AI and Ideas: How Technology, Creativity and Data Come to Life in Modern Health Care Marketing

This is Part 1 of a two-part series on the role of AI in modern health care marketing.

Modern health care marketing is evolving. It is evolving from multi-channel to omnichannel experiences. It is evolving because technology is generating better ideas that fuel creativity, additional scale and more effective media targeting. It is evolving to the point where we’re utilizing marketing tactics such as gaming, which were previously only used by CPG and technology brands, to reach and educate patients and doctors. Patient and health care providers now expect health care brands to deliver the same experiences they receive from large consumer brands. How can health care marketers and communicators keep up?

At Real Chemistry, we are obsessed by these trends – specifically, how artificial intelligence (AI) meets ideas to deliver truly omnichannel experiences. These concepts are deeply embedded in the company’s mission, vision and core values. At this year’s Digital Pharma East Conference, we’ll be talking about the role AI plays in health care marketing, how creativity and channels are being impacted by the emergence of new platforms and technology, and how these disparate components can be brought together to drive business results.

The Real Chemistry Activation Team sits on the front lines of these trends, so they have a unique perspective on how these trends play out in practice every day. I want to share with you the perspectives of Emily Savage and Amanda Canter, both rising stars in the Activation Team at Real Chemistry. They each capture these trends well and do a great job setting up the conversation we’re set to have at the conference. Emily's perspective is featured below and Amanda's perspective will be featured in Part 2 of this series.

– Chuck

Not registered for Digital Pharma East? Use code RCDISC to secure a 15% discount.

Visit Real Chemistry at Booth #19

By Emily Savage, Associate Director, Integrated Media Planning

My career in health care marketing hasn’t been very long (just three and a half years), but, in that time, the ability to reach and influence patients and health care providers has evolved drastically. This evolution can be attributed to new technology and new solutions that give us as marketers the ability to make informed decisions and explore cool partnerships that elevate our marketing capabilities. In 2019, I was told health care marketing came with a lot of “limitations.” However, now in 2022, we have conversational AI bots that effectively communicate based on real-time needs to improve the HCP and patient journey. Crazy!

In 2020, we saw the COVID-19 pandemic uncover and inspire new opportunities and new technologies that allowed us to better communicate with the people our clients wanted to reach. We as marketers also had to change the way we think. For example, in 2020, the point-of-care space might as well have been another planet, unexplored and frankly a little scary. So, we had to ask ourselves, “What now? What about telehealth?” And before we knew it, technology caught up to us – ads existed in the virtual waiting room at a telehealth appointment. Also during the pandemic, our clients’ sales reps were sidelined. So we asked ourselves, “What now? How do we make up for that loss?” We found ways to have those one-on-one conversations through targeted direct messages in peer-to-peer platforms, and we added HCPs to rep connectors in electronic health record systems. Not only was our team thinking more strategically than ever, but we had the solutions, data and partners to help us execute and make our ideas become reality.

Health care marketing is no longer just long TV ads with someone reading two minutes of Important Safety Information at lightning speed. It is evolving into cool, sleek and impactful ways of reaching patients and HCPs with information they not only want but need. We are getting smarter and so is the data and technology. If the last few years are any indication, the combination of more effectively targeting audiences, scaling campaigns around the globe and using new channels such as TikTok to achieve business objectives will continue to change what health care marketing means.

Not registered for Digital Pharma East? Use code RCDISC to secure a 15% discount.

Visit Real Chemistry at Booth #19