Influencer Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Industry
The importance of influencer marketing in pharma, with examples and tips for running influencer campaigns.
In recent years, influencer marketing has become a popular way for brands to connect with consumers and promote their products. It is now one of the fastest-growing forms of marketing out there and many brands’ marketing strategy now includes an element of influencer Marketing. While this trend has been embraced by many industries, especially in B2C, it has been slower to catch on in the B2B and pharmaceutical industries.
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What is Influencer Marketing?
Before diving into how influencer marketing is used in pharma, it's important to understand what actually is influencer marketing. According to The Influencer Marketing Hub, “influencer marketing involves a brand collaborating with an online personality to market one of its products or services.” Influencer marketing is a form of marketing where brands partner with a social media influencer to promote their product or service. These influencers typically have a large following on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok and are known for their expertise, creativity, and engaging content. The key is that influencers don’t have to be celebrities, they can be anyone and anywhere. What makes them valuable is their knowledge, expertise, and unique voice.
Now for the stats courtesy of Influencer Marketing Hub:
Influencer marketing has grown to $16.4 billion in 2022
Businesses are making $5.2 ROI for every $1 spent on influencer marketing
There has been a 465% increase in searches for the phrase "influencer marketing" on Google alone since 2016
90% of survey respondents believe influencer marketing to be an effective form of marketing
67% of brands use Instagram for influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing is often more effective than traditional forms of advertising because it is seen as more authentic and trustworthy. Consumers are more likely to trust the recommendations of someone they follow on social media than a company's marketing message.
Why Influencer Marketing is Important for Pharma?
In the past, the pharmaceutical industry has been slow to embrace social media and other digital marketing channels due to strict regulations and concerns about patient privacy. However, as more patients turn to the internet for health information and seek out peer support on social media, pharma companies are realizing the potential of influencer marketing to connect with patients and healthcare providers.
Here are some of the reasons why influencer marketing is important for pharma:
Increased Reach
Influencers have large followings on social media, which means they can help pharma companies reach a wider audience than they would be able to on their own. By partnering with influencers who have a relevant audience, pharma companies can connect with patients and healthcare providers who may not have been aware of their product or service otherwise.
Trust and credibility
As mentioned earlier, influencer marketing is seen as more trustworthy and authentic than traditional forms of advertising. When a healthcare influencer recommends a product or service, their followers are more likely to trust their recommendation than a company's marketing message.
Education and Awareness
Many patients turn to social media for health information and peer support. By partnering with healthcare influencers, pharma companies can help educate patients about their conditions and treatment options. This can help increase awareness of a particular disease or condition and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes.
Compliance
When it comes to pharma marketing, compliance is key. Influencer marketing can help pharma companies navigate the complex regulatory landscape by working with influencers who are familiar with the regulations and can help ensure that all content is compliant.
Challenges of Influencer Marketing in Pharma
While there are many benefits to using influencer marketing in pharma, there are also some challenges that need to be considered.
Regulatory compliance
As mentioned earlier, regulatory compliance is a major concern for pharma companies. There are strict guidelines around the promotion of prescription drugs and medical devices, which can make it difficult to work with influencers. Pharma companies need to ensure that all content is compliant and avoid making any claims that are not supported by scientific evidence. This can also vary hugely from country to country so any campaigns may need to have a different strategy and tactics for each country.
Reputation management
Influencers have a lot of power and can influence the reputation of a brand. Pharma companies need to be careful when selecting influencers to work with and ensure that they align with their values and messaging.
Lack of awareness
While influencer marketing is becoming more popular in pharma, many patients and healthcare providers may not be aware of this form of marketing. Pharma companies need to educate their target audience about influencer marketing and ensure that they are transparent about their partnerships with influencers.
Suitability
The pharmaceutical supply chain is vast and the majority of success using influencer marketing has been towards the latter part of the chain and in particular, the marketing of drugs to the final consumer be it the patient or the HCP. Therefore, in order for influencer marketing to be as successful as possible, you must always relate it back to the target audience and their needs, as it might not always be so relevant for target audiences higher up the supply chain.
Examples of Influencer Marketing in Pharma
That being said, there are examples of pharma companies successfully using influencer marketing. Here are some of the best examples.
