Sustainability in B2B Pharmaceutical Marketing
Sustainability is a critical issue for the pharmaceutical industry - here are considerations for B2B pharma marketers.
In recent years there has been more focus on sustainability in pharma, looking at how the industry can cut medicines waste, create more recyclable packaging, become more energy efficient and lower carbon emissions. A few years ago, a study showed how pharma is worse than the automotive industry for carbon emissions. So, as you can imagine, this is a significant problem. This has been largely driven by new targets that need to be met but looking after our shared environment is of course a topic that has wider implications and resonates with many people within the industry on a personal and emotional level.
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Pharmaceuticals and healthcare as a sector contribute 4.4% of total global emissions. So new bodies and initiatives, such as “Sustainable Medicines Partnership” by YewMaker, a private-public, multi-stakeholder not-for-profit collaboration of 48 organisations that include leading pharma, generics and retail medicine manufacturers, packagers etc. have formed to tackle this.
Its director Nazneen Rahman, who is also the founder of YewMaker, has set up this innovation incubator with a mission to build, test and scale sustainable healthcare solutions. As well as a molecular genetics researcher she is also a former professor of human genetics at the Institute of Cancer Research, so we feel this initiative is in good hands and is driven by a real appetite for change.
Sustainable Medicines Partnership launched a four-year programme in 2022 to find solutions that will work at scale. The main focus points of the Sustainable Medicines Partnership programme, which could be applied to a range of B2B and DTC pharmaceutical organisations, are:
Smarter supply chains. $37 billion of medicines are lost annually due to failures in cold chain logistics alone. Another source of waste comes from the necessity to hold excess inventory in supply chains.
Improving medicine shelf life. Stability data sets medicine shelf lives typically at around two to three years, yet 90% of medicines are effective for five years longer on average.
Creating more sustainable packaging. A trillion medicines packets are thrown away every year, going to landfill or incineration, yet most medicines plastics could be recycled. Eliminating single-use plastics is a priority.
Becoming more digital. Huge quantities of paper are used in medicines information leaflets, and millions of dollars worth of medicines are discarded annually due to leaflet issues (they need to be updated or because there are errors in them).
Using every dose. It’s estimated that manufacturers destroy 3% of medicines, around 135 billion doses a year, often surplus doses. Furthermore, in the US and the UK around 10% of prescriptions are not collected (US, UK) and smart, dynamic stock control solutions are rarely used to help limit waste.
The pillars of sustainable medicines - YewMaker
Sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry goes beyond just reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions. It involves creating a more sustainable supply chain, reducing the environmental impact of products, and improving access to healthcare while minimizing harm to the environment, building on some of the initiatives above. By incorporating sustainability practices into their operations, companies can demonstrate their commitment to making a positive impact on society and the planet, which then be communicated from a marketing perspective. And an important message from this post will be to only communicate sustainability if there is a real effort to become sustainable.
Sustainability can also be a key differentiator in B2B pharma marketing. By promoting sustainability practices, pharmaceutical organisations can differentiate themselves from their competitors and appeal to environmentally conscious customers, clients and other organisations looking to achieve the same sustainability goals. This can involve highlighting their commitment to sustainability on their website, in marketing materials, and in communications with customers. By doing so, they can create a positive brand image and demonstrate their commitment to making a positive impact on the environment (if they are actually achieving this in some way).
Green manufacturing
One way in which the pharma industry can promote sustainability is by implementing green manufacturing practices. Green manufacturing refers to the use of environmentally friendly materials and processes to create pharmaceutical products. This can involve using recycled materials, reducing waste, and minimizing the use of harmful chemicals, this is the case from a marketing perspective which we think of print materials, samples and conference and event-based materials. By implementing these practices, companies can reduce their environmental impact while still producing high-quality products. But it’s far from straightforward. An interesting article by Forbes highlights the key issues from such a focus.
As the world becomes increasingly conscious of its environmental impact, companies are expected to take responsibility for their actions and work towards a sustainable future. From a B2B pharma marketing perspective, sustainability can be a key differentiator that sets companies apart from their competitors. When it comes to B2B pharma marketing, there are a number of channels where you can get your sustainability message across within the industry and Orientation Marketing are here to help you formulate the right messages in this area and find the right channels to share your key sustainability efforts.
Content creation
Our scientific content writers are here to support you with articles, case studies, white papers, blogs etc to discuss how your company is thriving to make your products and processes more sustainable in the long run. It goes without saying that for any B2B pharma organisation, it is extremely important to avoid any form of greenwashing and focus on real efforts that are aiming to meet concrete targets. Videos can also be a great way to show the industry how your company is able to for instance adjust manufacturing processes to lower emissions and use less energy or create pharma packaging that can be recycled in bigger quantities, reducing landfill.
Third-party media placements
There are a number of B2B pharma publications that cover sustainability topics in their editorial coverage, create for instance sustainability-focused e-books and e-newsletters, and dedicate even whole issues for this topic in publications such as ONdrugDelivery (Drug Delivery & Environmental Sustainability issue), Pharmaceutical Technology, The Medicine Maker, European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, European Pharmaceutical Review and many others. There is even a new magazine fully focusing on this called Pharma Nature Positive (PNP) alongside the packaging-focused Sustainable Packaging News.
Awards
In addition to finding you the right media placements for your content, we can also help you find a list of industry awards that focus on sustainability efforts. Please reach out to find a complete list of which pharma industry sustainability awards your company could participate in. Sustainable Medicines Packaging Awards, Pharmapack Awards and CPHI Pharma Awards are some we would certainly suggest.
Be wary of greenwashing
Research World tackles the concept of “greenwashing”: “a superficial or insincere display of concern for the environment that is shown by an organization… which has risen by 600%… and today, accusations of greenwash are skyrocketing, as society witnesses an epic shift towards sustainability, proving devastating for brands under fire.” This is a real concern for pharmaceutical marketers, as it knows that their organisation is harming the environment (in its quest to do the exact opposite to humans and those that occupy that very environment). Marketers would need to assess the implications of its manufacturing process, and tread carefully when aligning their marketing messages and campaigns with sustainability.
Related posts
Sustainability in pharma (marketing)
Sustainability is a critical issue for the pharmaceutical industry. And as EPR state, the relationship between pharmaceuticals/biopharmaceuticals and sustainability is complex to say the very least. But companies that take proactive steps to reduce their environmental impact and promote sustainability practices can differentiate themselves in a competitive market. By implementing green manufacturing practices, reducing the environmental impact of their products, and promoting their sustainability practices, pharma companies can demonstrate their commitment to making a positive impact on society and the planet.
The whole Orientation Marketing team takes sustainability and looking after our shared environment seriously and as a result, we have recently partnered with Ocean Bottle to help collect plastic bottles from a range of beaches and seaside communities around the world. To date, nearly 9 million kilos have already been removed within this initiative and the goal is to remove 7 billion bottles by 2025. Please read more about our Ocean Bottle campaign to stop at least 100,000 plastic bottles from entering our oceans in 2023.
For more on strategic marketing approaches in the pharmaceutical sectors, visit our section on strategy.