Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Rob Likoff
Attribution Isn’t Just About Marketing. It’s a Way to Make Pharma More Affordable
Turn on the television and you’ll be bombarded by pharma ads—all competing for your attention. But, like marketers in other industries, pharma struggles with measuring the effectiveness of their advertising. As a recent eMarketer report noted, two-thirds of U.S. marketing professionals said their company had increased its prioritization of marketing attribution in the past year.
Don’t be Misled by These Five Major Myths About EHRs
Electronic health records (EHRs) are now an integral part of inpatient and outpatient care. In response, pharmaceutical companies are starting to consider how to leverage EHRs’ considerable face time with the physician and various EHR functions, such as electronic prescribing and for marketing and branding. Yet companies can make some serious strategic missteps if they buy into common misperceptions about EHRs, how they work and what they do. Don’t be misled by these five major EHR myths.
The Pharma Marketer’s Guide to Journey Orchestration Success
Customer journey orchestration may seem like a relatively new concept to pharma marketers, but the idea was actually first introduced in 1999 by IDEO, a design company, as a tool for service design: Journey mapping. At its fundamental level, journey mapping reveals the story of the customer’s experience, charting key interactions they have with a brand. Most importantly, it accounts for motives, emotions, questions, and influences at each of these points.
Does “Big Idea” Creative Still Matter in the Age of AI Optimization?
Artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare advertising should be seen as no threat to creative professionals. The goal of AI is simply to distill countless data points in order to connect the right group to the right messaging—something that has been done for years as targeting platforms test multiple creatives’ effectiveness within an ad campaign. What has changed with the advancement of AI is the level to which marketers can create modeled lookalike segments.
The Power of TV in Pharma
Television continues to dominate pharmaceutical marketing, accounting for more than 70% of DTC spend. However, the TV landscape—and how viewers watch TV—is rapidly changing. TV content can be viewed anywhere, across multiple devices, and marketers need to shift their buying strategies to align with consumer viewing behavior. It is no longer a best practice to monitor and strategize TV in a vacuum—the evolving TV landscape requires more informed targeting and spend decisions.
What Physicians Want and Need: Insights from CMI/Compas Media Vitals Research
The following is excerpted from the CMI/Compas Media Vitals “What Physicians Want and Need from Pharma” annual trend report, published December 2018. Multiple studies and anecdotes have told us that physician burnout is a real and growing issue with no end in sight. The opportunity for pharma is to ease physicians’ burdens by being a valuable resource of information, and in our Media Vitals research we have seen that prescribers do see pharma as that resource.
Health Publishers Should Not Be Medical Textbooks
Walking through my kitchen a few weeks ago, my eyes were drawn to a report that was pinned to a corkboard my wife and I use to help keep our family organized. I looked closer and figured it was some sort of medical report. But, right away, I knew I didn’t fully understand what it said. I asked my wife about the report, and she told me it was her thyroid function lab results.
When Search Algorithms Change
The very title of this article would probably make most non-masochist digital strategists cringe. Changes in Google’s or Facebook’s algorithms, procedures, and policies are downright frightening because they are very hard to plan for. However, there are a few key learnings that can be helpful to keep in mind to be better prepared for these updates, which will affect your day-to-day marketing tactics. Historically, search and social algorithms are constantly in flux.
At Risk: Patient Data
This May, in the first of a series of SCOUT-sponsored healthcare surveys conducted with The Harris Poll (SCOUT Rare Insights), we asked more than 2,000 Americans about the security of their personal medical information, which includes information like disease diagnoses, test results, and overall health history.
Beyond Big Data: Why Thick Data is Essential to Address the Needs of Your Consumers
The pharmaceutical industry is getting access to data streams that can profoundly change how they do business. Considering that wearable technology that monitors health metrics can connect to other devices—such as exercise equipment—via the Internet of Things, the possibilities seem endless. Big Data is great, right? Knowing who did what, when, and how provides a river of information that you can dive into to learn more about your consumer.
What Lies Ahead for Pharma Marketing in 2019
There are countless new technologies that are having a positive influence on pharmaceutical marketing. When we look at other industries, we see companies embracing technology in revolutionary ways—ways that pharma marketers have historically overlooked. Despite restrictions that often result in industry short-sightedness, in order to be successful today, pharmaceutical companies must utilize these advancements to improve and expand their capabilities and better serve patients’ needs.
Often Overlooked, But Valuable Quick Wins in Multichannel Marketing
As Life Sciences commercial teams turn their attention to 2019, it’s a good time to review some “back to basics” tactics that consistently deliver value, but are frequently overlooked. What follows are four “quick wins”—what they are, why they matter, and what to do about it. 1. Correct Information on Third-party Sites Marketers are understandably focused on their “owned” and “paid” content (think: brand.coms, digital visual aids, sponsored pages, etc.). After all, this is where their budgets go.
