Right now it’s an understatement to say that AI has grown in popularity as a marketing tool in the last few years. There is no sign of this growing trend stopping anytime soon, especially thanks to the push that the pandemic gave to remote interactions. How can AI benefit pharma marketing in 2022? Let’s find out.
Research by Salesforce has pointed to the fact that many marketers across several industries were using some form of AI by the end of 2020. Many people in tech and digital marketing are testing the possibilities of AI as a force to help many digital businesses online.
What does this mean for pharma digital marketing?
Pharma marketing, of course, is no exception. This is one of the sectors that suffered the deepest transformations in a variety of procedures. We highlight an increase in competition between pharma brands, and the number of drugs coming through the pipeline. Not to mention the rise of Digital Patients and a new target audience with more sophisticated needs.
It’s a challenge pharma will have to go through, because face-to-face interactions are not as prominent as before. There are a variety of advantages pointed out by many of the top pharmaceutical companies:
- The improvement of decision-making;
- The optimization of innovative strategies;
- The improvement in the quality of research and clinical trials;
- The creation of new tools to benefit many of the targeted audiences of pharma companies.
Many pharma procedures have adapted to a digital sphere. We’re referring to both promotional actions and contacts with clients online. Chatbots, for instance, are tested by many pharmaceutical companies. These robots are appearing more human and are easier to coordinate with other services pharma can provide. There are also telemedicine appointments and other tools that help patients discover specialists and pharmacies they need.
There’s also a creative side yet to be explored in pharma marketing through AI. Many digital marketing specialists pointed out three main elements with potential in pharma communication:
- Audience targeting;
- Content creation;
- Compliance automation.
Customer engagement combined with valuable content is key
One element that every pharma marketer needs to remember is that often it’s not enough to know who their patients or HCP are. What’s most important is engaging with them through content that tackles themes of their interests. They are also open to content that clarifies any existing doubts on medical topics.
This is where content strategy and content engagement strategies will come into play. Through the use of content that is relevant to certain audiences, a long-term strategy will rise. The main goals? To attract new potential clients, and build long-lasting relationships with current customers.
AI will have an essential role in decision-making
The market dynamics taking place in the daily working lives of pharma marketing employees are forcing them to rethink many global launch strategies. Today there are many elements at stake within the industry. New drug prices are under scrutiny by payers, providers, and policymakers. This is why pharma companies now need real data more than ever.
Thanks to AI, it’s easier than ever to gather medical evidence, clinical trial results, and relevant market information. All of this is at a faster rate than through human analysis. You can identify elements such as local market trends, potential KOLs (Key-Opinion Leaders) or DOLs (Digital Opinion Leaders) for a potential partnership, data on patients, and product opportunities considering some patients’ unmet needs.
There’s no time like the present to take full advantage of the marvels that AI will provide us. The increasing growth of AI and automated processes opens a lot of doors for innovation for a lot of pharma brands. It’s only a matter of integrating these modern technologies into the daily workflows to allow your company to stay ahead of your competitors.
If an AI system and strategy are effectively implemented, this group of elements will boost agile companies in pharma. Companies will be able to explore a variety of opportunities and benefit their shareholders, patients, and employees on a global scale.
