Consumerization of Healthcare Series: The Pivotal Role of Technology (ed.#3)
The rise of smartphones, wearables, and health apps has fundamentally changed how people interact with their health.
Patients now have unprecedented access to health information, allowing them to monitor their well-being, track symptoms, research potential treatments, and even find digital tools to help with their condition.
This enhanced connectivity enables pharma companies to engage with patients novelly, facilitating tailored support programs, medication adherence tools, and direct-to-consumer communication channels.
The consumerization of pharma, fueled by technology, is making healthcare more holistic, convenient, affordable, and inclusive.
It encourages a shift from reactive treatment of diseases towards proactive prevention and wellness management.
Consumers armed with data from fitness trackers and health apps can collaborate with healthcare providers for a more integrated and personalized approach to health.
Telemedicine platforms increase accessibility, especially for those in remote areas or with mobility challenges.
Additionally, advancements in digital health and data analytics pave the way for potential cost reductions and increased efficiency in drug development, ultimately benefiting the consumer.
Technology plays a pivotal role in this transformation by providing patients with tools and information to make informed decisions about their health and enabling them to overcome limitations and live better with their health conditions.
Case 1
Feels Like Magic, Dexcom (US)
Dexcom's Super Bowl Ad: Nick Jonas and tech making diabetes control easier
Brief Description
Dexcom’s “Feels Like Magic” Super Bowl 2023 commercial highlights its G7 continuous glucose monitoring system – CGM.
Featuring pop star and Type 1 diabetes patient and advocate Nick Jonas (Jonas Brothers).
The ad playfully demonstrates how the G7 seamlessly tracks blood sugar levels in real-time, eliminating the need for finger pricks.
Jonas emphasizes the revolutionary impact of this technology, making diabetes management feel almost magical.
Why is it significant?
This ad marks a notable shift in pharmaceutical marketing. Here’s why:
Focus on User Experience: Traditionally, pharma advertising emphasizes clinical benefits. Dexcom’s approach instead highlights how its product dramatically improves the daily experience of living with diabetes. This user-centric messaging is robust and likely to resonate more deeply with consumers.
Celebrity as Relatable Advocate: Casting Nick Jonas isn’t just about star power. His connection to diabetes makes him a credible, relatable advocate for the product. This authenticity builds trust and shows that the brand understands the real-life challenges of its target audience.
Case 2
Unfear, Samsung (Global)
Patients with autism to regain control over their auditory environment
Brief Description
Hyperacusis, a heightened sensitivity to sounds, can be a profoundly distressing challenge for those living with autism. This condition can lead to fear, anxiety, and social isolation.
Samsung developed a unique tool that combines specialized earbud hardware with AI driven software to modulate noise selectively.
It provides a means for people living with autism to manage sensory overload and enhance their quality of life and overall well-being.
This innovation demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, ensuring that individuals with autism can navigate the world with greater comfort and confidence.
Why is it significant?
This campaign showcases how tech-driven solutions can address complex medical needs outside traditional drug-based treatments. It demonstrates the power of patient-centric innovation to vastly improve quality of life, inspiring pharma to consider broader health outcomes.
The human-centered storytelling emphasizes emotional benefits, a model pharma marketers can use to connect on a deeper level with patients.
Case 3
Scrolling Therapy, Eurofarma (Brazil)
A digital tool that enables Parkinson’s patients to control their social media feeds using facial therapy exercises
Brief Description
Eurofarma, a Brazilian-based multinational pharmaceutical corporation operating in 22 countries, launched a new facial expression recognition experimental tool powered by artificial intelligence that enables patients with Parkinson’s disease to control their social media engagement using facial expressions.
Why is it significant?
This is an innovative experimental digital tool that involves Parkinson’s patients, raises awareness for the condition, and sparks conversation.
Nowadays, 8.5 million people worldwide are affected by Parkinson’s disease. In addition to any medical treatment, patients need to undergo physical therapy to slow the progression of symptoms of neurological disease.
Key Takeaways:
our cut ABBOVE
We saw
– Tech Transforming Patient Experience: From diabetes management to addressing sensory overload in autism, tech solutions focus on improving patients’ daily lives and lessening the burden of their conditions.
– Mainstream Exposure: Dexcom’s Super Bowl ad shows tech-driven healthcare solutions reaching mass audiences, normalizing their use, and increasing awareness of their benefits.
– Beyond Traditional Medication: Samsung’s “Unfear” and Eurofarma’s “Scrolling Therapy” highlight innovations that support patients in ways that go beyond pharmaceuticals, addressing quality of life and accessibility.
Data and analytics are essential for personalization and value creation for patients.
We learned that
– User Experience is key: focusing on how tech makes life better for patients is a more robust marketing strategy than solely emphasizing clinical data.
– Authenticity Matters: whether featuring a celebrity advocate like Nick Jonas or spotlighting Parkinson’s challenges, showcasing the real-life impact of technology builds trust.
– Think Holistically: Pharma marketing can expand its scope to include tech-enabled solutions, broadening the definition of ‘treatment’ and identifying potential patient benefits.
– Innovation Can Spark Conversation: “Scrolling Therapy” shows that even experimental tools can raise awareness and position a pharma brand as a champion for patients.
This encourages us
– Embrace patient-centricity, which puts the patient experience at the heart of all messaging and addresses practical and emotional needs.
– Tell compelling stories: use relatable narratives to show the transformative impact of solutions on everyday lives.
– Champion Accessibility: highlight affordability, fight stigma, and consider technological inclusivity in your outreach strategies.
– Showcase Technology as Empowering: position tech solutions as tools that enhance the doctor-patient partnership, leading to better-informed care and outcomes.
– Think Beyond the Product: focus on the broader value your brand brings to patients’ lives, promoting health and well-being in a holistic sense.
Triggers for innovating
– Tell The Human Story: embrace storytelling emphasizing the emotional transformation technology brings to patients’ lives.
– Seek Partnerships: collaborate with tech companies, patient groups, and innovative startups to develop solutions beyond the pill.
– Drive Digital Inclusion: ensure that tech-based healthcare solutions address inclusivity, affordability, and equity in access.
– Embrace Experimentation: support creative initiatives that may not have immediate commercial outcomes but elevate your brand’s commitment to patient-focused innovation.
ABBOVE TEAM