Driving Scientific Engagement in the Era of Precision Medicine
Oncology is both the largest and fastest growing therapeutic area with new treatments being developed at a remarkable pace.1 There are more than 1,100 oncology therapeutics in clinical development in the United States alone, a 34% increase since 2015.2 The rapid growth of oncology innovation makes it challenging for treatment teams to stay current with the latest advancements.
Evidation Health Turns Everyday Behavior Data into Health Insights
Can characterizing everyday life improve treatment for patients in chronic pain? Can a conversation be used to detect the hidden beginnings of Alzheimer’s? These are the types of questions that Evidation Health is asking and answering through its novel technology platform that analyzes the everyday behavior data patients are already collecting through wearables and apps.
The Promise of Emerging Digital Rx Treatments
Digital Rx treatments offer advantages for patients, not the least of which is in encouraging behavior modifications that result in better compliance and better patient outcomes. And doctors reap benefits as well. So let’s start with the basics in digitalized health—the “Why,” “Who,” “When.” Digital medicine is in its infancy and will eventually improve how we treat chronic illnesses.
How to Integrate VR and AR into Marketing Campaigns
Take a moment to picture yourself soaring through the air, maybe paragliding over the French Alps. You can feel the tingle of excitement as you enjoy a completely new perspective on the world, the rush of air around you, the scent of pine trees wafting up from below. Now step away from this feeling and think instead about a photo on a web page showing someone else paragliding down the side of Mont Blanc.
Consider the Customer Before the Technology
I’m worried for pharma. Tech companies, health systems, payers, and venture capital are all focused on using IT to improve healthcare and decrease costs—and are making progress—but I am starting to see pharma being left behind, overlooked, or even locked out of these advancements. Other stakeholders are planning programs that first focus on meeting a physician need, by providing information or streamlining a tedious workflow.
Engaging Millennial Caregivers
According to the AARP Public Policy Institute, there are about 40 million adult family caregivers in the United States, and roughly one in four are millennials.1 Defined as those born as early as 1980 through 2004 (a typical reference point is 1982–2000, as defined by the U.S. Census), millennials have confounded marketers with their unique preferences when consuming content and interacting with brands.
Vitls is Developing Small, Disposable, and Unobtrusive Wearables
The vast majority of today’s medical-grade monitors being used in hospitals are large, clunky devices that patients hate wearing—and hospitals probably hate having to use. Werner Vorster, Founder of Vitls, wanted to offer a better solution. Something that patients barely even notice that they are wearing and that hospitals can easily get rid of. But the ramifications for a device like this can go far beyond just hospital use. Think continuous monitoring for chronic disease patients.
It’s Programmatic, Not Program Magic, Advertising
Something Eugene Lee, Executive Vice President, Managing Director at CMI, said earlier this month stuck in my head. CMI’s Eugene, SLACK Incorporated’s own Zach Gursky, and Moderator Scott Roulet, from B2B Media Exchange, were speaking about programmatic advertising to a packed house at this year’s Association of Medical Media Educational Session on September 13th. It was a great discussion and the audience hung on every word.
What Do Facebook Ad Changes Mean for Medical Advertising?
Facebook is currently weathering crises on multiple fronts. Investor confidence is declining, user patience is waning, and the threat of government intercession only seems to be growing. For most of 2018, the company has been facing criticism for its perceived user privacy and security shortcomings. Amid this controversy, Facebook also faces renewed allegations that its ad platform enables discrimination.
Improving Health Outcomes Using Social Disparities Data
Hardly a day passes without news of another disruptive healthcare alliance or collaboration focusing on data.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association Launches Expanded Patient Data Hub Initiative
The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has been building a longitudinal provider-entered registry of neuromuscular disease patients for about the past four years. And this fall the organization will be launching the expanded MOVR (neuroMuscular ObserVational Research) data hub.
Activating Data for Public Good
We’re living in a personalized world. You get your newsfeed, your sneakers, even your M&Ms designed just for you. In a way, health has always been personalized, and digital health has to be even more so. Health is non-linear, and so, intrinsically personal. How you feel goes beyond your physical health. Your emotions matter, as does your social, cognitive, spiritual, and cultural health.
Bridging the Divide
The healthcare industry, despite recent advancements, is still an analog industry that relies heavily on human intervention, domain expertise, and experience. Many companies have “digital transformation” initiatives underway, but given the industry’s pace of change, these initiatives must be accelerated. To better connect the analog world of sales with the digital world of marketing, commercial teams need data and technology for a holistic view of the market and the customer.
