9 Key Pharma Marketing Trends (+ Tips & Examples)

By Intelligent Relations Team

November 28, 2023

Author's Page

The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most lucrative industries in healthcare. But it’s challenging to establish the necessary trust and authenticity. 

That’s why you need a robust marketing and PR strategy that tackles challenges. 

What kind of challenges?

Communicating complex science to Average Joe. Making your products or services appealing.  And handling consumer skepticism.

If you’re marketing for a pharma brand, you’re familiar with the complex science behind your products and services. But your customers aren’t. You need to convey the value and benefits of your product without oversimplifying or misrepresenting that complex science.

You also need to address issues such as rising drug prices, side effects, and ethics, all of which influence consumer trust. 

If this all sounds overwhelming, don’t worry. 

We’ve outlined the 9 most relevant pharma marketing trends. Plus, we’ve included the benefits of each marketing idea and tips to help you integrate it into your strategy. 

Our Top Pharma Marketing Trends 2024

• Public Relations
• Thought Leadership 
• Influencer Marketing
• AI and Marketing Automation
• Omnichannel Marketing
• Streamed Content
• Video Marketing
• Mobile App Marketing
• Social Media Channels

1. Public Relations Creates a Positive Image for Your Pharma Brand

Why is public relations (PR) one of the top pharma marketing trends? 

Because it creates a positive image of your brand among patients, healthcare providers, and the public.

PR campaigns provide a crucial channel for educating people about drugs and diseases. Through PR, you can communicate a balance of risk information and scientific data. Plus, it’s a great way to keep the medical community informed while adhering to regulatory requirements​.

To get started on PR, you’ll want to identify Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) within your company. KOLs are essentially thought leaders. They are well-respected and have the expertise and experience to amplify awareness of unmet medical needs through educational efforts​.

Good examples of KOLs include medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, hospital executives, healthcare system directors, or similar professionals.   

You can also develop relationships with KOLs outside your organization. Find influencers who can articulate the value and efficacy of medications. This helps you stand out as a trusted figure in the healthcare community.

Next, you’ll want to build long-lasting relationships with relevant journalists and industry publications. You’ll want to choose relevant journalists who cover the type of newsworthy content you’re generating with your KOLs.

The picture below is an example of how Intelligent Relations helps you find and connect with journalists and outlets that can help spread the word about your brand: 

Pro Tip: Consider leveraging data from health plans to identify patient needs and pain points. Use these insights to craft customized educational materials. They should aim to enhance patient understanding and engagement with your products and services.

Ready to get started on your PR strategy? Then you’ll want to learn how to craft an effective PR plan. Check out our comprehensive guide: How to Write an Effective PR Plan [Tips + Examples]

2. Thought Leadership Boosts Your Pharma Brand’s Authority

Thought leadership isn’t just a buzzword.

It’s a strategic necessity and one of the top pharma marketing trends. 

Integrating thought leadership into pharma marketing can boost your brand’s authority and credibility. It can also foster trust with consumers and pave the way for a more informed customer base.

When consumers trust the messenger, they are more likely to trust the message. That extends to the medication or treatment you’re marketing.

Thought leadership also helps transform complex medical jargon into relatable content. This makes it more likely for consumers to engage with your pharma brand.

To make thought leadership part of your strategy, use your KOLs to create original, innovative content that educates consumers on health conditions, treatment options, and scientific advancements. 

This educational approach informs and empowers consumers to make better health decisions.

You can also partner with other thought leaders who align with your brand’s values and mission. Ensure they have the respect of their peers and the trust of the community you aim to serve.

Here is an example from Forbes that demonstrates pharma thought leadership:

Pro Tip: Develop content that showcases the thought leader’s expertise and insight. This could be through webinars, podcasts, or informative articles that add real value to the conversation around healthcare. The next step taps into the first trend – promoting your content through PR. 

Ready to start your thought leadership strategy? Learn more about thought leadership with our guide: Unlocking the Power of Thought Leadership Marketing (Benefits + Best Practices)

3. AI and Marketing Automation Improves Marketing Efficiency

Artificial intelligence (AI) and marketing automation remain one of the most important pharma marketing trends for a reason. They revolutionize how pharma companies engage with healthcare professionals and patients. 

The integration of these technologies ensures that marketing strategies are both efficient and effective. 

First, they enable the analysis of data sets to identify patterns in customer behavior. This allows you to take a tailored approach to your marketing efforts.

