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April 25, 2018 0

Point-of-Care media must take responsibility for its trust and accountability because patient health depends on it.

According to the CDC, American patients visited the doctor nearly 1 billion times in 2017 – over three trips per person. In many of those doctors’ offices across the United States, patients found educational materials to aid them in their heath care journey.  In fact, Point-of-Care media reaches not only physicians’ offices and clinics but pharmacies and retailers, offering patients and their families valuable information at salient moments of diagnosis and treatment.  Recent questions about the validity and transparency of Point-of-Care companies have challenged the efficacy of these programs and put this vital channel in jeopardy.

Since its inception, Point-of-Care has aimed to provide equitable access for patients, caregivers, and consumers to find valuable resources in a wide array of locations. This information is frequently provided free of charge and often accompanied by sponsor messages. Accompanying these resources, advertisers gain premium access to key consumer groups in targeted, turnkey settings. Consequently, it is imperative that this media channel be held to the same standards as any other mainstream channel. Trust and credibility are key attributes for brands and agencies to feel confident that precious advertising dollars are put to good use.  Without this confidence, marketers have no choice but to seek other locations for their campaigns, and the Point-of-Care channel will be lost. Such action would be devastating for the industry, but even more impactful for those it serves.

Patients are struggling like never before.  Faced with complex insurance requirements, ever-changing government health policies, and rising costs, consumers in the waiting rooms and pharmacies have more questions than any prior generation. To make matters worse, the well-being of the population in the United States continues to decline, driving additional people into the healthcare system and increased overall strain. The tales of overworked physicians, exasperated patients, and a structure in peril have been well documented. The healthcare journey can now feel more like a frontier expedition, riddled with anxiety, uncertainty, and fear.

While Point-of-Care media can’t eliminate all of those emotions, its role in educating patients can create systemic benefits that can ease stress on the entire process.  With access to a wide array of print and digital-based resources, patients can become more knowledgeable about symptoms and disease states and learn about appropriate treatments that may be available.  With this knowledge, doctor-patient conversations can be more targeted and efficient, focusing the physician’s limited time on the most pressing concerns for the patient. Information is then available at home for reinforcement, boosting the prospects of adherence, and pharmacies can act as valuable outposts to complement patient care. Equally important, caregivers can find invaluable resources to maintain the health of loved ones.

Patient education is a crucial step to improve patient outcomes. But in order to take advantage of those benefits, the industry must require accountability for those who work within this domain.  Educational resources must have value for the intended audience and provide information in a clear, responsible manner. As such, that information must be distributed according to a strategic, thoughtful plan. The availability and targeting of assets purchased by marketing partners must be achieved and validated with full compliance.

Sponsors deserve the trust and credibility that should come with any other purchase. Programs must be sold and executed as promised, with proof of performance.  Point-of-Care must establish clear standards that match those of other media channels, such as television, radio, or outdoor advertising.

Different from those channels, however, is that failure to provide such credibility at Point-of-Care would deprive patients of critical information when they need it most.  It is incumbent upon the Point-of-Care industry to improve its standard of excellence and demand accountability from within. Patient’s lives depend on it.

Mathew Reynders


April 25, 2018 1

New Data Indicates that Consumers Want Targeted Health Ads

It’s one of the conundrums we face as health marketers, that health is completely personal. Pain is subjective. Symptoms vary. My epilepsy is different. What works for one consumer doesn’t necessarily work for the other. Not only does personal biology vary from person to person, but so does psychology, circumstance, and irrational decision-making.

So it’s fortuitous that, as mass marketing dies slowly, there is an emerging and vast body of evidence that targeted and tailored marketing indeed works better. And a lot of people are doing a lot of smart thinking around getting the “right message to the right person at the right time.”

And yet, because we are the health industry, we’ve learned to be conservative, and we hamstring our progress. We put such a premium on health privacy that it blocks our ability to get really personal. I’m not talking about HIPAA, which is indeed sacred, but rather the judgment that subconsciously compels us to view targeted marketing as being too targeted, even intrusive. Surely, we think, people won’t want to know that I, brand marketer, know and care about their migraine.

