WHITTMANHART Interactive's Sr. strategy manager reports on a study that reveals poor email marketing strategies by a majority of pharmaceutical firms.

A remarkably low number of pharmaceutical manufacturers are undertaking quality email marketing campaigns, according to a new study from WHITTMANHART Interactive. 

Although effective use of email could be a boon to marketing, continuing education and medication adherence efforts, most pharmaceutical email programs are poorly coordinated, inconsistent and lacking in quality, the study concluded. Instead, drug companies need to initiate a diverse set of e-marketing strategies that allow them to connect with and engage consumers, the report said.

To develop an accurate snapshot of what consumers were experiencing, Whittmanhart studied the email programs for top 100 selling pharmaceutical products in the United States. Whittmanhart Interactive registered for email programs representing various brands then monitored activity for a seven-month time frame from May 1, 2005 through May 1, 2006.

Specifically, Whittmanhart Interactive:

• Signed up for more than 200 DTC email programs from Top 100/bestselling drugs from 30 different companies, and an additional 112 mega-brands with an online program.
• Responded to online program offers.
• Reviewed associated websites, direct mail and HCP sites, as well as the integration of marketing efforts across channels.

Surprising findings
The study found that very few pharmaceutical email programs consistently connect with their own customer base. Of the top 25 best selling Rxs, only eight sent at least one email and only three had a customer loyalty program in place during the seven-month evaluation period. Only 15 of the top 25 DTC spending brands had email programs, and Whittmanhart Interactive's test accounts received no email communication from 77 percent of the top 100 products that it reviewed. 

The findings conclude that the pharmaceutical industry is missing out on significant marketing opportunities through email. In order to fully leverage email as a marketing tool, pharmaceutical manufacturers should use a diverse mix, both in content and form, of emails to deliver effective, well-rounded programs directly to customers who want them. Most companies are far from that goal.

According to the study, only five percent of websites representing the top 100 best-selling products sent more than one type of email, the most frequent kind being the email newsletter.

David Skinner, president of Whittmanhart Interactive, comments: "We were surprised to find that despite the ultra competitive marketplace, drug companies are not utilizing email as a tool to connect with their customers. Developing and maintaining a dynamic email program should be considered a prerequisite for new product launches, making it all the more surprising that we did not receive a single email from 77 of the nation's top 100 pharmaceutical products during a seven-month time period when we actively sought out information.”

Components of a successful program
A successful email program should include welcome emails, newsletters and promotional emails, using a mix that fits the brand and the customer base, the study recommends.

Email frequency should be established and maintained both internally and to the consumer at the beginning of the program. Too often, email schedules start out strong but gradually fall away from their intended delivery goals.

Finally, Whittmanhart Interactive recommends that more sophisticated options include triggered event emails to remind patients to refill their medication, life-cycle emails that provide information relevant to patients during a particular stage of their treatment and behavioral emails, which invite users back to the website if they haven't visited it for a certain length of time, perhaps promising new features, improvements or updates to the site that the consumer has not yet seen. 

Denine Hostovich is senior strategy manager, Whittmanhart Interactive. Read full bio.