Novo Nordisk is Using Real-World Data from Digital Health Portfolio to Help Patients
Novo Nordisk is using its digital health portfolio to not only provide resources for patients and providers, but to also conduct research to uncover real-world data that can help them even further. At this year’s American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions (ADA) in June, the company presented findings from a study conducted using self-reported patient data from Novo’s Cornerstones4Care® Powered by Glooko app.
Is Your Organization Due for Digital Disruption?
Digital transformation has become the buzzword darling of both the tech and marketing arenas. However, those who think the concept doesn’t apply to them should reconsider. “Everywhere there is evidence that digital technologies are transforming the way businesses operate and how they interact with their customers,” , Head of Cloud Transformation at KPMG. Industry research backs this up: A found that 47% of executives believe that by 2020, digital will impact nearly half of their sales.
The Unwritten Rules for Patient Advocacy on Social Media
Social media’s ability to unify populations despite distance has come to be a key element for patients living with rare diseases, as online communities have provided support to patients who may otherwise have never found another human facing the same challenges as themselves.
How Do You Actually Build a Chatbot?
The buzz surrounding chatbots is at an all-time high, but they have yet to be fully embraced by pharma marketers. Due to their relatively low-cost of implementation, ease of use, and omnichannel nature, bots could revolutionize the way we interact digitally. For many, bots are like websites back in 1998—everyone wants to build one, but no one is sure of how and when to do it. Chatbots are also becoming increasingly popular in large part due to the rise of voice-activated technology.
Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacogenomics Following the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
While similar in many ways, pharmacogenomics and pharmacogenetics are two distinct concepts. Specifically, they differ in their level of application. In brief, pharmacogenetics relates to the effects of individual genetic variations on drug efficacy and toxicity. Meanwhile, pharmacogenomics refers to the study of how genetic factors relate to such individual variabilities.
The Importance of Interoperability
Interoperability, at its simplest, is having the ability to exchange information between systems in a meaningful way. In a day and age where patients increasingly desire to take an active role in their health, we have access to more data than ever before. The volume and diversity of patient-generated data has grown exponentially as Fitbits, patient portals, smart scales, electronic surveys, smart glucose monitors, conversational interfaces, and more are integrated into the healthcare ecosystem.
Design “Experiments” to Deliver Better Patient Solutions
As a global design innovation and strategy firm with 45 years of experience in the healthcare space, Worrell has a deep portfolio of medical devices we’ve helped our clients bring to market. Over the past several years however, we’ve seen an interesting shift underway, with an increasing percentage of our design business being driven by a relatively new type of client for us—the pharmaceutical industry.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Blockchain in Healthcare
Recently, I was sitting with a former co-worker talking about still unsolved gaps in the healthcare ecosystem. We discussed the role a pharma, biotech, or medical device manufacturer plays in supporting patient access to the therapies a doctor prescribes and how difficult it is to get the information needed to support that patient. The crux of the issue: The lack of trust in the accuracy and rights to the data exchanged between collaborating companies.
Disproving Common Launch Misperceptions with Data
When pharma marketers design their roadmaps to market the latest therapies, they often make decisions based too heavily on instinct and experience. That’s the marketing equivalent of army generals fighting an upcoming war using military tactics from the last battle they won. History might repeat itself, but you shouldn’t count on it.
The Power of Voice
“Alexa, please refill my prescription for lisinopril and have it mailed to my office.” Commands like those may soon become a common occurrence, which would be a stark difference from how things have been done. For the last few decades, interacting with another human or a computer to perform a simple transaction like refilling a prescription meant that you may have: Called the pharmacy and fidgeted with a clunky Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menu.
Digital Dream Projects
Philip K. Dick once asked, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Here at PM360, we like to think so. But, we were more curious to learn what digital dreams marketers are having, so we asked them. Here are the best digital dream projects that marketers told us they would love to do if given the chance. I would start by changing how marketers tell stories.
The Keys to Delivering Superior Digital Customer Experience
The bar just keeps getting raised. Pharma already had to deal with increased expectations from patients in the digital era as patients have become more empowered about their health and gained easier access to information. But, patients are also used to the customer experiences that consumer goods companies offer—and they expect the same from pharma.
Is Your Brand at Risk?
Big data analytics has played a major role over the past few years in the advanced targeting of advertising. In response, ad agencies have adopted new technologies which allow them to cater to their clients’ expectations with near surgical precision. Is the agency response enough to fulfill the unique needs of the pharmaceutical industry? Are brands asking the right questions to ensure their needs are met?
