'Opti-Channel:' When marketers stop being everywhere and start being where it matters.

The future of pharmaceutical marketing and patient engagement is undergoing a profound transformation. While omnichannel strategies have long been considered the gold standard, promising seamless experiences across all platforms, they've often devolved into inefficient "scattergun" approaches that prioritize presence over performance.

This episode explores the evolution from traditional omnichannel to what industry leaders are calling "opti-channel" marketing – a data-driven, personalized approach that matches the right channel to the right user at precisely the right moment. Unlike its predecessor, opti-channel focuses on impact rather than mere coverage, using real-time analytics to understand behavior, prioritize efficient outreach, reduce waste, and deliver content when and where it matters most.

The results are compelling: companies implementing advanced personalization see up to 30% revenue increases, while tailored patient experiences boost medication adherence by over 150% in certain chronic conditions. For healthcare professionals facing increasing burnout and limited time, opti-channel strategies recognize individual preferences – whether for peer-reviewed content or digestible formats – and target only historically effective channels.

Beyond marketing, these principles transform clinical trials through timely patient nudges and education, with leading sponsors reporting 20% jumps in protocol adherence. Platforms like Medisafe exemplify this approach, offering voice-activated agents that adapt to individual preferences – calling some patients after missed doses while texting others based on stated preferences.

The shift doesn't mean abandoning omnichannel principles entirely, but rather enhancing them with intelligence, precision, and adaptability. For pharmaceutical leaders navigating evolving expectations from patients, providers, and payers, the message is clear: success comes not from being everywhere, but from being exactly where you're needed, when you're needed, with content that truly resonates. Subscribe for more insights at the intersection of pharma technology and patient impact.

PostScripts Rx is not intended to constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to influence prescribing decisions or any other medical or clinical decision-making. All medical and clinical judgment and decision-making, prescribing decisions, and all related considerations remain exclusively the responsibility of providers and patients.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Postscripts, the podcast
exploring what happens afterthat first prescription.
We cover the latest innovationsin patient access support,
digital tools, HCP engagementand pharma marketing that drives
better outcomes that we allhope for for patients.
This podcast is forinformational purposes only and
does not constitute any medicaladvice or should it be used to
influence any clinicaldecision-making.

(00:25):
Patients should always consulttheir healthcare professionals.
Welcome to the podcast.
My name is Brian Carr.
I'm with the Medisave team,although any opinions expressed
here are my own and notnecessarily those of Medisave or
its partners.
Let's talk about the promise andpitfalls of omni-channel
marketing in pharma.
So this is strictly for themarketers out there, I think.
For years, the termomni-channel marketing in pharma

(00:45):
so this is strictly for themarketers out there, I think.
For years the term omni-channelhas been the hailed as the gold
standard, even in pharmamarketing.
The philosophy is sound Meethealthcare professionals and
patients wherever they are,ensure a seamless, consistent
experience across all platforms.
But in practice, omni-channeloften turns into a scattergun
approach, spreading resourcesacross every channel imaginable

(01:06):
for the sake of presence ratherthan performance.
For brand marketers and patientaccess teams, the challenge
becomes less about communicationand more about orchestration,
and that's a heavy lift.
So is Omnichannel, which is aterm we use as well.
Matt is safe.
We've used it for years.
Is it still delivering on itspromise or is it time to evolve?
This is where you're nowhearing people talk about the

(01:27):
opti-channel era.
Unlike omni-channel, which seeksuniformity across all touch
points, opti-channel marketingis data-driven, personalized and
efficient.
It aims to match the rightchannel to the right user at the
right moment, optimizing forimpact, not just coverage.
This targeted approach is madepossible by using real-time data

(01:49):
in advanced analytics to one,understand customer behavior and
channel preferences.
Two, prioritize outreach basedon efficiency and ROI.
Three, reduce waste from unusedor underperforming channels.
And also deliver personalizedcontent to HCPs and patients
when and where it matters themost.
And, importantly, it goesbeyond marketing right.

(02:10):
Opti-channel strategies areinfused across patient
engagement platforms, whetherit's Medisave or others like it,
where pathways you know we'vegot custom journeys that are
made out HCP engagement,just-in-time interventions these
real-time optimization that youcan get in digital channels
really does ensure interactionscan adapt to evolving patient

(02:32):
behaviors and needs.
It's a necessary evolution inan increasingly personalized
healthcare world, and data tellsa story.
So why?
Optichannel works, sometimes alot better than OmniChannel.
Well, the move to OptiChannel,it's not just theoretical, it's
response to measurable outcomes.
Research underscores howprecision pays off.
So, for example, we knowpersonalization delivers results

(02:55):
.
Companies using personalizationacross multiple channels could
see a 10% to 30% lift in revenue.
This is from McKinsey a fewyears back.
Patients engage more when it'spersonal Tailored experiences,
we know, boost adherence ratesby over 150% in some chronic
conditions.
Opti-channel is more efficient.
Focusing efforts onhigh-performing channels reduces

(03:17):
marketing spend ways by up to40%.
This is coming from Deloitte intheir digital report in 2022.
Deeper insights for smarterpharma decisions also result.
When you narrow that data pool,you elevate your signal to
noise ratio, driving betterdecisions downstream for brand
managers and access teams.
This comes out of the HarvardBusiness Review in 2022.

(03:37):
Pharma has always been data rich.
We know that.
Right Now it's a time really tobe insight rich.
An opti-channel sheds thelegacy model of just be
everywhere all at once and canreplace it with where it works
the best.
And the whole reason for thisis patient expectations are
evolving.
Today's patients don't wantvolume, they want value.
They expect content that'stimely, delivered when it aligns

(03:59):
with their health journey.
Two personalized, adaptable totheir preferences, conditions
and routines.
Three supported built just withempathy.
Built with empathy, not justcompliance, in mind, right?
So digital therapeutics andplatforms like MetaSafe totally
exemplify this shift.
You know we've got MetaSafe,via and data can allow brand
teams to see what is working inthe real time.

