Justin Freid
EVP, Managing Director, Growth and Innovation
CMI/Compas
Shaking Up Targeted Marketing
Entering the pharma space after several years honing his marketing skills outside of the industry, and armed with a new MBA, Justin Freid was ready to be a change agent—and the impact he has made has been significant.
Justin introduced a new approach to targeted marketing—blending search and social into the media strategy side—that felt more comfortable to pharma clients. And that level of comfort led to results, which has led to many firsts. He aimed to push digital marketing forward, changing the way brands approach search, leveraging social media to engage audiences, and using the large amount of data our industry previously underutilized to engage patients and HCPs in ways they want to be engaged.
“His vast knowledge of digital, marketing, and pharma and his honest and direct style make him one of a kind in the industry,” says Laura Mondragon-Drumright, Principal, Paid Media & Social, Digital Customer Experience (DCX), Genentech. “Justin is an innovator and could have led with that, but quickly realized it was important to fix ‘the basics’ before we would even be able to think about what’s next. This approach has built such a strong rapport across all levels of the organization that the innovation is quickly being approved at governance committees and we are excited to continue to partner with Justin!”
Additionally, under his purview, the CMI/Compas Drive team (which has grown from a handful of people to 80 in five years) has introduced the first pharma Reddit campaign and the first Instagram story for pharma. And while previously search marketing was an afterthought handled by the creative agency, by putting search at the center of media strategy, pharma clients have been able to better engage audiences and truly move the needle. Justin’s influence has changed marketing not only for his clients but has established a new best practice for the industry.
Most recently, Justin has been partnering with CMI President Dr. Susan Dorfman on introducing an industry-first consumer-focused offering called ByConsumer that has already been helping pharma engage better with audiences in part through targeted messaging based on needs, preferences, and personas.
