Strategy: The timeless core of healthcare communications

Summary

The period from 2010 to 2025 witnessed a massive shift in both the digital and pharma landscapes. Early on, the transition from 3G to 4G was underway, and mobile usage had not yet surpassed desktop. Social media was still in its infancy, and big data for marketing purposes was just beginning to emerge—still little understood by most industries. Fast forward to today, and social media platforms have exploded in scale. The number of global users nearly tripled, from 970 million in 2010 to over 5.17 billion by July 2022.

As these new technology channels emerged and were embraced, every aspect of pharma marketing was impacted. Digital teams began merging with brand teams, and digital-only agencies evolved into digital-first agencies of record (AOR). What was once considered a bold move—using social media for pharma marketing—quickly became the norm. Platforms like Twitter and Sermo became integral to pharma’s marketing strategies, allowing brands to engage directly with both healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients – creating a two-way dialogue.

In response to this digital shift, tools like Veeva became standard across the industry, growing to nearly $2.36B in 2023. The “digital-ness” of campaigns became an implied expectation. Even traditional print ads began including web addresses and QR codes, making it easier for audiences to follow up through mobile devices. Similarly, patient support tools transitioned from print and static websites to mobile apps that are now directly integrated with electronic health records (EHRs), further enhancing the digital experience.

In 2010, many doctors were still in an age group where technology wasn’t as central to their daily lives. However, by 2025, a new generation of doctors—”digital natives”—emerged. These doctors grew up with technology, having used it from an early age. As a result, they are far more tech-savvy, adaptable, and receptive to digital tools that can enhance patient care.

Technology, including conversational AI, is also being used to provide on-demand information to healthcare providers, allowing them to focus more on patient care rather than administrative tasks.  Similarly, HCPs can direct patients with rare diseases to find support on social platforms and in online communities created by patient advocacy groups. 

Between 2010 and 2024, digital marketing had grown nearly 20 times in scale. Even as the industry adapted to new treatment paradigms, marketing strategies had to evolve accordingly, with digital and data-driven campaigns becoming a necessary tool to engage with both doctors and patients.

As a result, digital marketing has become a central pillar of pharma’s outreach efforts. For example, pharma marketing awards, once included digital, data, and social as side categories now often interactive, tech-enabled marketing approaches as the star of the show.

What’s next in pharma marketing? Whether you refer to it as artificial intelligence (AI) or augmented intelligence—powered by human expertise—the impact of AI is set to revolutionize the pharmaceutical marketing landscape once again. At its core, this transformation holds the potential to deliver better customization, to better understand audiences and their needs, and to hypercharge optimization and personalized campaigns.  What will its ultimate influence be? We will have to wait until Medicine Ave 4 to find out!