Biopharma marketing has an omnichannel problem. Almost everyone has adopted the approach but few are seeing positive effects on engagement, according to a survey, leaving the industry looking for ways to realize the promise.
Graphite Digital looked at omnichannel engagement in its survey of senior executives at the top 100 pharmaceutical companies. The digital agency found the use of omnichannel is now widespread, with only 9% of respondents yet to adopt the approach, but satisfaction with the results is low.
Almost 80% of respondents said the use of omnichannel strategies had little to no impact on customer engagement. As well as failing to increase engagement, omnichannel has created challenges related to data security, privacy, management and use.
Asked why omnichannel is yet to fulfill its promise, executives cited internal communication problems as a barrier to success. One respondent pointed to “the lack of communication among internal units,” while another exec said “teams have been unprepared to change engagement strategies and approaches.” The exec called the friction with teams “a major hindrance.”
Evidence of internal barriers to success cropped up in other parts of the survey. Almost 60% of the execs said internal structures are the biggest barriers to digital transformation and adoption. Almost 40% pin the problem on mindset and culture.
The survey offers pointers to companies that want to make their omnichannel campaigns more effective but the lessons could be hard to implement for some businesses. Graphite found companies with sales of at least $10 billion a year are happier with their omnichannel results, with 29% of respondents in that subgroup of large pharma companies reporting highly successful outcomes.
Why? The agency said large companies “are more likely to have been able to invest in more sophisticated data management and analysis, as well as other areas such as customer feedback.” Comments from the surveyed execs corroborate the theory, with one respondent attributing their success to the creation of a “comprehensive data source.” Another exec noted the need to understand each platform’s dynamics.