Some of the largest changes in our industry this year have come from the way in which companies approach innovation. There\u2019s a shift away from traditional agency models helping to find innovative solutions and into developing partnerships with many non-traditional companies, such as Google, Amazon, or Apple. Prior to 2016, innovation was considered risky. Today, the risk is not being innovative and disrupting the status quo. Innovation departments and innovation accelerators are becoming the norm. This is fueling a universal shift toward next-gen marketing that demands adaptability and innovation to succeed. Companies need to seek out exponential thinkers who demonstrate these capabilities.<\/p>\n Over the past year, we\u2019ve seen the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Bots, and even Robots as they begin to have real application and impact in the life sciences industry.\u00a0They will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the industry and world at large and will become a strong component of integrated marketing programs. As we move into 2017, blockchains and cybersecurity will be added to the list. Many of these trends are taking the buzzwords of the past, such as \u201cBig Data,\u201d and turning them into viable strategies and, in doing so, are delivering on the promise of true ROI measurement, making it an exciting time to be a part of the industry.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n In 2016, mergers and acquisitions among pharma, biotech, and medical device companies has been the most disruptive force in the industry from our perspective. While these activities represent great opportunities for well-positioned agencies such as 2e to access new brands, M&A tends to have a cooling effect on momentum within brand teams.<\/p>\n We expect M&A activity to continue at this pace throughout 2017, and are gearing up to manage the politics of change management as client organizations navigate these waters. Because our value proposition as an agency is so perfectly aligned with the evolving desires of modern brand marketers, it will be critical for us to manage growth responsibly, ensuring quality and culture are not sacrificed in the process.<\/p>\n With all my heart, I hope the healthcare marketing industry will stop using the phrase \u201cDigital Transformation\u201d as a buzzwordy placeholder for the idea of engaging patients through web and mobile. The fact is, evolutions in policy, coupled with an emerging generation of digitally emboldened healthcare marketers, have opened the industry to engaging patients and HCPs through digital channels. We love this, but it shouldn\u2019t be confused with \u201cDigital Transformation,\u201d which defines digital competence and literacy as a society.<\/p>\n As far as projected buzzwords, we\u2019d like to see \u201cActive Patient Empowerment\u201d become a focus for the industry, as a definition for the dedicated empowerment of patient advocacy in driving health change across all channels, both \u201ctraditional\u201d and digital.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n The trend in data analytics over the last year has been to shift towards objective, quantitative<\/em> analytics solutions. In order to build the most accurate data models, we need to examine actual clinical behavior. We cannot rely on who clinicians say influence them, or whom they are connected to on social media. If you asked someone what they watched on television Sunday night, they might say 60 Minutes<\/em>. But if you examine their actual behavior, you may find that they were, in actuality, binge-watching episodes of a reality television show, thus highlighting the importance of quantitative analytics.<\/p>\n The availability of patient-clinician encounter data is growing faster than ever before, and clients rely on us to help them leverage this treasure trove of information to help them accurately predict clinician behavior. More often than not, they need to reach and influence tens of thousands of clinicians. We no longer need to settle for using web-based surveys with small sample sizes. Our predictive, machine learning-based analytics can reliably define influence on the full cohort of clinicians in a given disease state. Furthermore, our models do not just identify connections between clinicians, but also weigh the value of those connections based on actual clinical practice\u2014not just through their social interactions.<\/p>\n In 2017, our clients will continue to demand ever more accurate and comprehensive influence maps, and since analytic techniques are always growing, we can better define each ecosystem within a given disease state and provide actionable intelligence that can be leveraged to help clients grow their business.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n Ironically, I think some of the biggest challenges this year in the life sciences sector were presented as a result of a more positive economic environment. In terms of our existing business, client demand for our services has been strong this year. While that\u2019s clearly a good thing, ramping up to meet that demand has taken some very detailed planning between our Sales and Operations teams.<\/p>\n Furthermore, in this environment of increased activity, it can also mean meeting greater challenges with regard to the acquisition of new business. Clients have more providers to choose from, and distinguishing a brand and building relationships in a crowded space can be more of a challenge than in a space where there is a lot of consolidation happening. We find ourselves competing for mindshare amid a variety of different options that our clients are presented with, often trying to distinguish ourselves on some highly technical or specialized points against a field of varied providers.<\/p>\n Last, employees and people have more choices today\u2014a good thing\u2014but it can mean that open roles take longer to source and fill than they would in a more constrained environment. Attracting and retaining the best talent always has to be high on a manager\u2019s list, but when employment options abound, it becomes a challenge that\u2019s never far from mind.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n An integrated, technology-driven approach will continue to trend in 2017. With it, comes the ability to deliver a positive patient and physician experience. Tactical solutions within the engagement program, such as messaging, electronic patient reported outcomes (ePRO) collection, digital health apps\/wearable connections, direct patient reimbursement and call center escalation, should be simple and fluid in design for the study stakeholders. To be successful, the platform should provide an experience that is intuitive, and user-friendly. The platform and tools used to coordinate the direct-to-patient design need to be secure and provide analytical insights to continually confirm the effectiveness of the design.