In an increasingly digital world, laced with constant demands for our attention, it is important that news and information reaches healthcare professionals and patients in a timely and impactful manner. Adopting omnichannel communications is an important step in the journey to improved customer experience, more effective marketing and better patient outcomes.

A strong marketing strategy is a must-have for any company that wants to engage and retain customers and meet its commercial goals. An omnichannel approach to communications focuses on providing a customer-centric, integrated experience that runs seamlessly across various channels (Fontanella, 2023). All channels used are connected to each other and unified around a single marketing message or strategy, allowing customers to have a smooth experience between platforms. This is different to a multichannel communication approach where different channels are run separately from each other (Fontanella, 2023).

Omnichannel communications offer a more cohesive, rounded customer experience. For example, if you go online to visit Argos, a British catalogue retailer, and add an item to your cart and then leave the webpage, you’ll receive an email persuading you to finish your purchase. If you decide to complete your purchase in-store, you can check item availability online before making your journey. Once you’re in-store, there are displays featuring the same discounts you saw on the website. From the website to email to the physical store location, the customer journey is seamless. The process from start to finish is also subtle, according to Christa Catone, President at the connected media agency Infillion, this is how it should be: ‘I don’t think the audience should notice the magic that is happening within the marketer’s toolkit’ (Blackwell, 2023). By placing customer experience at the centre, an omnichannel approach to communications enhances results for consumers and businesses alike.

A major advantage of using omnichannel communications is the opportunity for enhanced customer engagement and personalisation. With a communications approach that covers all touchpoints, consumers have the option to engage with the ones they feel are the most relevant to them. If one audience isn’t particularly responsive to banner ads on LinkedIn, companies can compare it to other channels and adapt their approach. For healthcare professionals with limited time available, tapping into all channels is important as there are more opportunities to deliver important news and updates on products, services and resources. Similarly, for patients, it is important that they can access important information across a variety of channels to enhance their safety, experience and understanding of their condition and treatment. A streamlined and stress-free journey between different platforms can boost engagement, concordance and ultimately improve the quality of care provided to patients, at all points of their journey.

Omnichannel communications isn’t an additional option for companies operating within the pharmaceutical industry and wider healthcare space; it is critical to the work of healthcare professionals and patient outcomes. In a fast-paced, ever changing healthcare landscape, it is important that messages meet the relevant audiences at the right time. The use of omnichannel communications enables the immediate dissemination of important updates, safety alerts, regulatory changes and clinical trial results.

The first year of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a clear example of just how necessary omnichannel communications are within the healthcare space. From the NHS COVID-19 app to text messages regarding COVID-19 guidelines, television and social media announcements, all platforms played a vital role in the NHS’ communications strategy (Tench & Bridge, 2022). Keeping the public informed 24/7 was vital to ensuring compliance and managing the spread of COVID-19. The need for sophisticated communications in healthcare has been noted by professionals throughout the sector. As noted by Page & Page Managing Partner and Scientific Director, Kristian Webb, ‘in simple terms, omnichannel strategy describes the meeting points where pharma companies educate HCPs about their drugs. When medicines continue to be used irrationally, there is certainly room for improvement. Optimised omnichannel communications will improve patient outcomes.’  Sub-standard, ineffective communications can result in worse outcomes for patients, ranging from delays in receiving care to an increased likelihood of serious illness and injury. Whether it’s the instructions for medical software or a televised press announcement, communications must be clear, coherent and memorable as they can have serious repercussions when executed poorly.

With the rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, the future of omnichannel communications looks exciting. From unexpected, innovative collaborations across industries to enhanced marketing strategies, these new developments can help produce more impactful marketing campaigns and communications within the healthcare space. We recently revealed the upcoming launch of our new AI platform PIRL, which has the potential to transform the way organisations process data and develop insights, signalling a new era for healthcare communications. By providing detailed findings developed from over 27 billion datapoints and years of prescribing trends, PIRL enables the development of enhanced insights which make choices around the right channels, tactics and tones for different healthcare professional audience groups more informed than ever before. With specific customer insights and analytics across thousands of campaigns, companies can evaluate the success of their communications more effectively and produce more targeted, specialised campaigns, backed by extensive data and a robust strategy.

It is vital that communications with the pharmaceutical industry are able to cut through the noise and talk to healthcare professionals clearly and succinctly, in a way that drives meaningful and lasting behaviour change. With time constraints and other work-related pressures, an omnichannel communication approach maximises the opportunity for exposure, increasing the likelihood of your campaigns reaching their target audience. From new medications to updates from regulatory bodies and emergency alerts, each channel used has the ability to improve the service offered by healthcare professionals and subsequently enhance patient incomes. While meeting commercial goals are important for pharmaceutical companies and agencies alike, patient care is ultimately at the centre of everything we do. Through constantly evolving communication strategies and placing customer experience at the centre, we progress further in our mission to close the healthcare gap.

By Chiara Nnanna-Dikeocha, Junior Creative Copywriter

References

Blackwell, L. (2023) ‘it shouldn’t be a jarring experience’: How to effectively engage audiences across digital channels, The Drum. Available at: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2023/07/17/it-shouldn-t-be-jarring-experience-how-effectively-engage-audiences-across-digital (Accessed: 28 September 2023).

Fontanella, C. (2023) What is Omnichannel Customer experience? Our full guide for 2023, Quadient. Available at: https://www.quadient.com/en-gb/learn/customer-communications/what-omnichannel-customer-experience-our-full-guide (Accessed: 28 September 2023).

Tench, R. and Bridge, G. (2022) ‘The good, the bad and the ugly: learning lessons from the UK’s COVID-19 communication’, Strategic Communication in a Global Crisis National and International Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic, pp. 151–164. doi:10.4324/9781003184669-15.