtechnologies,engagingcreativityandtransformativeideastoigniteconnectionsbetweenbrandsandcustomers,deliveringdramaticresults.RecognizedbyAdAgeasthe#1U.S.AgencyfromAllDisciplines,#1WorldCRM/DirectMarketingNetworkand#2U.S.DigitalAgencyNetwork,weemployover5,000associatesin60officesworldwide.EpsilonisanAlliance Datacompany.Formoreinformation,visitwww.epsilon.com,followusonTwitter@EpsilonMktgorcall800.309.0505.

ByJeffTomaso,VP/GM,Healthcare,Epsilon

Jeff brings more than 18 years of experience crafting and executing data-driven, multi-channel marketing strategies and programs for industry-leading healthcare companies, including AstraZeneca, Genentech, Biogen, Pfizer, and GlaxoSmithKline, as well B2B and B2C brands such as Fidelity Investments, Federal Express, Diet Coke, DIRECTV, Bank of America, and General Motors. Prior to joining Epsilon, Jeff held leadership roles at brand, digital and direct response agencies including Digitas, Arnold Worldwide, and Euro RSCG Edge.

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