Author: Nico Renner, Patient Engagement & Digital Marketing in Ophthalmology at Roche
In the field of Pharma marketing*, navigating the strict regulations unique to our industry is given, and thankfully so. However, these constraints should not serve as an excuse for us to settle for standard marketing tactics and avoid any innovative approaches.
In patient engagement, product discussions are obviously off-limits in the majority of countries, hence our focus lies on raising disease awareness, educating patients, and empowering them on their journey from diagnosis to treatment. In this article, you will learn about two real-world examples: the patient support program “Telefon mit Herz” from www.meineaugenblicke.de and Retinora, a patient app - both designed to support nAMD and DME patients.
In the end, communication has the same goal when addressing patients and HCPs:
"Communicate your message understandably and in a setting which is suitable for the receiver. It's about channel, content and timing!"
Wording or Visuals can make a tremendous difference, which is why marketeers always state that “Content is king”. Typically you only have a few seconds (!) to get your message across or at least raise interest (this is not unique to healthcare) [1]. While social media is only one of many channels and certainly brings biases, Meta (Instagram & Facebook) offers powerful A/B testing features to enhance your marketing outcomes significantly. Let’s have a look!
*with marketing, I am hereby referring to product unrelated marketing about disease awareness services, as we obviously act according to the German “Heilmittelwerbegesetz”.
Definition: A/B testing in digital marketing involves comparing two versions of an advertisement by changing only one variable at a time, such as the image, text, call-to-action (CTA), or even the product slogan. The objective is to determine which version better aligns with your predefined goals, e.g. creating awareness about your campaign. (Friendly reminder: I assume you already have a specific goal - if not, get on it!). With a well-crafted hypothesis, you not only measure ad performance but can also provide strategic insights, which could impact your entire campaign.
The more effective your campaign, the more likely you reach your audience with disease awareness content at the right time, which might e.g. result in some patients consulting their physicians and hence receiving treatment on time.
"With an optimal campaign design, you can make a real difference on patients’ lives!"
What do you think, looking at the ads below. Should the patient app Retinora address AMD and DME patients as their daily partner “in fighting AMD and DME” (Kampf) or “coping with their disease” (Leben)? Please note that only one word (!!) was changed in this ad.
AMD and DME are both chronic diseases, so the idea of a partner to cope and learn with the disease sounded reasonable. Our entire team (including some patients) figured that “fight” sounds too aggressive. The poll below shows that my linkedin network also did not prefer the wording "fight". I totally agreed, but then decided to test it anyway....
For some reason, the conversion rates on Social Media were 2-3x higher when talking about the "fight" against AMD and DME. Of course, this is only a part of the full picture and we the people we reached are not necessarily patients, but at least this gives a hint that the answer to this question is not trivial and should be further explored.
"Such insights should profoundly affect your overall marketing strategy and communication as a wrong decision might cause irreversible damage to your relationship with patients."
A/B testing is crucial in digital marketing due to its ease of application and the invaluable data it provides. This approach allows for quick, cost-effective creation of ad variations and rapid collection of results, helping you to refine your campaigns and improve efficiency.
For instance, at www.MeineAugenblicke.de, we tested different names for a patient support program for nAMD and DME patients. The test revealed that the emotionally charged "TELEFON MIT HERZ (Telephone with a Heart)" performed significantly better than the more generic "MEIN SERVICE (My Service),"doubling the conversion rate. You can now either use half of the budget for the same reach or doubling the clicks for the same spend.
Whatever you decide, you just increased your marketing efficiency by 50% - invest the other half in something meaningful for patients..”
Do you want to see examples? Click here.
When setting up campaigns, especially on platforms like Meta, it’s vital to understand the available objectives because they dictate how your ads are optimized and delivered. I chose the most important ones for the pharma sector, but you find a comprehensive list in my references. [2]:
Meta also has a feature called “Target audience”. Please note that In many countries, targeting or retargeting patients or generally health conditions is strictly prohibited. Thus, there is a strong limitation regarding the use of this tool and you should act with caution.
The initial ad exposure is largely controlled by algorithms, which determine the best audience based on the above mentioned campaign objectives. However, once the ad is viewed, the human element comes into play, as individuals decide whether or not to engage with the content.
“Everything that happens after your ad made it on a users’ screen is subject to a human being’s decision.”
This understanding is crucial in interpreting campaign data and optimizing ad performance. The strategic implications of this interplay between algorithmic targeting and human response can significantly impact the success of your marketing efforts.
If you wish to see more detail from a real-world example for this, please see here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nicorenner_meineaugenblickede-ab-visual-vs-text-activity-7190949998702809088-dF-J?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
The only risk of doing A/B testings on social media is that sometimes you won’t like the results.
In the shown examples, Retinora and www.meineaugenblicke.de, it becomes evident how data from A/B testings can have an impact on your marketing strategy and improve patient engagement activities. Used wisely, social media can save considerable time and resources (also for your audience!), prevent miscommunication, and enhance the overall impact of your campaigns.
"The beauty of A/B testing in this regard? There’s no downside - every tested ad still contributes to awareness and conversion."
Disclaimer: This article is based on my individual research and opinion, hence it does not necessarily reflect Roche’s opinion. The shown data is real world data from A/B testings.
[1]: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1346267/time-spent-mobile-advertising/
[2]: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1438417719786914
[3]: More About Retinora: https://www.meineaugenblicke.de/augenblicke-angebote/retinora-app
[4]: More about meine augenblicke’s patient support program: https://www.meineaugenblicke.de/telefon
Pictures are real examples from Roche's augenblicke campaign.
