The path to achieving positive patient outcomes can often be obscured by the key performance indicators (KPIs) and other metrics that marketers use to track brand success. While these benchmarks are important, they should serve as tools to refine our strategies—not distractions from our ultimate goal.
Refocusing on the “why” of pharmaceutical marketing
Effective reporting is key to staying focused on what truly matters. Reports should be intuitive, spotlighting and sharing the most critical information quickly so that marketers can make real-time adjustments to their campaigns. This speed in optimization doesn’t just provide a competitive edge—it’s a necessity for delivering better results for patients.
The early indicators of a campaign’s success—such as media performance, rep interactions, and market-share shifts—are crucial, yet often feel disconnected from the patient. These metrics aim to raise brand awareness, inform and empower sales representatives, drive market share, and influence prescribing behavior.
However, the overarching goal remains consistent across the pharmaceutical industry:
- Leverage data to make smarter decisions
- Automate processes where possible
- Provide insights to key stakeholders faster and with greater confidence
The catch? When data is not clean or structured properly, it complicates the creation of intuitive and actionable reports. As a result, the real task becomes effectively separating useful data from the background noise to uncover the insights that can inform decisions leading to better patient outcomes.
The complexity of pharmaceutical reporting
Every pharmaceutical company has unique needs when it comes to reporting. KPIs vary and the specific data points and visualizations required must complement each company’s strategic objectives. This transforms these reports from simple success tracking documents into crucial opportunities to demonstrate to client leadership that smart, data-driven decisions were made with the budget, resources, and time invested throughout the year.
Pharmaceutical marketing operates within a defined calendar. It begins with campaign launches in January, followed up by quarterly business reviews, and culminating in end-of-year wrap-up reports. These final reports are often presented between late October and early December, emphasizing the importance of a data integration process that is seamless and effective.
Despite this, data integration remains a challenge for many pharma companies. These complex challenges stem from having disparate data sets across various platforms that commonly include: Veeva, Salesforce, CRM, DSP, CDP, ad servers, web analytics, search platforms, social media platforms, etc. Each of these programs comes with its own structure, cadence, and level of sensitivity—from anonymous data collected by ad servers and analytics platforms to deterministic data like physician-level data linked to a healthcare provider’s National Provider Identifier—making the task of merging these into a cohesive report feel daunting.
Platforms capture data in unique ways and deliver it back to agencies and brand teams in different formats. Without a well-maintained data warehouse, a robust Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) process, and experts who understand both the nuances of pharmaceutical marketing and the intricacies of data, isolating meaningful insights becomes nearly impossible.
Simplifying data complexity with Deerfield Group
Deerfield Group brings a purposefully built media and analytics team, composed of experts with extensive knowledge in data analytics, media reporting, and attribution, to our unbiased marketing partnerships with trailblazing pharmaceutical brands. We specialize in helping clients navigate these data complexities to mature their media reporting processes and ensure they receive the necessary data needed to make smarter decisions faster than ever before. With our support, clients can confidently present their brand successes to update executive leadership, secure additional funding, and continue to drive positive patient outcomes.
We believe that simplifying data complexity is the key to unlocking a brand’s full potential through compelling, data-driven marketing campaigns. Interested in transforming your data into actionable insights that promote informed decisions and positively impact patient health? We’re ready whenever you are.
