Digital marketing to physicians - a viable replacement for in-person meetings

Introduction

In recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has undergone a dramatic digital transformation. One aspect of this change has been an increase in digital communications and content provided by pharma companies to doctors. This shift has allowed for more personalized and targeted messaging, as well as the ability for immediate updates and changes to content. Additionally, the use of digital content is much more cost-effective and faster than traditional methods, allowing pharma companies to be more efficient in their outreach. 

But while the surge in digital communication from pharma is undeniable, is it possible that in-person interactions with physicians will be completely replaced? What are physician expectations when it comes to pharma company engagement and how do they feel about the prospect of a shift away from in-person interactions?  

Bryter conducted a survey to explore digital communication preferences and assessment among 170 Endocrinologists and Primary Care Physicians in three global markets (USA, Germany, and Italy). Our findings show that, while physicians are willing to embrace digital communication channels, there is little to no expectation that in-person interaction with pharmaceutical companies will be completely replaced. 

Digital content preference   

In our survey, 38% of physicians globally agreed that good information provided digitally by pharma companies to support patients using their medicines is now essential for HCPs to consider pharma companies’ products. This was highest in Germany, where over half of HCPs (53%) found digital content to be essential. In the US, agreement that digital content is essential was much lower (30%).

Despite the increased role of digital communications, when asked about specific types of work interactions, there was a strong preference for in-person vs. remote meetings across a number of categories: globally, 65% said they prefer in-person conferences (only 10% said they prefer digital / remote conferences), 58% prefer in-person meetings with pharma sales reps (9% digital / remote), 48% prefer in-person seminars hosted by pharma companies (15% digital / remote) and 42% prefer in-person meetings with pharmaceutical MSLs (14% digital / remote). As we see, given the choice, most HCPs still prefer more traditional in-person contact.

We also see some interesting cultural differences in the survey results here. In Italy, the HCPs interviewed were much more likely to prefer in-person interactions compared to the other countries, across all types of meetings: conferences (83% of Italy HCPs prefer them in-person, vs. only 3% digitally), meetings with sales reps (73% in-person, vs. 0% digitally), seminars hosted by pharma companies (67% in-person, vs. 10% digitally) and meetings with MSLs (63% in-person, vs. 6% digitally). There is an indication here that pharma companies can benefit from tailoring communication strategies for specific markets to get the best possible response.

Future expectations: in-person vs. remote/digital

Our survey also asked HCPs to estimate how much of the content they’ve received from pharmaceutical companies over the past 6 months has been in-person, and how much has been digital / remote. We found that this also differs by country. In the US and Italy, the majority of content received has been in-person (63% in-person, vs. 37% digital / remote in both markets). However, in Germany, digital / remote content received over the past 6 months (58%) has already overtaken in-person content (42%). 

When asked what they expect to happen in the future, US HCPs said they expect the split to continue to be similar as it is currently (63% in-person, vs. 37% digital / remote). However, in Italy (49% digital / remote) and Germany (54% digital / remote) HCPs expect a more even split between digital and in-person content.

Conclusion

In today's age of digitization, the pharmaceutical industry has also shifted gears to offer digital content options to healthcare professionals. The surge in digital communication channels has revolutionized how physicians and pharmaceutical companies engage. While face-to-face interactions retain their worth, digital platforms have become pivotal. Physicians access timely updates on medications and treatments via digital content. However, a complete shift away from in-person interactions remains improbable. Personal connections, nuanced discussions, and trust-building thrive during physical encounters. 

The future likely blends both realms—a hybrid approach that optimizes digital channels while preserving the richness of traditional meetings to enhance patient care. By tailoring communication strategies for different markets, pharma companies can connect with healthcare professionals and patients in a more meaningful way. The potential for mutual benefits is vast, and finding the sweet spot between informative and engaging content is crucial.