But with data opening up so many possibilities to precisely target an n of 1, we need to understand how consumers really feel about targeted health advertising. Because by not getting up close and personal, we’re missing the opportunity to really help patients in need. So PulsePoint recently commissioned a third party to conduct some preliminary research that starts to peel back the layers on this issue. And here’s what we found:

How Consumers Feel About Targeted Health Ads: Top 10 Findings

  1. Relevant healthcare ads motivate consumers to act

This study confirms that consumers look to digital healthcare advertising, among a variety of sources, for their healthcare needs. As expected, consumers are most interested in the information they get from healthcare providers. However, healthcare ads are also a viable and trusted source of information, and a key driver of behavior.

  • 89% of consumers indicated that they would take action if they saw a relevant digital healthcare ad.
  • Only 11% who would not.
  1. Consumers are open to, and some even prefer, targeted advertising

Based on their belief in healthcare advertising as a resource, consumers are willing to engage on a more personal level.

  • 79% are open to receiving targeted medical / health advertising, as long as they consider the information relevant.
  • Furthermore, 54% prefer targeted digital healthcare ads.
  1. Consumers trust healthcare ads across the web, and will respond

While consumers can be skeptical about advertising in general, trust in digital healthcare advertising is evident.

  • Currently, 59% trust healthcare ads they see on the web.
  • At least 59% of consumers are likely to respond.
  1. Trust and responsiveness are higher for ads served in a health context

Consumer trust in and responsiveness to digital health ads increase further when ads are served within health-related articles. This effect is seen even when the health-related articles are on non-medical websites.

  • 69% of consumers trust healthcare ads within health-related articles, even on non-medical websites (up from 59% for ads anywhere on the web).
  • 67% say they would respond (vs. 59% for ads anywhere on the web).
  1. Health consumers want to be educated

Consumers indicated that they will respond to all types of healthcare ads, but are especially receptive to vehicles that promote learning.

  • 74% are likely to respond to an ad providing an opportunity to receive educational materials.
  • Two-thirds are likely to respond to an advertiser-sponsored article.
  1. Content and context matter; format doesn’t

Ad formats do not play a significant role in triggering action. The form of the ad is not overly important to consumers.

  • Six out of ten consumers will respond to any format, including videos, screen takeovers, traditional banners, and sponsorships.
  1. Consumers are most interested in their own health situation

Consumers want to see ads that are about their own personal health situation.

  • 72% of consumers want to see ads regarding products which may improve an existing condition.
  • 64% want to receive advertising that may improve their health.
  1. Consumers are open to ads for most conditions, even sensitive ones

Remarkably, consumers are comfortable receiving digital healthcare-related advertising even when the topic is of a sensitive nature.

  • 73% are open to receiving digital ads for less serious conditions such as seasonal allergies.
  • More than half are open to receiving digital ads pertaining to more private or sensitive conditions such as STDs.
  1. Consumers are willing to share personal data to improve health

Consumers are taking an active role in their personal health by leveraging technology – e.g., fitness trackers, blood pressure monitors, and smart scales – and are open to sharing the data they collect in order to improve their health.

  • Half of all consumers are open to sharing the data they collect in order to improve their health.
  1. Consumers are willing to share personal data to receive more targeted, relevant ads

Consumers value having a more relevant advertising experience with the goal of improving their health, and are willing to share personal health data to personalize the ads they receive.

  • 55% are open to sharing information collected via a smart device to receive ads specifically relevant to them.

The research also reinforced what we already know; that healthcare ads are a successful vehicle for educating and activating consumers.

  • 70% have learned about a healthcare issue or disease from seeing an ad.
  • 56% reported that a healthcare ad has impacted a healthcare-related decision they have.

As a result of a healthcare ad,

  • 68% have researched a condition online
  • 60% have researched drugs / drug brands online
  • 55% have modified their lifestyle / behavior
  • 52% have taken medicines or supplements

Where do we go from here?

