Changes in the Physician Channel Mix of U.S. Physicians.

Trends that Marketers Need to Know for 2009 Strategy Planning

Today, virtually all U.S. physicians depend on the Internet as a professional information source, and most view it as essential to the success of their practice. The issue for pharma marketers today is not only that they must increase their brand presence online, but also that it’s crucial to understand their physicians’ most preferred online channels, resources, and activities. Which health and pharma sources will their particular target audience find essential in 2009? Will their marketing plans be equipped to handle these channel shifts?

Manhattan Research recently discussed these and other trends from the just released Taking the Pulse v8.0 study of U.S. physicians during a U.S. Physician Digital Marketing & Sales Trends Webcast. Marketers interested in gaining access to the trends covered in the webcast and Taking the Pulse v8.0 product information can visit www.manhattanresearch.com/physician_market_trends/

Connecting with Physicians at Online Conferences

Physicians limited by busy professional lives and geography are embracing virtual conferences/congresses as a way to network with colleagues and to stay current on the latest medical topics. Physician use of online conferences has grown significantly over the past five years in the United States, and a half-million practicing U.S. physicians report they have participated in an online conference in the past 12 months.

For pharma marketers, promoting brands via virtual conference sponsorships and making sure speaker strategies include an emphasis on digital assets that can be used over time can be a cost-effective strategy for reaching a solid base of online physicians already seeking out conference materials online.

Reaching Physicians through Informed Patients

Physicians have a multitude of influencers that affect their clinical decisions, and increasingly informed patients are adding their voice to the mix. Almost all U.S. physicians report that at least some of their patients bring online health information to an appointment, and as a result, most of these physicians spend more time with these “healthcare overachievers”.

Online health information seekers, a population segment that continues to increase in size every year, can be an indirect channel for marketers to reach and influence physicians. Providing these consumers with educational online pharma content that can be easily found on health portals and online communities and through search engines give brands the best chance of inserting themselves in physician-patient discussions at the practice level.

Enhancing the Role of the Sales Rep with the Web

As the number of professional information resources and channels available to physicians grows, sales reps run the risk of fading into the background as a source of pharmaceutical and treatment information. The sales rep is still an important source for questions that require discussion and new product introductions, but physicians are increasingly using the web for routine pharma information seeking activities on a day to day basis.

Many pharma companies are employing web strategies to enhance the physician-sales rep relationship. Full-service portals such as MerckServices.com and PfizerPro.com allow physicians to access journal reprints, order samples, and download patient education materials at their own convenience. These surround sound CRM strategies which often employ many components of a “virtual rep” can actually improve the quality of face-to-face physician-sales rep sessions.

Gaining Insights through Physician-Only Online Communities

Physician-only online social networks have been a hot topic over the past year, and more than half of physicians are interested in participating in sites like Sermo and Medscape Physician Connect to discuss patient care and share professional experiences with colleagues.

So how can a pharma marketer take advantage of this shift in physician behavior online? Some physician-only networks are giving companies and commercial sponsors access to online discussions in the community to use as a market research tool. Listening to the healthcare topics and concerns of an engaged physician audience can help pharma companies better plan and execute product and marketing plans and perhaps refine future product plans or upcoming launches. Furthermore, communities are also exploring the possibility of letting sponsors introduce discussion threads, post questions to the community, and even provide a mechanisms for physicians to click through to promotional content within a discussion thread if the reader wants to dig deeper into what the company making the product has to say about the product – even through that will be clearly be content positioned in the most favorable light.

For more information at http://www.manhattanresearch.com

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