Big Pharma’s effort to reach the Multicultural population Online.

A new study released by Global Advertising Strategies (Global) analyzes two prominent trends in today’s healthcare and pharmaceutical marketing: the growing impact of multicultural population segments and their deep utilization of novel digital capacities. The report examines how pharmaceutical companies have capitalized on these trends — or failed to do so, — to maximize their revenue-generating potential.

Developed by Global’s market research team, the study analyzes digital behavior patterns and characteristics of the cross-cultural community in the U.S. as they relate to healthcare information, as well as assesses the extent to which major pharmaceutical companies have utilized Internet capacities in their engagement with those audiences.

The study identifies three distinct approaches currently used by pharmaceutical companies to communicate with the multicultural audiences:

1. Basic availability of downloadable in-language information in a PDF format.

2. A dedicated microsite designed for a multicultural consumer that contains in-language information.

3. An interactive, online tool for patients and healthcare providers that ensures better disease awareness and education, drug selection as well as prescription compliance in a culturally-competent manner.

“The differences among major pharmaceutical companies and their means of reaching a multicultural consumer was a startling discovery considering the lucrative opportunity that the U.S. cross-cultural community represents,” said David J. Cortés Reynel, Global’s Multicultural Healthcare Marketing practice leader. “Given the remarkable growth of the multicultural community as evidenced by the 2010 Census figures, the pharmaceutical industry as a whole has yet to realize the full potential of the Internet and mobile technologies in their outreach to those communities.”

Other conclusions indicated use of simple translations of online healthcare information which often fall short of their desired intent. Most pharmaceutical brand marketers and healthcare clinicians are intrigued by cultural/language consumer online strategies, and generally recognize the need to augment their expertise in cross-cultural online marketing in order to fully maximize their revenue-generating potential, but this has yet to translate into widespread and sustained observable action.

The study offers recommendations to attain a sophisticated digital communications platform that would demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility, create an optimal patient experience and, ultimately, serve the needs of patients of all ethnic backgrounds, as well as partially alleviate major bottlenecks in American public health.

To download study CLICK on link below;
http://global-ny.com/docs/BrandedDrugWebsites.pdf>