No doubt, the stakes are enormously high in health. No one wants to end up on the home page of WSJ.com as the marketer who took personalized marketing too far. But nor do we want to be those who didn’t take it far enough. Consumers are clearly demonstrating their willingness to accept, and even contribute to, highly-targeted advertising to improve their health. Let’s start to learn how we can leverage data, insights, and technology to create more personalized and authentically meaningful advertising experiences for our consumers. Challenge your media agencies and your creative agencies. And let’s make better ads.

Research Methodology

This research was commissioned by PulsePoint and was conducted by the advertising and marketing technology research firm, Industry Index, in November 2017. Data highlighted in this article includes final, completed responses only, and does not include respondents who were disqualified at any point within the survey.

To achieve stated objectives:

  • Industry Index surveyed 1,000 consumers, geographically dispersed across the United States
  • Respondents were evenly split by gender to include 500 males and 500 females
  • All respondents must have visited any doctor within the past two years, and must currently use the internet at least three days per week (for more than email access alone) to have been considered eligible for participation in this research.

For more details about the research and its methodology, click here to read, Do consumers want targeted healthcare ads?, a blog post bylined by Industry Index EVP Matthew Thornton.

Chris Neuner


April 25, 2018 0

Chances are you already know that content marketing is important to reach the people that matter to your brand. Even more importantly, content marketing can help patients know that a treatment exists while giving them the opportunity to connect with each other in social platforms. This enables people to do something that no other part of the healthcare system provides: understanding what good health outcomes look like and how to get there.

Content marketing is increasingly significant as today’s consumers are actively avoiding ads. In just the next 24 months, the US will have more than 270 million video-on-demand subscribers: people who are willing to pay a monthly fee to watch.[i] This year alone, eMarketer estimates that more than one quarter of the country’s online users will be using ad blockers, growing at an annual rate of 16.2%.[ii] If that didn’t underscore the need for content marketing, consider that nearly half of all millennials online are currently skipping and blocking ads.

As brand marketers adjust to develop a content strategy that adapts to these consumer trends, they’re finding the world is fractured and complex. Gaining clarity of decision-making seems virtually impossible. The people important to your brand are practically anywhere. Social platforms are selling more conventional ads, but they only deliver metrics like ads and do not provide sharable content.

After a few years of analyzing how content performs through millions of engagements, we’ve seen some patterns emerge for how to create strategies that out-deliver most every other marketing method. And they’re more pragmatic than you think.

Connecting Advertising with Relationship Management

Advertising campaigns across mass media platforms are excellent methods to get the right people aware of your message in large numbers. They literally make a person aware of what the medication is, why a person might need it, and the aspirational moment of successful treatment. Anyone who says these ways of reaching audiences at scale don’t work is simply wrong.

The other widely used method to reach audiences is CRM (customer relationship management). When someone is ready to consider specific treatments, CRM can offer that person more specific information about the medicine and lead to some incredible ambassador programs for those actively on treatment.

But there’s a wide gulf between advertising methods and CRM. I like to call it the “cut to” of static marketing. When investing in just advertising and relationship management kinds of messaging, it’s as though the brand is saying that once the marketer concludes that you’re aware of the medication, then just cut to relationship management.

We know there are a lot of actions that must take place between the moment a person sees an ad and the time they become part of a relationship management stream. Content marketing provides a series of ways to help people get from one to the other.

Getting from Awareness to Relationship

Think about someone who has seen an ad that really resonates with them. They immediately identify with the story and the value proposition. Now what? How do they know what to do the next morning, the conversation to have with a partner, a family member, or a doctor? How do they know the steps to take so they can achieve the aspirational moment they have seen in your ad?

Or, say they understand the ad, but they are not motivated to take action because the reason a person seeks treatment in the ad to which they were exposed is not the same motivating factor that will drive them to take a specific action.

Content can offer a range of highly specific options for people so that taking action is as easy as possible, even when they have low motivation. One example is this post from the HealthySexual campaign. In an ad, from the perspective of the campaign, it only makes sense to say, “Talk to your partner about your history.” But as content, it is important to be highly specific to the behavior that must take place.[iii] People will find that approach far more valuable, using the content to take action, represent their own ideals, and enable generations of sharing.

