For life science marketers, delivering seamless, customer-centered experiences requires more than just ambition and technology; it demands aligning internal teams and tools around the unique journeys of healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers. Yet, achieving this integration is no small feat. Many organizations face hurdles like siloed teams, underperforming tools, and the challenge of translating omnichannel vision into reality.
The path forward starts with a clear understanding of your key audiences. Foundational frameworks like customer journey maps and service blueprints provide actionable insights that can bridge internal gaps, optimize resources, and drive measurable impact. By uniting sales, marketing, and patient support teams around these insights, organizations can achieve consistency across every touchpoint—digital or in-person.
In partnership with the marcus evans Group, MERGE’s 60-minute webinar, "Omnichannel Excellence in Pharma: Aligning Teams and Strategies for Seamless Engagement," presents a panel of industry experts sharing key strategies and practical tools to help pharmaceutical and biotech leaders enhance omnichannel execution and customer connection.
The conversation features:
- Brooke Fleming, Sr. Director, Head of Orchestrated Customer Engagement, Sage Therapeutics
- Becky Minvervino, EVP, Experience, MERGE
- Pat McGloin, Managing Director, Health & Life Sciences, MERGE
Key takeaways from Brooke and Pat’s discussion include:
Omnichannel Success Requires Long-Term Commitment and Organizational Alignment
Achieving omnichannel excellence is not a short-term initiative but a continuous, iterative process. As Fleming highlighted, "It really is a marathon and not a sprint... You need patience. Iteration is the key to innovation, especially if this is something you've not done before." Companies that are just beginning their omnichannel transformation should set realistic expectations, prepare to learn along the way, and commit to adapting and improving over time.
Additionally, alignment across teams is essential for success. Minervino pointed out that traditional organizational structures can lead to siloed responsibilities, which can hinder a seamless customer experience. "It’s a big shift,” she explained. “But realize you’re going to be working in a different way." Effective omnichannel strategies require a systems-level approach, breaking down internal silos and ensuring every team understands their role in building a cohesive customer experience.
Journey Mapping Provides a Blueprint for Designing Seamless Experiences
Customer journey mapping can be a powerful tool for unifying internal teams and centering efforts around customer needs. Minervino described the process as “more than just creating an artifact; it’s about enabling shared understanding and decision-making.” By mapping out specific customer behaviors, attitudes, and needs, life science marketing leaders can identify key opportunities and pain points within the customer’s experience.
Journey maps, however, must be rooted in real, actionable data to be effective. Fleming emphasized the importance of “starting with insights” to drive these initiatives. She explained, “You need to be constantly listening and paying attention to what your customers want now because what worked before may not be effective anymore.” These tools are not static; they should evolve with the customer and be revisited regularly to ensure alignment with current behaviors and expectations.
Personalization at Scale is Critical, but Start Small and Build Momentum
Personalization is at the core of modern omnichannel strategies, but it can be overwhelming to implement at scale. Fleming noted the need to move away from a "one-size-fits-all" approach, emphasizing, "You cannot say everything to everybody the same way through the same channels at the same time." Instead, life science marketers should use segmented approaches and leverage data to tailor communications based on specific customer needs and preferences.
For organizations with limited resources or infrastructure, starting with focused pilots can help demonstrate the value of personalization. “Pick one segment to start with,” said Minervino. “Design a proof of concept and show the incremental lift that comes when you engage differently with that group.” By segmenting audiences based on reliable data, such as prescribing behaviors or clinical needs, companies can create impactful experiences while scaling their efforts thoughtfully and sustainably.
To catch all the valuable insights from our panel discussion, check out the on-demand webinar!