Hannover, May 21 2024

In our blog series, we looked at the customer journey and explored the question of what customer engagement is. In this context, we first analyzed different types of contact and data sources.

In the next step, we present the following consideration: If all channels are equal, which ones should we choose as a pharmaceutical company to engage and retain customers?

While this may seem like a logical and consistent approach, it requires careful consideration, as opinions are already divided on this question!

• Are we answering the question from the perspective of an established pharmaceutical company that has been in the market for some time, or from the perspective of a start-up company?
• Are all channels equal, or are there more or less important ones, or are the contacts made in each case of equal or different value and should therefore be weighted differently?
• Who is the question addressed to? A pharmaceutical company’s sales organization, marketing, medical teams or customer support? Shouldn’t customers be allowed to choose how and through which channels they want to be contacted?
• Should you also consider who is contacting them? Do you use a push or pull approach, or do you ensure that channels can be used in a balanced way?
• Finally, you need to decide who the “customer” is – the HCPs, i.e. doctors, pharmacists, nurses, etc., or the patients?

But that’s not the end of the story. You also need to consider your sales strategy.

If you are taking an omnichannel approach, the focus should be on the customer, as described in our three-part article “Omnichannel management: the shift from product centricity to customer centricity”.

Accordingly, the needs and desires of HCPs should be taken into account when choosing channels, but that’s not the end of the story. You also need to consider your distribution strategy.

Choosing the right channels is an important step in creating a balanced setup. This means that both traditional and new channels should be considered. Channels that are used to distribute information should be considered as well as those where customers can search for information themselves.

An appropriate channel mix for a start-up might include the following channels:

Once the basics are in place and the channels are consistently fed with content and consistent messages, the list of channels can be expanded to include, for example:

This list of channels is not exhaustive and should not be set in stone. A regular review of each channel in terms of contact frequency, customer response and acceptance, customer accessibility and customer feedback must be used to optimize both customer perception and customer knowledge.

Companies that have been in the market for some time have evolved their channels over the years.

The focus is on maintaining or expanding proven channels, closing outdated channels, and adding new channels where appropriate. Unless corrective action is taken, there is a risk that a confusing jungle of channels will emerge that is difficult or impossible to coordinate.

The following animation illustrates the problem.

In such a scenario, there is a real risk of each channel delivering a different message. The division of responsibilities between different areas also encourages a silo mentality that needs to be overcome.

It is therefore not so much a question of which channels are used to contact customers, but rather which channels are the RIGHT ones. Continuous evaluation of channels in terms of performance, reach and accessibility is essential for pharmaceutical companies to meet their own interests and, more importantly, the needs of their customers.

In the next article in this series, we will look at which channels are best suited for customer contact.