Protecting Patient Data
If knowledge is power, big data has made us a lot more powerful in recent years. But there’s a flipside to the progress in data collection and analytics, and that’s the concern about privacy. Recent highly publicized leaks and misuses of data have made consumers leery to trust anyone with their information, and regulators are also starting to recognize the need to protect us from overly intrusive behavior by governments, corporations, and individuals.
How AI Will Reshape the Pharma Industry and Make Marketing Easier Than Ever
Medicine revolves around quality of and access to care. For the pharmaceutical industry, that means delivering the right information and pharmaceutical response to those who need it. Often, that response has been via a doctor’s prescription pad driven from broadly targeted ads on TV or in magazines. With the help of AI, the pharmaceutical industry will soon be able to proactively and promptly reach out to sufferers to provide a streamlined, personalized treatment experience.
Invest in Adverse Event Reporting-Its Key to the Modern Pharma Marketer’s Success
There’s no question that the digital world provides pharmaceutical marketers with a wide variety of vehicles for 1-to-1 patient communications. Between social media, chatbots, and messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, Kik, WhatsApp, and Telegram, there are no shortage of options to connect with personalized conversations.
Will Chatbots Replace Doctors, Sales Reps, and Call Centers?
The first annual HealthBot1 conference—hosted by conversationHEALTH during Toronto Health Innovation Week2—shined a spotlight on the hot, upcoming field of chatbots in healthcare. After all, any way to save human hours—that of physicians, sales reps, or call centers—is an attractive value proposition.
What Patients Really Want from AI in Healthcare
Lately, when people ask me about artificial intelligence and healthcare, I tend to talk to them about cars. This isn’t just because both self-driving cars and robot doctors tick the “Jetsons future” box beloved of media coverage around AI, it’s also because both of these still seem a very long way removed from reality, and for a very similar set of reasons.
Responsive Art Direction for Healthcare Websites
In an increasingly mobile-centric web, it’s important for you to consider how your visual content will display across multiple devices. A responsive design ensures that your layout scales effectively, but it may not be enough to control crucial visual assets. Look at your website through a desktop, a tablet, and then a smartphone. If your site was built for responsive design, congratulations, you’re most of the way there. Now take a look at the key images that tell your brand story.
Healthcare: The Darling of CES 2018
Not enough people in the healthcare media industry recognize the importance of attending what is the largest tradeshow in the world—the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Marketers need to understand how consumers (which prescribers and patients both are) will engage in the near- and long-term future. If we don’t know where consumers’ attention will live, we can’t build innovative solutions to drive business results for our clients.
A Lesson for Pharma, Apple, and Amazon
The pharmaceutical industry is a tough business. It represents a constellation of disciplines that include, chemistry, biology, physics, marketing, and finance. Drug discovery and development may represent one of mankind’s greatest endeavors that has truly saved lives and changes the world. It ain’t easy. And over time, the list of required competencies is both growing and becoming more complex.
Taking a Super Bowl Approach to Medical Conferences
A funny thing happens when you talk “convention media.” People focus on how it helps them at the convention. They should think about how it helps them during the convention. This year it was in Minneapolis. U.S. Bank Stadium seats about 66,000 people. Last year 172 million people watched SB LI on TV. That’s about 2600x more people. Events attract people. The venue, yes. The content, yes-er. “Venue folks” can miss the big picture. They buy ads in “conference apps” to reach people on-site.
5 Changes to Social Media Marketing in 2018
2018 is an exciting year for social media marketing. With improved content transparency, diverse products, and emerging new platforms, marketers will have more resources and tools at their disposal to reach target audiences, share brand messages, and enhance the user’s experience. Don’t think mobile-first—think mobile-only. With about 80% of social media time now spent on mobile devices, it’s crucial for marketers to create a social media strategy that fits the right screen.
17 SEO Tips for Pharma Websites
In today’s world, digital presence is more important than ever. And try as you might, you may be shooting yourself in the foot if you’re not properly optimizing the digital experience for doctors, patients, and other visitors to your website. By definition, search engine optimization (SEO) combines strategy and tactics to increase visitors to your website by earning a high-ranking placement in the unpaid search results page of search engines such as Google.
The Changing Face of Social Media Marketing
Social media offers tremendous value to healthcare companies looking to connect with audiences, especially when you consider that one-third of consumers use forums and social media platforms for health-related matters, according to PwC Health Research Institute. Furthermore, social media advertising is expected to hit new highs in 2018. According to eMarketer, 10% of total U.S. ad spend will go to Facebook.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Rob
Contact Rob, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack