Pictured from left to right: Sarah Caldwell (Veeva Crossix), Dr. Matt Bouchard (Google Health & Wellness), Nivi Mogali (GSK), Ezra Suveyke (PulsePoint), and Maria Cipicchio (OptimizeRx)

PharmaForward: A DHC Group x Google Summit – Mastering Omnichannel Innovation & Measurement

At the recent PharmaForward Summit co-hosted by DHC Group and Google, industry pioneers gathered to tackle pharmaceutical marketing’s next frontier: true omnichannel orchestration. The distinguished panel—featuring executives from Veeva Crossix, Google Health & Wellness, OptimizeRx, PulsePoint, and GSK—delivered compelling evidence that omnichannel isn’t just arriving; it’s already transforming patient and HCP engagement at scale.

The Power of Coordination:

Sarah Caldwell of Veeva Crossix opened with data that silenced any remaining skeptics: coordinated field and digital marketing efforts are 23% more effective, while patients engaged through multiple channels are 2.7 times more likely to start on brand. These aren’t incremental improvements—they’re game-changing multipliers that redefine ROI expectations.

Dr. Matt Bouchard from Google Health & Wellness captured the modern consumer reality: “Today we see people engaging with the internet in four different ways. They’re shopping, scrolling, streaming and searching and constantly moving between all of these behaviors.” This multi-modal behavior creates unprecedented opportunities for brands willing to meet audiences with bite-sized content precisely when and where they need it.

HCP Engagement Reimagined:

Maria Cipicchio of OptimizeRx revealed how sophisticated segmentation drives personalization at scale. Leading brands now segment HCPs across four dimensions: prescribing history, patient panels, care delivery sentiment, and access dynamics. But the breakthrough insight? Context is king. “Do they really want to be receiving information about advocacy and patient qualification when they’re sitting at home on their couch or watching TV? Probably not,” Cipicchio noted. “But when they’re engaging on, say, Doximity or some other HCP-only walled gardens, that’s a good time to be talking to them about the efficacy of your drug.”

The panel emphasized that NPI-level tracking has unlocked a “whole new world of possibility,” enabling marketers to follow physicians across both consumer and professional platforms while respecting the moment of receptivity. Script impact projections are rising from the teens to “the 20%” when HCPs experience true omnichannel engagement.

Breaking Down Silos:

The integration of patient and HCP marketing emerged as the holy grail of omnichannel strategy. Nivi Mogali of GSK stressed building “that 360 degree view for that treatment journey,” where patient education and HCP outreach work in synchronized harmony. The challenge? As Ezra Suveyke of PulsePoint candidly admitted: “We don’t fully understand patient and physician interactions, right? We understand context. We understand, you know, historical medical claims, but we don’t truly understand the interaction at that moment in time.”

Cipicchio shared pilot results that demonstrate the prize for those who crack the code: when both patients and their treating physicians were exposed to coordinated campaigns, “the script impact that the doctors drove within patients who were also exposed to the campaign was three times higher.” Even more telling, among  the nearly 2 million patients of targeted oncologists, the 4,000 who experienced true omnichannel coordination were 2x more likely to visit their doctor.

AI as the Essential Enabler:

“I don’t think it’s feasible to do any kind of coordinated HCP, DTC type of engagement without AI because of the volume of data that you need,” Cipicchio declared, citing the sheer volume of data required to coordinate “two completely disparate audiences across multiple channels.” But she sees opportunity where others see complexity: “This is a place where the healthcare industry and pharma in particular, can actually lead.”

Bold Predictions for the Future:

Looking ahead, the panel painted a picture of radical transformation:

• Dynamic Content Evolution: Suveyke predicted “we’ll see a lot more dynamic content being produced” with AI potentially enabling content that adapts based on user engagement
• AI Takes the Lead: Mogali envisions AI “taking on a lead role, then an assist role” in strategy and measurement
• Privacy Intensification: Cipicchio anticipates “we’re going to see a continuation of the privacy dialog, and I think that’ll probably ratchet up”
• Combating Misinformation: As AI proliferates, pharma must continue “educating and being that leading voice around you know the right healthcare information getting in the hands of the right person”

Key Takeaways for Immediate Action:

1. Embrace Multi-Modal Engagement: Meet audiences across their shopping, scrolling, streaming, and searching moments with contextually appropriate content
2. Invest in Feedback Infrastructure: Build systems that capture and act on engagement signals across all touchpoints
3. Respect Context Over Reach: Deliver the right message in the right professional or personal setting
4. Pilot Coordinated Campaigns: Start with targeted pilots that demonstrate the multiplier effect of true patient-HCP coordination
5. Prepare for AI-First Operations: Begin building the data governance and analytical capabilities that will power tomorrow’s dynamic campaigns

The Bottom Line:

The panelists predict that when we reflect on this era of innovation, we will be amazed at how much progress was made so rapidly. The foundation for that progress is being laid today by marketers willing to break down silos, embrace AI-powered coordination, and relentlessly focus on delivering value in each micro-moment of the healthcare journey.

The era of hoping channels work together is over. The age of orchestrated, measurable, AI-powered omnichannel engagement has arrived. The only question is: Will your organization lead or follow?

Stay tuned for more insights from DHC Group’s event series as we continue exploring the technologies and strategies reshaping pharmaceutical marketing.

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