The Power of Personalization in Regulated Spaces

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Sus Misra, SVP of Data & Analytics at Solve(D) (IPG Health), to unpack what true precision targeting looks like in one of the most regulated industries: pharma. Sus explains how healthcare marketers uniquely leverage individual-level data to connect with professionals like doctors and oncologists—something unheard of in most sectors.

But with great data comes great responsibility. Sus dives into the ethical, regulatory, and technical challenges of working with sensitive healthcare data, from HIPAA compliance to new state-level restrictions that are reshaping how campaigns are executed. He also shares how machine learning and generative AI are beginning to help—but warns they’ll never replace human governance.

Whether you work in data, marketing, or product, this episode is a masterclass in what happens when cutting-edge tech meets hard regulatory walls.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Individual-Level Targeting in Pharma: The healthcare sector enables direct, measurable communication with doctors using unique identifiers—enabling true 1:1 marketing.

Data Governance is Business-Critical: Mishandling sensitive health data can lead to major fines, shutdowns, or loss of business. Regulatory compliance is non-negotiable.

AI Is Helpful—But Not a Savior: While generative AI and LLMs can accelerate personalization and regulatory response, human oversight remains essential.

Privacy Rules Are Getting Stricter: State-level restrictions are tightening how pharma marketers operate, even down to restrictions like not being able to advertise within 30 miles of a hospital.

Tech vs. Policy: The bottlenecks in pharma marketing are often more policy- than tech-related, requiring coordination with regulators and legal teams, not just engineers.

⏱️ Timestamped Highlights:

00:00 – Intro to Sus Misra and the focus on measurable audience engagement at the individual level

01:01 – How pharma is uniquely positioned to target individuals via data and NPI (National Provider Identifier) systems

04:24 – Key data governance challenges and why even internal stakeholders may be restricted from access

07:36 – Granular modeling and attributing behavior to specific events—down to weather disruptions

09:48 – Why AI and ML were hype for years before becoming usable—and how social platforms still limit data sharing

14:10 – Regulatory hurdles: how pharma ads differ from consumer ads and what that means for data handling

18:30 – State-specific privacy laws (like 30-mile hospital ad bans) and their impact on campaign strategy

22:23 – The promise and limits of generative AI and LLMs for personalization and compliance

26:21 – Where to reach Sus and his parting humor on making others’ jobs feel easier by comparison

💬 Quote of the Episode:

"There are therapies where our objective is to bring people to a hospital—and some states forbid us from placing an ad within 30 miles of one."

📚 Resources Mentioned:

HIPAA and post-HIPAA state-level privacy regulations

NPI (National Provider Identifier) system for healthcare professionals

FDA regulations and their impact on data governance

🎯 Career Tips (from Sus):

If you're in analytics, understand the power—and the responsibility—of data governance. It’s not just a technical task; it's a strategic imperative.

Stay current with regulations. Marketing innovation in pharma isn’t just about tech—it’s about mastering evolving compliance landscapes.