Unlocking the Future of Customer Engagement in Pharma
Only 28% of HCPs believe pharma´s customer engagement strategies meet their needs.
Pharmaceutical companies are facing a critical moment in customer engagement. Traditional strategies are no longer sufficient to meet the evolving needs of healthcare professionals (HCPs). A recent Deloitte global survey of over 190 HCPs and 50 pharmaceutical executives from the top 25 pharmaceutical firms revealed a significant gap between pharma's outreach efforts and customer needs. This highlights the urgent need to shift towards more personalised, data-driven, and omnichannel engagement strategies.
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Understanding the engagement gap
The same survey shows that a staggering 82% of life sciences executives are satisfied with their current customer engagement strategies, yet only 28% of HCPs feel that these strategies meet their needs effectively. This disconnect highlights a crucial problem: while pharma executives may believe they are doing well, HCPs do not, and they are actively seeking more tailored, informative, and timely interactions.
The three pillars of effective customer engagement
To address this gap, it’s essential to focus on the foundational pillars of customer engagement: Customer Experience (CX) Strategy, Content, and Channels.
Enablers of transformation
To unlock the full potential of these foundational pillars organisations will need to create an integrated commercial backbone and orchestrate across three key enablers – Data & Analytics, Technology, and an effective Operating Framework.
Future customer engagement models
As we look to the future, engaging with HCPs, customers, and patients will become increasingly complex, requiring diverse archetypes for effective communication. Based on Deloitte’s research, five distinct customer engagement models have been identified. Each model emphasises different aspects of the foundational pillars and enablers that are essential for successful engagement:
- The Integrator - Focuses on complex stakeholder engagement and seamless communication across multiple channels
- The Concierge - Provides high-touch, personalised interactions that address both medical and non-medical needs
- The Always-On Amplifier – Focuses on low-cost, high efficiency digital engagements to convey audience-specific messaging on product information
- The Digital Driver – Leverages digital-first engagement including AI-driven tools, taking a low-cost margin approach to creating scalable, personalised experiences
- The Outsourcer - Prioritises a light-touch, lean approach, outsourcing significant portions of customer engagement to third parties
Most companies will ultimately focus on 1 or 2 models to find the right fit, depending on the design of their business. Deloitte collaborates with life science companies in leveraging these models to focus on tailored strategies and decide where to prioritise the investment of resources that drive differentiation in the market, based on each company’s unique ambitions, portfolio focus, customer needs and organisational capabilities.
How can Deloitte help?
Deloitte offers deep expertise in transforming customer engagement strategies within the life science industry. By leveraging our insights and technology capabilities, we help companies across the industry bridge the gap between current practices and the evolving expectations of HCPs, patients, and customers. Our approach is grounded in data-driven insights, advanced technology integration, and execution methodologies adapted to the unique needs of each client.
Whether it’s designing your future go-to-market models, developing personalised CX strategies, integrating advanced analytics and GenAI, or selecting the right technology platform, Deloitte partners with life science companies and our alliance partners to unlock the full potential of customer engagement efforts.
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