Putting this content on to social platforms sparks people to comment with a wide range of perspectives, any one of which could be the “ah-hah” moment for a patient. At this point, content plus paid media has exposed your audience to something better than any single ad. It is presenting them with an array of specific actions that offer a practical “way in” provided by someone just like them.

On the relationship management side you can make content that takes time into account and helps to prompt a specific action, like relationship management, where you can specifically prompt a patient at the beginning of the day to put their medicine in their backpack, then at mealtime promote a post that reminds them to take the medicine.

In this sense, yes, content marketing efforts should overlap between advertising and relationship marketing. It’s also the easiest way of thinking about budgeting for content marketing. When someone becomes aware of a brand’s treatment, content marketing is there to help them understand how and why to take actions that help them. Then, as they are able to use that content to get closer to treatment, they are motivated and ready to join a relationship management program on their own terms.

So when you’re faced with the inevitable “do more with less” budget, content marketing should be an investment that comes from both existing advertising and CRM budgets. The good news is that both advertising and CRM will see dramatically increased performance, but with some key differences.

Driving Performance with Trust

It’s not always immediately obvious where the media efficiency lies in content marketing, especially if you’re placing ads on social platforms like Facebook lite and Twitter handleless ads. These are ad vehicles and not content vehicles. You will be able to compare them more directly to the way you are measuring advertising, and that’s it.

When you make the transition to investing in content that uses paid media rather than ads, shares will result. Those shares will drive media efficiency. In social channels, your audience doubles as both consumer of the content and the working media distributing the content, so the efficiency will come through the distribution and not only in the initial investment.

What’s best – and most difficult to measure in this case – is also the most treasured: trust. When a person uses the brand’s content to represent the way they feel about a topic, it’s not to a group of strangers. Every person in a social network represents new networks of people with whom they have some degree of credibility and trust. These kinds of connections and value shared between people can’t be bought or imitated by a company. Companies can only use paid media to introduce people to content they wouldn’t ordinarily have been exposed to.

You won’t see this widely written because when it’s done right, the results are significant and impact the way the brand is managed. I can say that in some cases, we’ve seen 50% return on investment on paid media spend and decreases in earned cost per engagement (eCPE) of 30%. What makes it difficult as a business case is that you won’t be able to know the true cost savings until you have calibrated spend, targeting, and content: exactly what pilot budgets are for.

On the CRM side, content marketing delivers far more qualified people, at a far higher rate, at much lower cost. One example is a social adherence program that reduced cost-per-touch by 90% when compared to the CRM stream itself, and 8 out of 10 patients surveyed said they were more adherent after they followed the campaign on that platform. In one case, content outperformed driving new CRM signups 76 to 1 over other digital advertising.

Change is never easy, especially when ads have largely worked the same way and been measured the same way for decades. But content is closer to both ads and relationship management than most people give it credit for. In fact, the great thing about effective content is that it’s the best of both.

Good content inspires people as they become aware of a treatment or a method to get to better health outcomes when they may not have many answers. But through storytelling with specific, behavioral actions as the foundation to content marketing, you are using your brand to help people find out how to take the steps they need to gain healthy solutions and relationships for life.

 

References

[i] Feldman, D. Forbes. Netflix Remains Ahead Of Amazon And Hulu With 128M Viewers Expected This Year. https://www.forbes.com/sites/danafeldman/2017/04/13/netflix-remains-ahead-of-amazon-and-hulu-with-128m-viewers-expected-this-year/#207b62ac216c

[ii] eMarketer Scales Back Estimates of Ad Blocking in the US. https://www.emarketer.com/Article/eMarketer-Scales-Back-Estimates-of-Ad-Blocking-US/1015243

[iii] HealthySexual Tumblr. http://healthysexual.tumblr.com/post/154767314982/break-the-ice-with-your-partner

Michael Leis


March 29, 2018 0

Earlier this month, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) introduced a bill to end the advertising cost tax deduction; this is separate from the larger tax cut bill from last December which failed to remove the practice. This latest attempt, Senate Bill 2478 a.k.a. The End Taxpayers Subsidies for Drug Ads Act, is co-sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

Much like previous bills similar in nature, industry pushback from both pharma and media companies alike is expected to be significant – largely citing the arguments that removing such an ad deduction for pharma would be discriminatory; it is a threat to the First Amendment; and it would prevent or limit important, valued health information from reaching consumers.