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n In 2016, the industry experienced an unprecedented level of public participation in conversations regarding the development, approval, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. From deep, personal engagement with the FDA regarding the approval of orphan medicines, to congressional inquiries about pricing practices, we believe 2017 will see a continuing evolution of the public\u2019s focus on the industry, and will present exciting opportunities for all of us to engage in meaningful conversations with the people who have the most at stake in medicine:\u00a0Patients and families facing the threat of serious diseases.<\/p>\n Patient-centric.<\/strong> For our clients, this isn\u2019t a buzzword or a trend. It\u2019s a mission, and one we believe will continue to gain prominence for our clients and across the industry. Increasingly, people facing serious conditions are becoming more actively involved with their health, connecting and sharing their experiences with others to spread knowledge. Companies and brands that can effectively engage and empathize with patient audiences across the entire spectrum of their journeys\u2014from diagnosis to treatment initiation and beyond\u2014will find lasting success.\u00a0Getting there isn\u2019t always easy, however. Developing best practices, processes, and engagement strategies requires commitment across organizations and brand teams, as well as agency partners.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n With the impact of the patent cliff, payer\/value dynamics, the Affordable Care Act and the Sunshine Act are now clearly entrenched in the U.S. marketplace, and what has emerged is a biopharmaceutical industry that is leaner, more oriented around breakthrough specialty-medicine, and more focused on driving short-term profit growth in the absence of significant top-line gains. Ongoing industry deals, mergers, and acquisitions are the biggest manifestations of this shift, but others, including sales force and marketing department downsizings, budget frontloading and fencing, and the increasing involvement of procurement, all highlight an industry that has reinvented its commercial model to be far less dependent on primary care-driven blockbuster drugs, traditional promotional spending trajectories, and demand generation activities.<\/p>\n Healthcare agency partners must adapt accordingly, as a result of these dynamics. Some of these specific adaptations include: Becoming more flexible and nimble in how we work with clients; engaging with procurement groups to ensure they understand and appreciate the breadth of services and unique offerings of the agency; focusing on diversifying client rosters both across biopharma and within the broader health and wellness sector; and proving the impact of advertising and communication programs with a necessary focus on analytics and metrics.<\/p>\n Patient centricity will remain a priority in our healthcare system and will have that staying power in 2017. With information more accessible than ever through digital channels, and continued cost increases burdening patients and their families, patients will increasingly become more discerning consumers. More effectively engaging with patients and families through social channels, providing resources to help patients discern value, facilitating decision making between patients and care teams, and assisting patients in obtaining coverage and reimbursement for products and services, will be mainstays in how the industry engages the new healthcare consumer in 2017.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n I recently attended a career fair at Miami Ad School in search of show-stopping digital craftspeople\u2014designers, copywriters, and videographers with highly refined skills. We gave them our pitch, sharing about ourselves, our work, and why we chose healthcare.<\/p>\n To my surprise, many of the students we met were moving past the digital tidal wave that\u2019s hit our industry so hard. These digital natives were seeking positions that allowed them to design and write for print or television. Paradoxically, the craftspeople, who were experts in digital, were looking for jobs that let them flex more traditional creative muscles.<\/p>\n Herein lies the dilemma:<\/strong> As projects become more complex, we look for creatives who can specialize in one medium or craft. Meanwhile, many creatives are eager to practice skills outside of their craft. You can see this with the rise of the Maker Movement, for example. Makers oftentimes start as digital experts who explore alternative, more traditional fixes to existing problems. Their innovations challenge the status quo and make us rethink aspects of our campaigns.<\/p>\n We now compete with consumer agencies for both employees and award recognition. We see this at the big award shows such as Cannes Lions Health, where the bulk of the winning agencies aren\u2019t from health backgrounds. Despite this fast-paced change, I love knowing that the creative bar in the health industry continues to rise. Trends like the Maker Movement and the invasion of consumer agencies into healthcare mean that our space is innovating rapidly, and it\u2019s leaving some brands behind.<\/p>\n We\u2019re fortunate to be a part of a larger network that recruits top talent and encourages experimentation beyond a single craft. In that vein, I predict traditional media will play a larger role in 2017\u2014both in recruiting new talent and in delivering client-facing solutions.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n![\"lori-grant\"](\"https:\/\/www.pm360online.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/lori-grant.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAI, Bots, and Robots<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n\u201cActive Patient Empowerment\u201d<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nCompeting for Mindshare<\/h3>\n
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\nToday\u2019s focus is on achieving lower costs, better care, and driving patient outcomes. Success in the marketplace requires the more comprehensive and innovative approach inherent of a multichannel marketing and sales strategy. An approach that can pull through the appropriate demand of a drug, engage patients throughout the entirety of their treatment journey, and educate healthcare providers to the true clinical value of a therapy, is essential. Emphasis on patient outcomes also spotlights adherence\u2014the two go hand-in-hand to increase treatment efficacy. Too often, however, patient support is sub-optimal, which can result in poor compliance, a challenge for which innovative healthcare solutions and patient support services can help.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nFocus on Analytics and Metrics<\/h3>\n
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