Marcella Milliet Sciorra
The Perils of AdTech Grading Its Own Homework in Healthcare Marketing
By: Kevin Elwell
By Marcella Milliet Sciorra
Every year at Digital Pharma East (DPE), the industry comes together to connect and learn from each other. It’s my favorite pharma marketing trade show because I get to see how much my peers, clients, and partners have evolved. From panels on privacy regulations and omnichannel strategies to the ping pong party at SPIN, there were no dull moments at this year’s event. Here’s everything you need to know from DPE 2024.
Shining a light on inner strength
This year DPE kicked off with a dose of hope and a reminder that the products pharmaceutical companies make save lives. Maurice Benard, a three-time Emmy Award winner, shared his battle with depression and how getting a prescription for Lexapro helped him. His message to “never give up hope,” and tap into your inner strength was a great way to start the event.
Innovation opens the door to risk, but it’s worth it
During “Innovate to Elevate: Transforming Pharma Marketing Through Disruption”, all of the panelists spoke about innovation through AI and how being willing to fail is an important element of innovation. Panelist Mike Sivak from AstraZeneca recommended building a small control group for innovations before bringing them into the wider organization to keep things moving quickly and to contain the impact of failures. “You must make innovation part of the company culture,” Alison Tapia from Dermavant Sciences said. “Innovation means you will have to take a risk on the solution without proven success.”
Every brand should explore CTV and OTT programmatic targeting
With new ways to engage and target patients and providers through connected TV (CTV) and over-the-top (OTT) platforms, pharma brands can be more intentional about how they leverage video. During the panel discussion “Streaming Success: Building Your Brand and Driving Engagement with CTV and OTT”, it was clear that every brand should be testing the power of programmatic targeting through streaming. Data-driven strategies that combine the power of streaming and linear TV bridge audience fragmentation issues and maximize efficiency to reach likely condition sufferers.
Harnessing AI for a healthier, more informed future
Sharing our vision for transforming omnichannel marketing and HCP engagement, Swoop Chief Revenue Officer Katie Carr represented our team in the Media Track at DPE. At Swoop, we believe in harnessing AI to enhance health outcomes without compromising patient privacy. For example, most brands create campaigns and targeted messaging based on what has happened, but AI allows us to target based on what will likely happen. Giving us the ability to predict critical moments along the patient's journey and target needs before they arise. By taking a forward-thinking approach we’re able to create messaging for HCPs and patients that increase the likelihood a patient will get the care they need. As part of her presentation, Carr unveiled Swoop’s HCP Pro Suite. Omnichannel marketing is far more complex than merely connecting patients and treating providers using real-world health data, and traditional NPI-targeting solutions often miss the mark by treating all providers the same. To truly optimize omnichannel marketing, pharma marketers must understand providers' unique needs and behaviors to create meaningful, targeted messaging.
Celebrating together in Philadelphia
DPE is well known for working hard and celebrating harder, and boy, did we celebrate! From our CMI Agility Event Cocktail Hour Sponsorship to The Trade Desk/Swoop Ping Pong Happy Hour, we created experiences to remember with our amazing partners, clients, and teammates. These events not only celebrated our industry's progress but also strengthened the relationships that drive innovation. We’re looking forward to next year’s expanded show.
As we reflect on DPE 2024, it's clear that the pharma marketing landscape is evolving rapidly, and we must keep patient privacy at the forefront of all of our innovations. As Swoop President Scott Rines noted in his interview with Fierce Pharma, marketers need to be vigilant when selecting partners. With partners that uphold high privacy standards – that go beyond minimum regulatory requirements – brands can continue to grow and innovate while minimizing risk.
The integration of AI, the expansion into new digital channels, and the focus on data-driven, privacy-compliant strategies are shaping a future where patient care and marketing effectiveness are more closely aligned than ever before. At Swoop, we're excited to be at the forefront of these changes, developing solutions that empower brands to realize their omnichannel potential through cutting-edge, privacy-compliant technologies.