Plus, AI can help you create content at a faster pace by generating content ideas, outlines, and copy. This can help cut down on time and money spent creating content from scratch.

When leveraging AI, ensure that the data you feed into your systems is of high quality. Clean, well-structured data is more valuable than sheer volume. It leads to more accurate insights and predictions.

The AI systems you use should not be static. They must learn from ongoing campaigns and market feedback. Set up your marketing automation tools to adapt and evolve with each interaction. This will help improve the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.

This video explains how AI tools such as ChatGPT can be used to gather and analyze data:

Pro Tip: When using AI to generate content, be sure to thoroughly review and fact-check it. Sometimes, AI produces inaccurate information known as “hallucinations.” Plus, it may create passive and awkward sentence structures. 

Want to know the latest trends in marketing automation? Check out our article: 10 Emerging Marketing Automation Trends for 2024

4. Omnichannel Marketing Creates a Seamless Customer Experience

For many pharma brands, the transition towards omnichannel strategies marks a significant evolution from traditional methods. Omnichannel marketing seamlessly integrates multiple channels, making it one of the most innovative pharma marketing trends. 

The idea is to make the customer journey from one touchpoint to another as seamless as possible, so that the customer can’t identify the transition point between channels. That includes the movement between digital and physical touchpoints. 

This approach is particularly advantageous in pharma, where engaging with healthcare professionals (HCPs), patients, and stakeholders requires both precision and finesse.

By coordinating interactions across various platforms, omnichannel marketing ensures that stakeholders receive a unified message, reinforcing brand reliability and trust.

To use omnichannel marketing, understand each touchpoint in the HCP and patient journey. Use this knowledge to deliver relevant content at the right time. To create relevant content, leverage data analytics to understand the specific needs and preferences of your customer segments. 

This video describes what omnichannel marketing is and how it works: 

Pro Tip: Ensure all omnichannel marketing efforts are compliant with healthcare regulations. Integrating compliance checks within the content delivery system can safeguard against potential legal issues. Plus, it upholds your pharma brand’s integrity.

5. Influencer Marketing Can Expand Your Pharma Brand’s Reach

Tapping into influencer marketing is a strategic move for pharma brands, making it one of the leading pharma marketing trends. 

Influencers with a professional background in healthcare come with a built-in level of trust and authority. Their endorsement of a medication or treatment can sway public opinion. This makes their involvement in marketing campaigns valuable.

Their platforms provide a space for engagement and education. Here, audiences can learn about health conditions and treatments in a more relatable context.

Influencers also typically have specific niche audiences. You can partner with the right influencers to reach particular demographic groups or those with specific medical conditions. This ensures that your marketing efforts are seen by those most likely to be impacted.

It’s not just about the number of followers. Be sure to select influencers who are relevant to the therapeutic area you’re marketing. Their follower base should also align with the target market of the drug or treatment.

Here is an example of how influencer marketing works in the pharma industry:

Pro Tip: Build long-term partnerships with influencers to yield more authentic advocacy. Continuous collaboration allows for a deeper understanding of the product. This leads to more credible and compelling content.

To gain new influencer marketing tips, see our article: 9 Top Influencer Marketing Trends Shaping the Industry in 2024

6. Streamed Content Can Help You Connect With Customers in Real Time

Streamed content isn’t just one of the top pharma marketing trends. It has become a go-to strategy for reaching and engaging target audiences in general. 

That’s because streamed content, particularly live streams, can significantly boost engagement. Audiences are more likely to interact with live content. They often ask questions and participate in real-time discussions. This can build stronger connections with your pharma brand.

Platforms such as YouTube, Facebook Live, or specialized healthcare streaming services can help you expand your reach. This is particularly beneficial for rare disease medications or specialized therapies that may have a limited audience.

When implementing streaming, ensure that your content complies with regulations. It should adhere to industry guidelines and accurately present information.

Use patient stories or doctor testimonials to convey your message. Authentic stories can resonate more deeply with viewers than data-heavy presentations.

EVERMED is a streaming platform many pharma companies use. Here is an example of how it works: 

Pro Tip: Try live-streaming webinars, product launches, and other milestone events. Start by identifying key topics of interest that align with your brand’s expertise, and use engaging, knowledgeable speakers to present information in an interactive format.

7. Video Marketing is the Easiest Form of Content to Consume

What makes video marketing one of the top pharma marketing trends? It’s one of the most effective ways to engage and educate your audience. 