Jim Davidson, Executive Director of The Advertising Coalition, spoke with DTC Perspectives on this matter: “Section 162(a) of the U.S. Tax Code allows any U.S. business to deduct the ‘ordinary and necessary costs’ of conducting their business. Those costs include salaries of employees, office rent, business supplies – and yes, the cost of advertising. Rather than ending a taxpayer subsidy for advertising, S. 2478 would impose a tax on advertising for prescription medicines that does not apply to any other business advertising. Previous efforts to tax DTC advertising have been defeated because they threaten the First Amendment protection for commercial speech. The proposed legislation overlooks the information that this advertising provides to consumers who may be unaware of a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, depression, or Hepatitis C, among other diseases. Even more important, watching an ad may be the motivating factor that prompts someone with a medical condition to see a doctor for treatment.” (Jim will discuss this, as well as other Threats to Pharmaceutical Advertising, in his presentation at the DTC National Conference in Boston, April 18-20.)

“The Coalition [for Healthcare Communication], the 4A’s and our advertising allies will be taking this bill seriously, but it is unlikely that it will be enacted in this session of Congress,” said Coalition for Healthcare Communication Executive Director John Kamp in a news release in response to the bill. “While the provision is likely to garner some Democratic and even a bit of bipartisan support, the Republican-controlled Senate is not expected to hold hearings or set the provision for a vote.” He added: “The Coalition has long opposed such a change in the tax law. Proposing a ban or tax penalty on prescription drug advertising suggests that consumer ignorance should be preferred to consumer information and involvement in healthcare decision making.”

admin


March 9, 2018 0

DTC Perspectives, the leading forum for direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising thought leaders, will honor a dynamic group of pharmaceutical companies and brands at the much-anticipated DTC National Advertising Awards. The awards are part of the 18th Annual DTC National Conference held April 18-20 in Boston.

Sponsored by Health Monitor Network, the 2018 Advertising Awards showcase the best marketing and advertising across 22 categories, including a Voter’s Choice and Chairman’s Award categories. (Industry voting for the Voter’s Choice category will run in March. Stay tuned for details!) Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners will be announced during the Advertising Awards Dinner held on April 19.

“The DTC National is exciting each year for us as a celebration of the creativity and effectiveness of DTC consumer promotion,” says Ken Freirich, President of Health Monitor Network. “As an entrepreneurial company celebrating our 35th anniversary, developing creative solutions to facilitate patient and HCP dialogue, we are pleased to sponsor the awards and to recognize the many successes in the marketplace.”

[button link=”https://www.dtcperspectives.com/dtcn/2018-ad-awards/”]View the 2018 Finalists[/button]

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February 13, 2018 0

DTC Perspectives, Inc., the leading conference, training and publishing company for the consumer marketing of pharmaceutical and healthcare products, is proud to announce its 10th annual class of inductees into the DTC Hall of Fame. The 2018 class will be honored live at an induction ceremony sponsored by PatientPoint, at the Sheraton Boston in Boston, MA as part of DTC Perspectives’ 2018 DTC National Conference. (Separate tickets are also available.)

“PatientPoint and I congratulate the 2018 DTC Hall of Fame inductees. Their extraordinary achievements in advancing the spectrum of patient communications has driven the industry forward, and for that, we are all grateful. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments at the DTC National Conference.” Says Linda Ruschau, Chief Client Officer of PatientPoint.

