3 Takeaways from Our Discussion with Jessica Greig at Digital Pharma East 2024
3 minute read
At this year’s Digital Pharma East, we had the pleasure of sitting down for a discussion with Jessica Greig, Head, Consumer Marketing Type 1 Diabetes Franchise at Sanofi, an expert in pharma marketing and technology, at our Peer-to-Peer Power Breakfast.
Matt Walsh, General Manager of Biopharma at ixlayer, talked with Greig about the ways technology is shaping the patient journey. Jessica’s extensive experience across pharma brands, large and small, provided insight into the challenges and opportunities facing pharma marketers today.
Here are the three key takeaways from our conversation for pharma marketers to keep top of mind as they navigate the necessary integration of technology to stay competitive.
1. Understand the Patient Journey, and Keep It Digital
One of the most critical points Jessica emphasized was that the healthcare journey is now firmly digital. From patient portals to telehealth appointments, technology is at the core of how patients access and manage their healthcare. “I think what works the best, in my mind,” said Greig. “Is when you really understand what that patient journey is, what patient experiences, and what the patients are looking for. You have to understand what they’re willing to look at, and what they’re willing to do.”
Jessica pointed out that many older assumptions about technology adoption don’t hold true anymore. For example, the belief that older patients won’t use digital platforms is outdated. In fact, today’s seniors are often just as eager to engage with technology—especially when it simplifies their healthcare. Marketers must recognize that the patient journey is largely digital, and they should align their strategies accordingly. “I think it’s been proven over and over that they will use technology and not only that, they want to use technology,” said Greig.
2. Patients Don’t Automatically Trust Pharma—You Have to Earn It
Jessica spoke candidly about the skepticism that many patients still feel toward pharma companies helping with the patient experience. “Why are they trying to help me? What’s the catch? It’s a fair point,” Greig said. It’s a sentiment that pharma companies need to be willing to work to overcome if they want to successfully engage with patients. “I think we have to earn their trust. We have to be able to show we’re there to be helpful and to be something they want to use. And then it will grow from there.”
Build trust by offering real value. Whether through quality platforms, helpful tools, or patient-centric services. Pharma will need to prove their value to patients over time. It’s not enough to offer a digital solution—patients need to see how it benefits them personally. The key is to listen to what patients need and build technology that addresses those needs directly, all while being transparent in your approach.
3. Balance the ‘Buy vs. Build’ Dilemma with Data Control in Mind
One of the biggest ongoing debates in pharma is whether companies should build their own technology platforms in-house or work with partners with established solutions. Jessica acknowledged the desire for data control as a primary reason pharma companies want to build in-house solutions. However, she cautioned that the time, resources, and ROI of these efforts don’t always justify the cost. “It takes a lot of time and energy to build your own platforms, and while I appreciate the passion, many many internal people are pulled in to build those projects. Companies need to ensure ROI is really there at the end of the day,” Greig said.
Her recommendation for marketers? Partner with agile and innovative vendors who can offer ready-made platforms that allow for customization and data control, without the overhead of building from scratch. These partnerships give pharma companies the flexibility they need to scale quickly while maintaining control of their data, all without reinventing the wheel.
About ixlayer
ixlayer has the only end-to-end, direct-to-patient platform built for biopharma and optimized for patient choice. We help biopharma companies connect with patients from testing to treatment with speed, transparency, control and impact.