Tell us about yourself and what you do.
I’m in a newly created role at RAPP where I specialize in Solutions Strategy for our clients. It requires deep, cross-functional expertise in designing end-to-end solutions that drive core-capability expansion and business results.
Pharma and Healthcare have been slower to embrace digital marketing compared with other industries. Has there been a shift since the pandemic started?
I think there has. It highlighted the importance of having closer, more connected relationships with consumers. Clients want to own those relationships. They want to be agile. They don’t want to lose context and relevance when uncertainty strikes.
How are Pharma/Healthcare brands adapting to the ever-changing digital space?
They’re looking for deeper solutions – new go-to-market approaches, platform technologies that enable scale, speed to market, and operational efficiencies. They’re looking for ways to capture and leverage more 1st party data and they’re looking for solutions to a cookie-less future.
What are the trends to watch in the Pharma and Healthcare industry?
I think we’ll see increased investments in content-driven customer experiences. A level of personalization, in both acquisition and retention, is showing net positive effects for both the brand and the consumer.
Technology can be very clear –– we can solve for that. We can identify the right platforms and publishers to work with. We can generate and leverage consumer insight to drive better outcomes, but brands will still need to design valuable experiences to make it all meaningful.
The pandemic has caused an increased focus on hygiene. Are there any other areas of health that your average consumer is paying more attention to?
More generally, I think consumers are becoming aware of issues related to equity, access and safety within the industry. We can see that being addressed in messaging and we see clients evolving budgets to invest in tactics that reach and engage a broader, more inclusive audience. Agencies and clients, alike, are committing to spending increased, dedicated budgets to working with diverse partners. I think this trend will continue and eventually, inherently address other fundamental issues like access and safety.
If you could give brands navigating the current crisis only one piece of advice, what would it be?
If I could only give one piece of advice to anyone, it would be to tell your mom you love her :)
Do you have a favorite healthcare/pharma campaign or one that made an impression on you?
While also covering those whose occupations span slightly outside of healthcare-specific lanes, Aya Brown’s “Essential Workers” series immediately comes to mind. I think that was the most important creative work made during the pandemic.