How the pharma industry can rethink its marketing approach

Pharma marketing has fallen behind, even though there is plenty of data available. Part of the problem is how teams work in isolation, each handling a narrow piece of the puzzle. As a result, marketers mainly focus on sales pitches and direct-to-consumer ads, while things like lead generation often fall outside their scope. Pharma tends to keep things simple, grouping customers broadly instead of really personalizing the experience.



That makes it hard to truly understand what individual customers need. At the same time, sales reps still hold a central role in how business is done. What used to work well now limits growth and blocks opportunities to use multiple channels effectively. To change this, companies need to build a few key foundations to boost pharma marketing.

 

Placing marketers at the heart of customer engagement

The drive for better customer experiences is sparking real change. Teams are evolving, new skills are needed and marketing is shifting to focus more on customers, not just products. It is about creating genuine, personal connections. This change is giving rise to two important roles: product strategists, who define the market’s value and customer engagement designers, who craft personalized journeys. While the strategy side is already strong, designing these tailored experiences calls for fresh skills around content, communication channels and understanding customers one-on-one.

 

Elevating customer experience

Healthcare marketing is changing quickly. Tomorrow’s marketers won’t just follow the strategy; they will shape it. They will rethink how plans are made, work more closely and flexibly with agencies and build customer engagement from the ground up. One new role, the customer engagement designer, will link big-picture goals with everyday interactions using data, flexible content and smart triggers. This moves beyond relying mostly on sales reps, creating personalized experiences that really connect across all channels and touchpoints. It is a more thoughtful, connected way to engage customers.

 

Using tech for holistic customer insights at scale

Customer engagement is moving from broad categories to personal journeys. To keep up, companies need tech that can handle individual customers on a large scale. This means having unified databases, integrated planning tools and predictive systems that customize interactions and track progress. It is not just about being digital, it is about creating smarter ways to build meaningful, scalable connections.

Sales incentive compensation is key to changing how marketing works, encouraging teams to focus on personalized customer connections. When paired with fresh skills and better technology, it helps build smarter, more effective relationships that go beyond old sales approaches.