WHAT”S ALL THIS THEN?: For every 100 reps that visit a physician’s office, only 20 speak in person with a physician. Non-personal promotion (NPP) can be a more effective method of engaging physicians than salespeople. NPP adds value to physicians but pharma HCP people need to do a good job understanding the changing needs of doctors today.

Pharma brand marketers today face challenges on how to maintain their brand’s share of voice when physicians are overwhelmed with trying to maintain a profitable practice. Pharma can not afford to communicate information that doesn’t add value to their decision making and patients.

Physicians’ and other clinicians’ attention continues to be difficult to capture: 40 percent of U.S. HCPs have opted out or unsubscribed from professional emails, and nearly 90 percent used or are interested in using ad-blocking software on their smartphones. this means that unless you consistently add value you’re going to be discarded as just another pharma sales call.

To add value HCP marketers need to first keep a pulse on the constant flow of information that HCP’s have sort through and then find an effective message that peaks their engagement. Once that is done the next objective is to establish a brand objective with both quantitative and qualitative metrics.

The dashboard for NPP is a moving target. Just when you think you have an effective message and channel a competitor can come along and transform the playing field. Competitive gaming can help but marketers need to understand what really drives prescribing behavior today beyond just clinical benefits.

Not too long ago we reached out to HCP’s via an NPP program that communicate the availability of the product to insured patients, via co-pays, and what patients were saying about the product on social media. Message recall and Rx’s both increased in the test vs control groups.

Finally, don’t assume that digital alone is best for NPP. NPP works best when it’s part of an integrated program.

Perhaps the best way to develop and implement NPP is having empathy with your audience instead of looking at them as only as a target. NPP is the future of HCP marketing as the traditional sales model slowly dies.