Predictions about online health marketing
Nov/29/2007 06:22 Filed in: DTC
Environment
Baby Boomers are getting old folks ! The problem is that in their minds they still see themselves as 30-40 somethings and want to keep active and healthy. The problem is..time. Time is the new currency as we move to an information based economy. Boomers don't have time to go to the gym, to make healthy meals and to manager their stress. They will continue to try and manage their health but to them immediate gratification is a reward for what life has to offer. The Internet allows Boomers to get information about health and there are a number of trends that will influence marketers choices online. Here are my predications:
1. BLOGS are reaching the end of their growth cycle- Sure blogging is cool but online users are now realizing that just having a BLOG is not enough. You also have to do some search and word-of-mouth marketing. The growth rate for BLOGS will subside as the newness of blogging wears off.
2. People will go online for health but only when they need to- Boomers will continue to utilize the Web for health information but only as it pertains to their current health status. They will not go on the Web for prevention but rather to help them make their own diagnoses, chose medications and see what others have to say about pharma products and health problems.
3. Social Media will continue to be an important influencer in health care choices- People trust people more than they trust advertising or even their physicians. Consumers will read what others have to say about side effects, disease conditions and information choices. The trend of scoring physicians will continue and expand and consumers will make their choices based upon the score that physicians receive from others.
4. New health website will start to emerge- Web MD is the number one health site online but for some people there is an information overload there. New health sites will emerge which cater to specific segments of online health seekers. Health sites will emerge that easily allow patients to compare medications side-by-side along with contraindications for current Rx's.
5. Health Clinics start to take off- More and more pharma products will go OTC-behind the counter. Chain drugstores will embrace this because they see an opportunity to expand their business with mini-clinics. Concerned about your cholesterol? Step into our clinic and have the nurse draw some blood for analysis. We will then send the results to you and your physician for a recommendations on treatment options.
6. Physicians embrace the Web- As you arrive home from your doctors appointment you receive an eMail from your doctor thanking you for your visit with some links to websites that might be relevant to you. In addition your physician provides you with a link to the new medication he/she just prescribed and tells you to eMail him if you have any questions about your Rx.
7. Search engines segment- Either Google or MSN will segment searches by offering a health search engine that screens out promotional "paid searches" from "information sites". Patients do not however embrace keeping their medical records online because they don't yet trust the Web for such sensitive information.
8. Pharma; a day late and a dollar short- Just when the Web is evolving some in pharma may embrace social media, the problem is that it's already too late. Their lack of transparency and focus on customer service will have serious repercussions.
9. The pharma sales force will continue to less effective- Just drop off your samples and let me sign for them as HCP's continue to be indifferent to drug reps.
10. Physicians embrace the Web part 2- Physicians will start looking to the Web as a way to reduce costs within their practice. They will also embrace social media sites that allow them to communicate with other HCP's and share information on patients, medications and practice optimization.
11. DTC Marketers will continue to attend conferences that shed little light on new marketing and use old methods to inflate results so they can check a box on their performance evaluations.
There will be some pretty amazing opportunities for trail blazers but those that take a "wait and see" position will loose. It's an exciting time to be a marketer but the matrix organizational bureaucracy of big pharma will ensure that talented marketers look elsewhere to hand their shingles.
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