The State of Omnichannel HCP Engagement in Pharma

Part Two a DHC Group Project

In partnership with

It’s hard to find a pharmaceutical executive who does not believe it’s important to have a robust omnichannel strategy for the organization today. However, the gap between the belief in omnichannel and execution remains. What are the hurdles to success? What’s working today? And what role will AI and machine learning play in pharma’s commercial future? We address these questions and more in this overview of omnichannel innovation and strategy specific to a health professional audience.

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of pharmaceutical execs state it's important to create and implement an omnichannel strategy for their organization.

What we did

For this project, DHC Group and Aktana partnered together on a study with 50 pharmaceutical executives in Q2 and Q3 2022 utilizing a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

A Snapshot of the Respondent Profile

Understanding the challenges - and contributors - to omnichannel success

The study examines the various roadblocks that pharma leaders report are still holding the industry back. The most common challenges center around breakdowns in change management, organizational alignment, and team experience.

Beyond change management issues, technology was another reported barrier to omnichannel success—specifically, the need for solutions that can integrate, manage and translate data into actionable steps with intelligence and optimization.

Key Challenges to Omnichannel Success

Who owns omnichannel, who pays for it, and who contributes to the strategy

We found that organizations are also still divided with respect to which team should “own” omnichannel – and with good reason. Cross-functional involvement is required to achieve omnichannel success. If teams don’t have the people, structure, or motivation to work across the organization, long-term success with omnichannel can be extremely difficult – if not impossible. The full study dives into the strategy of adopting a Center of Excellence (COE) approach, with perspectives from pharma leaders who have employed this concept.

Which team is the primary owner of the overall omnichannel strategy in the organization?

Which team holds the budget for omnichannel tech stack investments?

Which of the following are involved in your organization's overall omnichannel strategy?

Closing the gap between early and advanced stage execution with AI

Being able to successfully optimize HCP engagement across channels and departments is a key indicator of omnichannel maturity. The majority of respondents, 43%, are in the early execution stage, meaning they have room for improvement when it comes to reaching HCPs in a coordinated, personalized way from all touchpoints. How can these early execution companies close the gap and successfully execute advanced or enterprise-wide omnichannel engagements?

Mapping the omnichannel maturity curve

Within your organization, how would you describe your omnichannel maturity level today?

Are your internal teams currently optimizing engagement across all HCP touchpoints (i.e. not just within individual channels or departments like sales, marketing or digital)?

In our full report, view real perspectives from pharma executives that have deployed successful omnichannel strategies, including changes to organizational structures and investments in AI technology.

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