Direct to Customer Marketing Is Going to Be Big for Pharma in 2023

Brands today have more methods of connecting with customers than ever before. With the advent and inexorable expansion of digital technology the traditional walls which used to exist between the end user of a product and its manufacturer have all but been eliminated.

This trend also extends to the pharmaceutical industry, and we are increasingly seeing producers in this space leveraging direct to customer marketing as a valid method promoting pharma products and health advice.

Since 2012 pharmaceutical companies have been diverting increasing spend to direct to customer marketing and in 2021 spent nearly seven billion USD on this form of advertising alone, covering TV, print, radio and out of home, both branded and unbranded, digital ad spending on display, mobile, paid search, and online video. Social media spend is not included in these figures which suggests the true amount may be even higher given social is such an important channel in modern DTC marketing.

Health Information

The journey of pharma DTC marketing has not been a smooth one and the increasingly tight regulatory environment surrounding these products have added pressure on brands to make sure any marketing put out into the world for a lay audience not only communicates the effectiveness of treatments, but also warns of any potential risks associated with them.

"The concept of pharmaceutical promotion targeted at the public has been controversial throughout history for many clinicians, patients, and policymakers and has led to many regulatory changes for pharmaceutical promotion in the United States,” said a 2022 review article in Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. "Increased spending on DTCA has frequently been cited in a negative context when discussing health policy due to inappropriate prescribing or increased spending on pharmaceuticals, but the research identified in this review describes a more complicated relationship.”

There is no doubt that DTC marketing can be an effective means of, not only communicating important health information and providing a public service, but also raising the profile of individual products whilst doing so. However, care must always be taken to ensure DTC messaging is constructed in such a way as not to promote inappropriate prescribing or increased spending on pharmaceuticals where they are not needed.

The much publicized and devastating opioid crisis plaguing the United States should serve as a cautionary tale in this regard and highlights the dangers which can arise from irresponsible DTC pharma marketing and inappropriate prescribing.

DTC Done Right

One of the dangers of the internet age has been the rise of so-called "Dr Google.” This phenomenon describes the way many patients today use the internet to research health related topics for themselves and then take their findings and concerns to their doctors.

Whilst greater access to information is rarely a bad thing, it can create a situation where laypeople overrate their ability to sort good information from bad and can come to unnecessarily doubt the advice of trained health professionals.

"The information that’s online and available to patients has almost equal weight to the information that your healthcare provider is providing,” said Founder and CEO of DeepIntent, Chris Paquette. "It’s not as simple anymore as the provider or prescriber recommending the drug. We really need to surround the patient with reinforcing messages that the drug works.”

This is where pharma brands can leverage DTC marketing to reach customers directly and provide them with solid evidence-based resources which complement the advice given by healthcare professionals instead of contradicting it. Combatting fake news, misinformation, and disinformation is the best way to keep people healthy and happy.

We all saw how bad actors thrived during the COVID-19 crisis and used their digital platforms to spread dangerous conspiracy theories which had real and negative effects on the health of the nation. Along with government agencies and healthcare providers, pharma brands can leverage DTC channels to add their voices to the side which seeks to promote reliable, valid, and evidence-based information to the public.

Of course, there also needs to be room in all this information provision to promote your brand specifically. Striking the correct balance between general information provision and brand promotion will be a key determinate of success for pharma brands in the DTC space in 2023.

Final Thoughts

DTC provides a fantastic opportunity for pharma brands to connect directly with customers to, not only promote their products, but to also do their part in combatting bad actors and promoting evidence-based health information. Striking this balance whilst remaining within the restrictions of an increasingly tight regulatory environment is going to be of critical importance in 2023.

DTC marketing is sure to be a hot topic at Future Pharma 2023, being held in June at The Westin Copley Place, Boston, MA.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.