ePharma:
targeting the online health conscious
Unlike
Internet penetration as a whole, the market for online health information
is far from saturated. The audience for health information online is
substantial and growing organically. So how can pharmaceutical companies
capitalize on this eager audience?
eHealth
is becoming an important part of pharmaceutical companies' marketing
strategy, the audience for health information online is substantial and
growing organically and health websites are becoming a relied upon source
of health information.
Pharmaceutical
companies can draw more Internet users to their sites by better meeting
their health information needs and including value-added features on their
sites.
Through
eBusiness strategies, pharmaceutical companies can contribute to helping
patients to become educated about their conditions and to take an active
role in the decisions that affect their health.
An eager audience
With
multiple information channels available, consumers are becoming
increasingly aware of health issues. Currently, the majority of people
consider themselves to be highly health conscious.
Datamonitor's
IMPACT survey found that 77% of US respondents and 62% of European
respondents state that they are more conscious of their health than most
people. These people make up a naturally receptive audience for
pharmaceutical marketers to target with health information.
The
Internet is a likely source of health information. Internet penetration
has reached unprecedented levels across the US and Europe, sparking
pharmaceutical companies to recognize the Internet as an important
marketing channel. However, the potential online audience for health
information is far from saturated.
Room for improvement
Although
online sources of health information are being used to learn more about
health there are still opportunities to attract people away from more
traditional references. 76% of respondents to the IMPACT survey indicated
that in the past 12 months they had sought health information from their
physicians, 73% from books, magazines and TV, and 53% from friends and
family. This is compared to 57% who indicated they used online sources of
health information.
Encouraging
for eBusiness and marketing departments is that the majority of people who
do not use the Internet to search for health information fail to do so for
reasons other than simply not having access to the Internet. 36% of
respondents say they do not have access to the Internet, which prohibits
marketers from accessing this group with Web media.
Other
reasons for lack of Internet use for health information-seeking purposes
include concerns about the accuracy of the information or lack of
awareness about the availability of information.
The 27%
of respondents who said that they never considered the Internet as a
resource to look for health information need to be made aware that there
are reliable and trusted websites that offer a breadth of information
about specific conditions as well as general health information.
The 15%
who do not find the quality of information on the Internet to be equal to
that available elsewhere need to consult reputable sites in order to
establish confidence in the Internet as a reliable information source.
"We're
not just marketing our drugs, honest."
Overall,
pharmaceutical company sites continue to be less popular than general
heath information sites or government/medical institution sites, as these
generally provide a wide range of health information and are perceived to
be more objective than pharmaceutical company sites.
However,
the pharmaceutical industry has made strides in breaking down the
perception that their sites are low-value and focused on corporate
marketing. In the US and the UK, pharmaceutical company sites are being
accessed as much as government and medical institution sites.
This is
the result of including value-added features on sites, such as
comprehensive information about a health condition, disease management
tools, such as medication diaries, and patient-physician communication
advice, such as a 'questions to ask your doctor' feature.
A maturing medium
The focus
of eBusiness planners should be to optimize relationships with existing
online consumers rather than attempt to attract non-Internet users to move
online. However, in addition to efforts by marketers to influence Internet
use, there will also be organic change.
Generational
shifts will account for future changes in usage among different
demographic user segments. In other words, the number of Internet users
will increase, and correspondingly so will the will the number of those
who use the Internet to search for health information.
Datamonitor
predicts that pharmaceutical company sites will become increasingly
popular as the population ages, given the large proportion of elderly
people on medication compared to other age groups. Product sites are ideal
places for Internet users to check information about side effects and
dietary requirements of the pharmaceuticals they are taking.
If
you found this week's Expert View useful, you may be interested in
Datamonitor's reports:
- Who
is Looking for Health Information Online? - A Segmentation Analysis of
the Online Consumer
-
view details here!
- Targeting
an eHealth Audience: What Pharmaceutical Companies Need to Know About
Physicians, Consumers and the Internet
- view
details here!
To
purchase online - click here!