This year’s inductees are:

Christine-Sakdalan-headshot-web

Christine Sakdalan
Vice President Marketing, Bone and Cardiovascular Business Unit
Amgen

Gary Scheiner headshot

Gary Scheiner
EVP, Chief Creative Officer
ghg | greyhealth group

Tatyana Tsinberg headshot

Tatyana Tsinberg
Vice President, Cross Therapeutic Area Brand Lead
Pfizer

180214_Cynthia-Rothbard0248---web

Cynthia Rothbard
EVP, Creative Director
FCB Health

The DTC Hall of Fame is designed to honor individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in the advancement of direct-to-consumer marketing. Industry-wide nominations are collected and then the final four inductees are determined by DTC Perspectives’ executive and editorial teams.

“DTC marketing has been practiced successfully for more than twenty years and over this time it has grown to become a very important component of the pharmaceutical industry’s success,” says Bob Ehrlich, CEO of DTC Perspectives. “It is important to recognize those individuals who have shaped DTC advertising and significantly contributed to the communication of important healthcare information directly to patients.”

As part of the DTC National, the DTC Hall of Fame festivities include a cocktail party followed by a formal induction ceremony on April 18th presented by PatientPoint, with video tributes and live introductions from industry leaders, as well as an address by the Hall of Fame inductees. Each inductee is also profiled in the annual conference guide publication.

The DTC National is a “must-attend” event for pharmaceutical marketers, agency executives, media partners, market researchers, and solution providers looking to further advance patient communications. Please visit our website, http://www.dtc-national.com, for complete agenda information, available sponsorship and congratulatory opportunities, and additional details.

Celebrate with the Industry’s Best

Congratulate the Hall of Fame inductees in-person and in our publications! DTC Perspectives offers reserved tables with seating for 10 at the Top 25/Hall of Fame and Advertising Awards ceremonies as well as congrats ads opportunities in our DTC Perspectives Magazine/DTC National Conference Guide, on our website, and in Email announcements. Click here to view awards packages and congratulate a Top Marketer/DTC Hall of Fame inductee today.

Print congrats ad deadline: Friday, March 2, 2017

Purchase Tables & Congrats Ads

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February 13, 2018 0

DTC Perspectives, the leading forum for direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising thought leaders names its 17th Annual list of the “Top 25 DTC Marketers of the Year.”

This year’s class will be honored during a joint ceremony dinner recognizing the 2018 Top 25 DTC Marketers and Hall of Fame class on the evening of April 18 sponsored by PatientPoint, at the 2018 DTC National taking place in Boston. It includes representatives from more than 15 different manufacturing companies, with each marketer championing both the interests of the patient and brand.

“PatientPoint and I congratulate the 2018 Top 25 DTC Marketers of the Year. These industry leaders have positioned their brand as true partners to patients throughout the care journey with innovative solutions that enrich the entire healthcare experience. We look forward to honoring their impressive achievements at the DTC National Conference and partnering with them on continued success,” says Linda Ruschau, Chief Client Officer of PatientPoint.

