Cyber Dialogue makes recommendations on Internet DTC campaigns
According to Cyber Dialogue's Health Practice, the goals of pharmaceutical e-marketing initiatives should be extended beyond awareness for a specific
By on Feb 8, 2001According to Cyber Dialogue's Health Practice, the goals of pharmaceutical
e-marketing initiatives should be extended beyond awareness for a specific
product or company. The company contends that comprehensive marketing strategy should now include
online programs that complement offline initiatives and are designed to
increase demand, improve compliance and promote patient success.
According to IMS Health, in the first half of 2000,
pharmaceutical companies spent an estimated $833 million on TV consumer
advertising, $460 million on print campaigns and $47 million on Internet
marketing. Based on these figues, Cyber Dialogue estimates that during the first half of 2000 it cost
pharmaceutical companies:
** $54 per single specific drug request driven by the Internet
** $152 per single specific drug request driven by television advertising
** $318 per single specific drug request driven by print advertising
"For the first time, pharmaceutical companies can use the Internet to
spearhead a customer-focused, data-driven marketing strategy to augment
their traditional consumer marketing programs," said Mark Bard,
Director in Cyber Dialogue's Health Practice. "The key factor to
sustainable success, however, lies in the integration of e-marketing with
existing marketing programs."
Pharmaceutical companies, according to Cyber Dialogue, can use the data collected from consumers with
their permission to understand their customers, provide feedback to refine
their programs and serve long-term marketing strategies. The company believes that a DTC Web site
that offers online condition management will eventually deliver services
such as personalized product messages, support information, patient
education and even monitoring tools that enable online communication between
a patient and physician. They also contend, if done effectively, consumers will feel more
comfortable interacting with pharmaceutical companies because of the value
they'll receive in return.
"We already know that many patients are improving their compliance after
simply reading disease information online, " said Bard. "A DTC
product Web site that offers a complete customer care platform will quickly
prove its ROI because of its appeal to valuable segments of online consumers
who want substantially more than 'brochure-ware' for a given prescription
drug."