E-Detailing in Pharma
E-detailing in pharma has evolved in strides since its inception. We discuss.
In 2022, between digitization and COVID restrictions, e-detailing may emerge as an invaluable pharma asset. Pharmaceutical marketers have always faced the distinct challenge of having to claim busy physicians’ time to pitch their products. Today, they find themselves in new territory; as digital transformation reshapes the industry, COVID-19 has also hampered physical interactions. It is perhaps for this reason that e-detailing in pharma is seeing renewed appeal as a practice of established efficiency. It is not, after all, a complete reinvention of the proverbial wheel but a logical means of adaptation.
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Defining e-detailing
First, we should briefly define e-detailing or electronic detailing. Exact definitions will slightly differ, but they all agree on the core concept of the term; using electronic mediums, such as desktops and mobile devices, to reach physicians with promotional and educational material. As the name suggests, this is typically long-form content but can be restricted to each marketer's needs.
This concept is far from novel, as our audiences likely suspect. The practice was already being studied in 2003, if not earlier – when the digital landscape was unquestionably more limited. Of course, it has evolved in strides within these two decades as the industry has changed around it.
Slight variations of this definition will include an online focus, integrating such strategies into broader marketing campaigns, etc. Some will specify content forms, although the base term inherently facilitates creativity and adaptation. A few will even expand to include DTC advertising within its scope, although this comes with local legalities to consider.
E-detailing as a sales funnel modernization catalyst
Perhaps needless to say, but since its inception, e-detailing has largely spearheaded a pursuit for modernization. It may not seem so in the current digital landscape, but e-detailing in pharma specifically seeks to address a physical problem through digital means. Especially in the US and New Zealand, where DTCA is entirely legal, it has allowed pharma marketers to follow the trends of B2C and optimize their sales funnels according to consumer behaviour and sensibilities.
Forms of e-detailing
To explain this assertion, before delving deeper into the applications of e-detailing, we may explore its forms. In the aforecited research, Roger Heutschi et al. distinguished between channels and interaction rules:
A chart on the types of e-detailing. (International Journal of Medical Marketing.)
This categorization can still be used today as an expansive overview of one's channels and perks. It can allow deeper customer journey mapping, better alignment with buyer personas in B2B settings, and more.
Some, however, adopt a more restrictive – or more concise – view of e-detailing content. For example, CMI Group identifies two primary types for B2B marketing:
1. One-time webinars; this time-specific form is more meticulously planned and is promoted to drive registrations. Through it, marketers may forge connections with likely prospects and fuel their funnels.
2. On-demand, self-directed learning; this form offers prospects the opportunity to engage when they choose to. It remains informative and educational, rather than promotional, and can utilize many content types.
CMI Group argues that these offer an expansive enough scope to drive results and positive ROI. They note that “content is [typically] repurposed from pharma rep sales aids and replicates the presentations used in person." This crucial point warrants stressing, as it both eases content creation demands and consolidates messaging in pharma advertising.
The advantages of e-detailing in pharma
With this context in mind, e-detailing can offer ample benefits to the pharma industry. Research by Fadi M. Alkhateeb and William R. Doucette had already outlined them in 2008, and recent research only confirms these potential benefits. We may consolidate them down to 3 fundamentals.
1. A response to COVID-19 developments
First, the point made in the introduction bears repeating here. PharmExec cites Ipsos research that confirms e-detailing has become an effective response to COVID restrictions. They substantiate this claim by noting that "HCPs are generally positive towards the shift to e-details," as data shows:
This initial observation continues, as they note that “the proportion of HCPs rating e-details as “effective” is nearly identical to the proportion rating a traditional in-person detail as “effective.” Nonetheless, as most research on the subject suggests, they conclude that e-detailing is not a substitute for in-person visits. Rather, as with general online marketing, the two may best be combined to complement and address each other’s shortcomings.
2. Cost-effectiveness
In addition, e-detailing in pharma can be demonstrably cost-effective. Where the above study elaborates why, exploring HCP predispositions, CMI data offers a clear look into potential ROI. Analyzing a “breadth of clients who have executed on-demand e-details through a third-party," they report notable success:
A table on e-detailing campaigns’ ROI across multiple health specialties via The CMI Group.
A key reason for this may lie in the e-detailing advantage regarding coverage, as it allows brands to supplement marketing in regions where rep coverage is low. As the study later covers, e-detailing may best cater to low-see or no-see physicians who would otherwise be inaccessible to representatives. Of course, calculating the exact ROI across different programs may prove challenging. Still, CMI argues that "e-details allow the brand to integrate into any current corporate ROI models” because of their data depth and direct collection.
3. Integrations with marketing automation
Third, on the note of data collection, e-detailing synergizes with broader marketing strategies by definition – as PharmExec argued. Its digital foundation allows it to leverage marketing automation efficiently between HCRM solutions and dedicated automation platforms. In doing so, it can now integrate into sales funnels more efficiently than during its initial phases, fueling B2B relations as CMI suggested. Deloitte echoes this point as well, as it asserts that the future of the pharma industry holds notable disruptors:
An illustration of disrupting forces to traditional biopharma via Smart Insights.
They conclude, "biopharma companies [will likely need] to consider new types of markets, alternative business models, or a complete change in how they define what work they do ." This, as the above research notes, may very well lie in e-detailing, at least in part.
The challenges of e-detailing in pharma
However, that is not to say that e-detailing is not without challenges. To conclude, here we may briefly outline the three main challenges research identifies, namely:
Asynchronous communication. An overreliance on e-detailing over in-person visits may pronounce asynchronous communication, which may hamper pitch effectiveness for specific products. Yam B. Limbu and Mark J. Kay argue for a “hybrid detailing" model, for this reason, echoing PharmExec’s point above.
Narrow scope and limited use. Similarly, superficial use of e-detailing may notably diminish its effectiveness. McKinsey’s Brian Salsberg and Hiroto Furuhashi identify the issue in Japan’s pharma sector’s e-detailing, dubbing it "unwieldy and inefficient ."This, they argue, is because of its narrow focus, as it is “more often used at the beginning of a product’s lifecycle [or] at the end” rather than holistically.
Potential mistrust. Finally, especially in cases of overreliance on e-detailing over in-person visits, digital information still hasn’t dispelled many physicians’ mistrust. Stefan Balkanski and Ilko Getov note that “information provided by pharmaceutical companies is still not regarded as trustworthy," which naturally extends to this marketing channel.
That is not to say these challenges can inherently not be overcome. Most of the research above does offer substantive solutions, from hybrid models to careful execution and holistic application. However, they are noteworthy and require attention and due diligence to address – and, ideally, prevent. While rudimentary, this article hopefully offered a solid starting point toward deeper explorations of e-detailing in pharma and its modern applications.
For more on strategic marketing approaches in the pharmaceutical sectors, and how we can help you, visit our section on strategy.