(04:21):
Close this loop between strategyand outcomes and HCP engagement
is no longer one size fits all.
Hcp burnout is growing andfield rep access is declining.
Pharma must become smarter inHCP engagement strategies.
Optichannel allows field teamsand non-personal promotion NPP
teams to recognize which HCPsprefer peer-reviewed content

(04:43):
versus digestible native formats.
Target only those channels thathistorically drive interaction
or script adoption.
Leverage AI modeling throughplatforms.
Native formats.
Target only those channels thathistorically drive interaction
or script adoption.
Leverage AI modeling throughplatforms.
And in a study there was, astudy by Accenture found that
87% of HCPs say pharma companiesreally need to improve how they
share product information.
So efficiency and relevancematter more than ever.

(05:03):
So think beyond marketing whathappens with OptiChannel in
clinical trials and support.
Many of the benefits ofOptiChannel, which is
personalization, timeliness,relevance are critical not just
for commercial launches, butalso during clinical development
.
In clinical trials, whereparticipant engagement is

(05:24):
crucial, optichannel reallyhelps with reduce those dropout
rates through timely nudges andtailored education, improving
protocol adherence withreal-time interventions and
enhancing engagement with bothparticipants and investigators.
Leading sponsors have seenprotocol adherence jump by over
20% when augmenting trials withdigital opti-channel support.
This is an IQ report from 2023.
Metasafe's platform and otherslike it integrate into clinical

(05:46):
trial ecosystems which reallysupport recruitment, onboarding
and monitoring, while ensuringpatient-centric design comes
first.
So let's talk about theeconomics of precision.
Roi in an optichannel world iswell.
The old adage was if you buildit, they will come right.
So today's mantra is if youpersonalize it, they will stay.
Roi isn't all just aboutrevenue anymore.

(06:07):
It's about efficiency.
With optichannel, brands canreduce cost per engagement by
eliminating low-performingchannels.
Focus content developmentbudgets on what performs.
They can improve medicationadherence rates, which ties
directly to brand value.
According to a study byMcKinsey, organizations using
this advanced personalizationstrategies in their marketing

(06:27):
efforts achieve a 20% highermarketing ROI compared to those
that didn't.
So our own analytics showcampaigns using MetaSafe's GIDI,
for example, which deliversthese just-in-time interventions
triggered by patient behaviordata, significantly improve
refill rates and treatmentcontinuation than the standard
NPP efforts.
So I mean, in the end, shouldpharma dump Omnichannel?

(06:48):
No, not entirely, and we don'tdo that at MetaSafe either.
It's not something we're goingto dump.
But Omnichannel lays thefoundation out.
It really teaches us to thinkacross platforms and to
coordinate stories.
But today's world of fragmentedattention, rising expectations,
omnichannel can feel liketrying to be everything to
everybody.
That's why pharma leaders,especially those on commercial

(07:09):
innovation, brand marketing andpatient support, really are
shifting to opti-channel.
The model is proactive, notreactive.
It's about tailoring strategiesin real time to deliver
relevance at scale, and it'ssupported with tools on digital
platforms for end-to-end patientengagement or pharma
integration care connectors.
What we use at Medisafe theclinical collaboration and

(07:31):
patient support toolcollaboration you know really,
really targeting thosemoment-based interventions that
we know here at Medisafedefinitely drive value.
When you can talk to someone ona personalized basis on
something that's happening inreal time for them, it really
does make an impact.
So the path forward isn't aboutabandoning Omnichannel.
It's really about takingOmnichannel to the next level
and optimizing it into somethingsmarter.

(07:54):
So why opti-channel wins?
Well, the shift fromomni-channel to opti-channel
really reflects just the nextevolution in digital health, one
that prioritizes precision,performance and personalization
Rather than broadcastingeverywhere.
We target where the impact isfelt the most, supported by
real-time data.
Opti-channel drives engagement,improves ROI, decreases
friction and ultimately supportsthe one stakeholder who matters

(08:16):
the most and that's thepatients.
So farmer leaders who embracenot only OmniChannel and then
take it to the next level withOptiChannel on an individual
patient basis, will not only cutthrough the noise but
orchestrate more empathetic,effective and efficient customer
journeys.
So, for example, you know youmay have, for example, we have a
Medisafe, medisafe Via, whichis a voice-activated agent which

(08:36):
can talk to patients, remindthem to do a symptom check, for
example, or an adherence check.
Hey, we noticed, you didn'ttake your medication on time.
The point there being is, somepatients may want to get a phone
call right from an agent, right, some may say no, text me, send
me, say listen, email me nexttime.
Or we've actually had only callto me after seven o'clock at
night, busy during dinner time,and if you call me then I'm not

(08:59):
going to answer the phone,things like that.
You can set that as anomni-channel platform.
Right, we can see a Medisavewhere patients have taken a dose
or not go to the next channelsaying, hey, we're going to give
them an extra reminder or SMStext or even a phone call from a
voice agent.
That's Omni Channel, optimizingit that way and this is a person
who may opt into.
Yes, I want to be called if Imiss a dose at night from my med

(09:20):
friend on Via, for example, andthat's a phone call.
So that's switching from thehey, we're just about a mobile
platform.
Now you're into a phone calland flat room, or I'd rather
just email me.
Here's an email address I wantto be contacted on.
This is what we're talkingabout optimizing the Opti
channel all the way through, allright folks.
So thank you so much forjoining us here.

(09:40):
On Postscripts, if you foundthis conversation valuable,
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Until next time, keep lookingforward.
The real work begins after thatscript is written.