The Top 25 DTC Marketers of the Year for 2018 are…

  • Jason Alongi, Consumer Marketing, RESTASIS, Allergan
  • Jackie Balassone, Director, GI Marketing, Salix Pharmaceuticals
  • Bonnie Ben-Shmuel, Director, Planning and Innovation, Pfizer 
  • Abigail Canlas, Sr. Associate Director, Oncology Marketing, Boehringer Ingelheim
  • Debra D’Amico, Senior Director, Consumer Marketing, Sanofi Genzyme US
  • Allison Doyle, Director eCommerce & Flu Trade Strategy, Customer Solutions Vaccines Business Unit US, GSK
  • Drew Fine, Senior Director Marketing – Aesthetics Business Unit, Galderma
  • Bijal Galloway, Consumer Marketing, ANORO ELLIPTA, GlaxoSmithKline US Pharma
  • Kim Gariepy, Sr Director – Mydayis Commercial Lead, Neuroscience Business Unit, Shire
  • Lise J. Hall, Associate Director of Consumer Marketing, Lung Cancer Franchise, TAGRISSO, IRESSA, LVNG With Lung Cancer, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
  • Allison Harper, Associate Director Patient Marketing Insulin Portfolio, Novo Nordisk
  • Tywana Johnson, Consumer Marketing Director – Specialty Business Unit, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
  • Bill Keller, Vice President of Marketing, Acadia Pharmaceuticals
  • Tessy D. Malone, PharmD, Senior Director, Marketing, US Pulmonary, Grifols Inc.
  • Jennifer McIlvaine, Associate Director, Marketing, AstraZeneca
  • Kristy Meisler, Director, Patient Marketing, Pfizer
  • Karen Newmark, Associate Brand Director, Consumer/Patient Lead COPAXONE and Austedo, Teva Pharmaceuticals
  • Cindy North, Oncology Consumer Marketing Lead, Bayer
  • Eileen Regan, Associate Brand Manager, Eli Lilly & Company
  • Jarrett Roth, Associate Director, Oncology Marketing – Keytruda, Merck & Co. Inc.
  • Rodney Spady, Senior Director, Digital Operations, Global Multi-Channel Engagement, Sanofi
  • Christine Steiner, Associate Director, Marketing, Merck
  • Nicki White, Consumer Marketing Manager, Vaccines, GSK
  • Beth Wilson, Director, US Marketing, Celgene Corporation
  • Ilija Zlatar, Director, HBV Marketing, Gilead Sciences

“These elite pharmaceutical marketing professionals are this year’s top contributors to the advancement of patient outcomes via direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical education and marketing,” adds DTC Perspectives Chairman and CEO Robert Ehrlich. “We would like to recognize the faces behind prominent DTC campaigns, because their hard work and dedication to fostering the industry is often not recognized. The awardees were selected from many worthy candidates.”

Click here to register for the DTC National Conference or contact the DTC Perspectives office at 770-302-6273.

Celebrate with the Industry’s Best

Congratulate the Top 25 DTC Marketers in-person and in our publications! DTC Perspectives offers reserved tables with seating for 10 at the Top 25/Hall of Fame and Advertising Awards ceremonies as well as congrats ads opportunities in our DTC Perspectives Magazine/DTC National Conference Guide, on our website, and in Email announcements. Click here to view awards packages and congratulate a Top Marketer/DTC Hall of Fame inductee today.

Print congrats ad deadline: Friday, March 30, 2018

Purchase Tables & Congrats Ads

admin


April 17, 2017 0

As I sat through the many DTC presentations last week at The DTC National Conference I took note of the people actually creating DTC. They all struck me as passionate about their products and their customers. While it is easy to be cynical about the drug companies as corporate entities it is harder when you see their employees discuss DTC.

I wish Bernie Sanders could have a dialog with these people who actually create DTC ads. It is easier to hate a multibillion dollar corporation than the people who work there. In 17 years of doing these conferences, never once did I hear a drug company delegate publicly or privately state a desire to put profit over patient well being. That does not mean there are no issues on pricing, overuse, safety or effectiveness. What it does mean is the people who work on these drugs really do care deeply about helping patients.

Bob Ehrlich
“Making a profit while doing good…”
-Bob Ehrlich

We heard about the great new PhRMA GoBoldly industry campaign from its agency creators Y&R. What we saw was the use of real researchers who work at the drug companies tell their stories on developing new drugs. We might think from listening to critics that drug researchers are working on “made up” diseases just to hook us on treatment. We see in reality researchers spending their whole careers to cure cancer, Alzheimer’s, depression, diabetes, asthma, and many others. They care about patients, not something you hear from our critics, who see conspiracies at every turn.

While it is very clear that our advertising is meant to create awareness and designed to sell more product, that is not a negative. In fact all the competitive DTC leads to better products and more price competition as payers and patients are aware they have choices. True, if every doctor and insurer was totally knowledgeable and acting always in the patient interest, maybe DTC would not be needed. We know, however, that is not the real world. DTC just acts as a catalyst to make all constituencies more aware what is out there. DTC provides a push for insurers to cover new treatments as we know they will hesitate based on cost.