Many pharma companies use video to tell their stories and simplify complex information.

Video marketing has the power to capture and retain the audience’s attention far better than text-based content. For pharma, this means better engagement with healthcare professionals and patients. This makes it easier to convey information about drugs and treatment options.

With video, you can extend your reach beyond traditional channels. Viewers easily share videos across social media and can access them worldwide. This helps you reach a wider audience for educational campaigns and drug promotions.

How can you best tap into this trend? Start with a good story. A good story resonates with everyone. Be sure to craft narratives around patient success stories or the journey of a drug from concept to market. Also, create a compelling message that can humanize your brand.

This example from CVS Pharmacy shows how to use video marketing to showcase your products and services: 

Pro Tip: An increasing number of healthcare providers and patients are accessing information on the go. To accommodate them, ensure your video content is optimized for mobile devices. This provides better accessibility and user experience.

Get some up-to-date video marketing ideas by reading our article: Top 10 Video Marketing Trends for 2024 [+ Tips]

8. Mobile App Marketing Allows Customers to Engage with Your Pharma Brand Instantly

Mobile apps have emerged as a powerful tool to engage and inform healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers. This makes mobile app marketing one of the leading pharma marketing trends of 2024.  

The integration of mobile app marketing into pharma strategies offers unique advantages that align with digital transformation.

They often provide instant access to drug information, dosage calculators, or clinical study data. For patients, apps provide medication reminders, health tracking, and educational resources. These are all personalized to their treatment journey.

The benefit for you? These apps are a goldmine for collecting user data. You can use this data to gain insights into user behavior, treatment outcomes, and engagement levels. Plus, you can use it to refine your marketing strategies, enhance patient support programs, and drive product development.

Want to make mobile app marketing one of your pharma marketing trends? 

First, ensure that your app adheres to regulatory standards. This includes data privacy laws such as HIPAA and GDPR, as well as industry-specific regulations.

Design your app with the end-user in mind. It should be intuitive and easy to navigate. Plus, it should provide value through its features and content.

Here is an example from CVS Pharmacy’s mobile app:

Pro Tip: Use feedback loops and app analytics to continually update and improve the app. Keeping the app relevant and user-friendly will help maintain engagement over time.

Want to learn how to leverage mobile app marketing? Check out our article: 9 Top Mobile App Marketing Trends of 2024 (+ Tips and Examples)

9. Social Media Channels Are Effective for Reaching and Engaging Your Audience

One key pharma marketing strategy is the adoption of social media channels. Social media provides an interactive environment that allows you to directly engage with your audience. This makes social media one of the top pharma marketing trends.

Through these platforms, you can foster two-way conversations, receive immediate feedback, and build a community around your pharma brand. This engagement leads to deeper customer relationships and a better understanding of patient needs and experiences.

With advanced targeting capabilities, social media allows for the precise segmentation of audiences. You can tailor content to specific demographics, geographic regions, and user interests.

The viral nature of social media content can significantly boost brand visibility and awareness. Content shared through these channels often gains traction.

To leverage social media, try using a variety of platforms to reach a wider audience. That includes Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter). 

Invest in high-quality, engaging content that provides value. Use infographics, videos, and interactive posts to explain complex information in an understandable and shareable format.

Here is an example from Pfizer’s Facebook page of how pharma companies can use social media:

Pro Tip: Use social media analytics to monitor the performance of your campaigns. Listen to the conversation, understand the sentiment around your brand, and adapt strategies accordingly. Engagement metrics can guide content creation and help you refine your approach.

Learn more about social media marketing trends for 2024 by reading our guide: 9 Top Social Media Marketing Trends Taking the World By Storm

Key Takeaways on the Latest Pharma Marketing Trends

Why stay updated on the latest pharma marketing trends? Because trust, education, and authenticity are more important than ever. With growing skepticism and concerns about the industry, it’s harder than ever to market pharmaceuticals.

You need to effectively communicate the intricate science of your products to a non-specialist audience. You need to prove your trustworthiness through expertise, experience, and collaborations with medical professionals.

The most important thing is to provide a safe and positive customer experience all through the marketing funnel. Do that, and your pharmaceutical brand is sure to experience success in 2024.

Not sure how to upgrade your PR and marketing strategy with the latest trends? Let us help! Simply book a free consultation and we will help you refresh your strategy for success.