September 30, 2019
eDetailing is one of the most important components in the marketing toolbox for pharmaceutical companies. Taking advantage of its possibilities can not only save pharmaceutical companies time and money, it can help them establish a stronger and more trusting bond with physicians. That is, when it’s done right!
The days where physicians we’re willing and able to schedule time for sales representatives is not much more than a distant memory. Taking charge of the digital possibilities is therefore key for pharma companies, and transforming eDetailing to intelligent eDetailing is a crucial step on that journey.
From general eDetailing to Intelligent eDetailing
‘eDetailing’ as a term, covers more or less any variety of digital information concerning newly marketed drugs, services, and technologies. In other words – it doesn’t hold high requirements for the proper use of digital possibilities. In some instances, it simply means that information from a paper based detail-aid is transferred to an iPad or tablet. Naturally, that has little to do with the intelligent use of the digital potential.
The main possibility offered by digital in this case, is its omnipresence. Information freed from the restraints of time and space. Accessible for doctors when they need it, where they need it. That means, information that’s completely independent of an iPad with an attached sales representative to it.
Taking the step towards unfolding the massive digital potential and providing actual Intelligent eDetailing, we add a final essential layer: How they need it.
Content is not king in pharma – Convenient and trusted content is king
Doctors are bombarded with information, left and right, day and night. They’re drowning in content. That’s why you, as a pharma company, need to accommodate and adapt your content to their reality.
Two crucial efforts can help a pharma company on that path, letting their information stand out: provide the content on a convenient platform and help the physicians pre-validate its credibility.
As simple as that may sound, the path to success is often rather bumpy and requires an experienced co-driver. To succeed, you need to uncover the journey the physicians embark on when they consume your information, as well as have an integrate understanding of the digital universe and platforms available. It requires an elaborate model, that uncovers all twists and turns. For us, that model is our discover model.
Discovering the process of consumption to make your content relevant
We have a proven model that helps pharma companies, provide physicians with the information they want, where they want it and not least how they want it.
Our approach: focusing on the end-customer rather than the products, identifying segments and combining it with the best technology – thus enabling our clients to improve efficiency and manage metrics. It’s a comprehensive methodology that makes up the Valtech Discover Model; combining insights and data from the pharma industry with the customer journey – and everything in-between.
A big part of our Discover Model is the Discovery Phase – a journey we embark on with our clients. Identifying pain-points and their solutions, helping companies understand their possibilities, their challenges and particularly the reality for their recipients, enabling them to press just the right buttons to reap maximum benefits and staying ahead of the competition.
Through our holistic discover model, we help pharmaceutical companies utilize eDetailing solutions effectively and efficiently by:
• Engaging physicians in a meaningful conversation
• Uncovering insights by providing the marketing team with analytical support
• Creating the right content; personalized and tailor-made for each physician
General results with eDetailing solutions
The health industry is in many ways unique. But just like any other industry, no company is the same. While many are communicating with the same physicians, their pain-points as well as their digital possibilities can vary greatly.
One recommendation that we – despite the great differences – have provided across companies, is to focus on making content relevant, by adapting it to the specific segments.
To do so, it’s necessary to:
- Adapt the content itself – yes, that means read and rewrite it. It’s a huge task, but it will prove itself worth the effort.
- Provide this adapted and focused content on the right digital platforms, that your segments actually engage with.
- Help the physicians categorize your content as validated. Otherwise your content is drowning in a sea of words. By enabling peer-to-peer discussions and rating, not only do you make it easier for physicians to realize your credibility and the effectiveness of your products – you can actually get them to engage with each other around your products.
Our Recommendation for moving forward with eDetailing
Intelligent eDetailing is part of the journey, that we advise our clients to undertake with us. While eDetailing is an essential step along the way, our recommendation is to build a roadmap that provides ideal communication to (and with) physicians across multiple touch-points (depicted below). While this journey is longer, it provides companies with a much stronger possibility to stand out among its competition and establish longer and more trusting relationships with physicians.
Read more about our healthcare offering
Sources
1. Alkhateeb FM, et al. Electronic detailing (e-detailing) of pharmaceuticals to physicians: a review. Int J Pharm Health Mark. 2008;2(3):235-245.
2. The digital savvy HCP-2017
3. Effective e-Detailing: Building Trust and Convenience into the Physician Relationship
4. Global Issues in Pharmaceutical Marketing, by Lea Prevel Katsanis