One of the interesting recurring discussions was over how to deal with price. We had several legislative experts tell us what Congress may do to lower drug prices. It is likely something will happen to mandate, encourage, cajole, embarrass, or incentivize drug companies to lower prices. There are a menu of options and none of them great for drug companies. The bottom line is the American consumer does subsidize prices for Canadians and Europeans. That is a very difficult reality with no good solution.

Dr. David Kessler, former FDA Commissioner, said he is not anti DTC, but thinks we must understand that advertising high price drugs may be a step too far. He was against DTC branded ads on television when he left the FDA in 2/97 and after he left we all know in 8/97 it was allowed. He does appear to accept DTC as he says it is the “purest” form of advertising because it follows approved labels. He warns us not to ever do off label DTC, something the courts may eventually allow but no drug company will likely risk doing for DTC. Off label use is something better left for drug company and physician discussions.

The many case studies we heard from drug marketers clearly showed the first priority for them is to educate and help patients. While well aware of the need to get a positive ROI they see that as the end result of helping patients. It was great to spend a few days with this group of dedicated professionals who chose to work in this industry to help people. Profit is what drives the engine for drug makers, but making a profit while doing good is not an inconsistent goal.

Bob Ehrlich


April 11, 2017 0

The leading forum for direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising thought leaders honored a dynamic group of pharmaceutical companies and brands at the much-anticipated DTC National Advertising Awards. The awards were part of the 17th Annual DTC National Conference held April 5-7 in Boston. Sponsored by Health Monitor Network, the 2017 Advertising Awards showcased the best marketing and advertising across 17 categories.

“The DTC National is exciting each year for us as a celebration of the creativity and effectiveness of DTC consumer promotion,” says Ken Freirich, President of Health Monitor Network. “As an entrepreneurial company developing creative solutions to facilitate patient and HCP dialogue, we are pleased to sponsor the awards and to recognize the many successes in the marketplace.”

The 2017 Ad Awards showcased exemplary work spanning multiple media and strategic categories. During the Advertising Awards Dinner held on April 6, Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners were announced for all 17 categories.

“We are proud to celebrate our 17th Annual DTC Ad Awards ceremony,” says Bob Ehrlich, CEO of DTC Perspectives. “The inclusion of new categories and more awards over the years is a reflection of the success of the industry as a whole. Congratulations to all of the winners and we look forward to recognize innovation for years to come.”

[button link=”https://www.dtcperspectives.com/dtcn/2017-ad-award-finalists” color=”grey”]View Ad Award Winners[/button]

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February 14, 2017 0

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The leading forum for direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising thought leaders honors a dynamic group of pharmaceutical companies and brands at the much-anticipated DTC National Advertising Awards. The awards are part of the 17th Annual DTC National Conference to be held April 5-7 in Boston. Sponsored by Health Monitor Network, the 2017 Advertising Awards will showcase the best marketing and advertising across 17 categories.

“The DTC National is exciting each year for us as a celebration of the creativity and effectiveness of DTC consumer promotion,” says Ken Freirich, President of Health Monitor Network. “As an entrepreneurial company developing creative solutions to facilitate patient and HCP dialogue, we are pleased to sponsor the awards and to recognize the many successes in the marketplace.”

The 2017 Ad Awards showcase exemplary work spanning multiple media and strategic categories. During the Advertising Awards Dinner held on April 6, Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners will be announced for all 17 categories. Be there in person to salute the winners or receive recognition for a job well done.

“We are proud to celebrate our 16th Annual DTC Ad Awards ceremony,” says Bob Ehrlich, CEO of DTC Perspectives. “The inclusion of new categories and more awards over the years is a reflection of the success of the industry as a whole. Congratulations to all of the finalists and we look forward to recognize innovation for years to come.”

To register for the DTC National Conference, order tickets to the Ad Awards dinner only, for more details about the event or Advertising Awards, visit www.dtc-national.com or contact the DTC Perspectives office at 770-302-6273.

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Celebrate with the Industry’s Best

DTC Perspectives offers reserved tables with seating for 10 at the DTC National Advertising Awards Dinner or the Top 25/Hall of Fame Awards Dinner. To reserve a table, click here.

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