Email marketing- Getting back to the basics of “social” media

According to “A prescription for customer engagement: an inside look at email marketing for the pharmaceutical industry,” a new report from Epsilon, a US-based marketing consultancy, email marketing works wonders with patients. Survey respondents who receive permission-based emails from pharma companies report improved prescription compliance and increased brand loyalty. Email marketing also raised recipients’ opinions of the industry.

In the October 2088 survey of more than 1,500 US adults, 42% said permission-based emails from pharmaceutical companies have a direct impact on their offline activities, including taking medication as instructed and filling prescriptions. In addition, 44% said they are more likely to keep taking a drug from a pharma company that sends them email reminders.

Building loyalty and trust
Among those receiving permission-based emails from pharma, 53% said they are more loyal to those companies they interact with by email and 60% said they have a more favorable opinion of the companies. Epsilon says email marketing offers resources that afford consumers a chance to take more control of their medical education.

The group calls email a “vital link between marketer and consumer that can provide companies with rich information about a company’s products and services and in turn, give a marketer crucial insight into buying behavior.” The impact of email, Epsilon stresses, “goes well beyond the boundaries of opens and clicks on individual campaigns, and must be optimized and measured as an important part of an integrated media mix.

Facilitating learning and compliance
The average consumer has opted in to email communication for 2.72 different companies. Of those receiving permission-based emails from pharma companies, 86% say it is a great way to learn about new products being launched. While survey participants still prefer to talk with their doctors about new pharma products, the internet and email are also considered “go to” sources.

Email outranked conversations with pharmacists and other forms of offline advertising or marketing, the group says.
According to Epsilon, of those surveyed:
• 56% subscribe to permission-based email service to hear about new products
• 47% subscribe to learn about existing products
• 39% subscribe to help manage a condition they, or someone close to them, has
• 16% subscribe to help them stay motivated to following their doctor’s recommendations for taking prescriptions
• 67% want to receive personalized content base on their website activities, condition or healthcare history.

Epsilon says many consumers use email communications with companies to seek out coupons. Among survey respondents, 78% say they have downloaded or printed a coupon.
In addition, 72% of recipients of an email from a pharma company have clicked on an embedded link to learn more, 58% have shared a coupon or forwarded and email to someone else, 53% have asked for a drug by name or brand as a direct result, and 49% have downloaded a discussion guide or information packet. Also, 38% have contacted their doctor and 34% have typed or copied a URL directly into their browser. Nearly one-quarter of those receiving permission-based emails have joined an online forum or support group.

Epsilon says the survey clearly suggests that email can effectively contribute to building loyalty and fostering the customer relationship. Interestingly, pharma companies ranked higher than retail, financial services or the travel industries for both of these factors.
Kevin Mabley, senior vice president, Epsilon Strategic Services, says email marketing is a necessary too to increase affordability and educate consumers on the benefits of specific drugs and the importance of compliance.

“The internet has created resources and enabled consumers to take more control of their medical education and email supports these efforts,” he says. “Our research shows email marketing programs are effective for pharmaceutical companies and consumers alike, and that the benefits extend far beyond the web.”

For more information on the Epsilon study and similar analyses of other industries, visit the company’s web site at www.epsilon.com.

Author: Lisa Roner, editor, eyeforpharma

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