Boehringer Ingelheim and Type 2 Diabetes Influencers
Boehringer Ingelheim, a pharmaceutical company that specializes in diabetes treatments, partnered with a group of type 2 diabetes influencers to launch the "Create Your Change" campaign. The campaign aimed to empower patients to take control of their condition and make positive lifestyle changes. The influencers, who had a combined following of over 600,000, shared their personal stories and offered tips and advice for managing diabetes.
The campaign was a huge success, with over 22 million impressions and a 71% increase in website traffic. By partnering with influencers who had personal experience with the condition, Boehringer Ingelheim was able to connect with patients in an authentic and meaningful way.
Pfizer and Breast Cancer Influencers
Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company that produces cancer treatments, partnered with a group of breast cancer influencers to launch the "Surviving with Stories" campaign. The campaign aimed to raise awareness about metastatic breast cancer and encourage patients to share their own stories. The influencers, who had a combined following of over 200,000, shared their personal experiences with the disease and encouraged their followers to get involved.
The campaign was a huge success, with over 4 million impressions and a 38% increase in website traffic. By partnering with influencers who had personal experience with the disease, Pfizer was able to connect with patients in a meaningful and empathetic way.
Novartis and MS Influencers
Novartis, a pharmaceutical company that produces treatments for multiple sclerosis, partnered with a group of MS influencers to launch the "My MS Second Act" campaign. The campaign aimed to inspire patients with MS to pursue their passions and live their best lives. The influencers, who had a combined following of over 100,000, shared their personal stories and offered advice and inspiration for living with the condition.
The campaign was a huge success, with over 4 million impressions and a 78% increase in website traffic. By partnering with influencers who had personal experience with the condition, Novartis was able to connect with patients in a way that was authentic and meaningful.
GSK and Asthma Influencers
GSK, a pharmaceutical company that produces treatments for asthma, partnered with a group of asthma influencers to launch the "You Can Control Asthma" campaign. The campaign aimed to educate patients about the importance of proper asthma management and encourage them to take control of their condition. The influencers, who had a combined following of over 100,000, shared their personal experiences with asthma and offered tips and advice for managing the condition.
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Influencer Marketing Tips
Always keep the target audience in mind
Sounds simple, doesn’t it? The first rule of marketing but it is easy to get caught up in the hype of a new marketing trend. Always think, will my target be looking at this and will it actually influence my customers? Also, make sure that you are using the right social media platform for your target audience. TikTok, whilst popular and in the media might not be the best platform to sell your lab services to a drug discovery company. However, it may be perfect for promoting participation in clinical trials or donations.
They don’t always have to be celebrities
Remember an influencer can be anyone and anywhere. They don’t have to have a large following but just a unique and well-valued voice. But make sure you research the influencers thoroughly before engaging with them to ensure the message does come from a trustworthy source. Having said that, since the pandemic, celebrities have had more of an influence, especially during the pandemic and the uptake of the vaccination. While unpaid and could be political, there's no doubt some of the famous people who promoted vaccination helped increase vaccination rates, especially in the US where uptake wasn't as widespread as in the UK.
Always check regulations by territory
It is more commonplace to see influencer marketing in pharma in the US whereas it is heavily regulated in the UK. Always make sure you know what the rules and regulations are by territory and adjust strategy and tactics accordingly to prevent prohibited ads or a bad reputation. This may mean that you need to look at campaigns by region, which does make it more complicated, but it is crucial when using social media as an advertising tool.
You could argue that with the reliance on digital media in the pandemic years, are there any true new leads out there? You can only promote to the same list of people so many times therefore how do you reach a new audience? Influencer marketing could do just that but for it to be successful, you need to do your research, think strategically and always think about the end consumer. Don’t just do it to tick a marketing box or be on trend.
Wrapping up: Influencer marketing in pharma
It is safe to say that influencer marketing is definitely here to stay and can’t be ignored as a potential tactic in a wider marketing strategy. It is more difficult in the pharmaceutical industry to navigate some of the challenges we have talked about earlier in the article than say in B2C due to the nature of the products and services that are being offered. Having said that, if you do your research well, know your target audience and create content that is engaging and valued, there is no reason why Influencer marketing can’t be as successful in the pharmaceutical industry as any other industries. Why not give it a try!
For more on strategic marketing approaches in the pharmaceutical sectors, visit our section on strategy.