Author: Alex Birch

The good old trusted neighbourhood pharmacies have managed to reposition themselves from just a corner staple to mega-strong brands that add astounding levels of comfort and convenience to their consumers’ lives.  See our top 4 pharmacy campaigns below that span out of Covid and repositioned the market forever.

Top 4 Pharmacy campaigns

Here are our top 4 pharmacy campaigns by pharmacies that worked hard at garnering brand affinity in recent years. And have transformed the purpose of your local pharmacy from only a commodity store to that of a friend, carer, and trustworthy guide:

Walgreens’ “This is Our Shot” COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign: 

Walgreens launched a powerful campaign in early 2021 to promote the COVID-19 vaccine. The campaign, called “This is Our Shot” featured television and social media ads that encouraged people to get vaccinated. It highlighted the importance of vaccination to protect individuals and communities from the virus. 

The campaign was widely praised for its clear messaging and effective use of social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram.

CVS Health’s “Health is Everything” Campaign In 2020:

CVS Health launched a new campaign called “Health is Everything” The campaign featured television and digital ads that emphasized the importance of health and wellness in everyday life. The ads showcased the range of services that CVS Health provides. From prescription drugs to health clinics to wellness products. 

The campaign was effective in raising awareness of CVS Health’s brand and promoting its various services.

Rite Aid’s “More Than a Pharmacy” Campaign:

Rite Aid launched a new campaign in 2021 called “More Than a Pharmacy” The campaign aimed to showcase the range of services that Rite Aid provides beyond just prescription drugs. The campaign included television and digital ads that highlighted Rite Aid’s wellness programs, health clinics, and beauty products. 

The campaign was well-received by customers and helped to increase awareness of Rite Aid’s offerings.

Walgreens’ “Feel More Like You” Cancer Support Campaign:

Walgreens launched a powerful campaign in 2020 called “Feel More Like You” The campaign aimed to support cancer patients by providing personalized care and support. The campaign included television and digital ads that featured cancer survivors sharing their stories and highlighting the role that Walgreens played in their treatment. 

The campaign was effective in raising awareness of Walgreens’ cancer support services and building trust with cancer patients.

Walmart’s “Express Delivery” Campaign In 2020:

Walmart launched a new campaign to promote its express delivery service for prescription drugs. The action included television and digital ads that emphasized the convenience and speed of Walmart’s delivery service by featuring real customers sharing their experiences with the service. 

The campaign helped reinforce and highlight Walmart’s commitment to providing affordable and convenient healthcare options.

Pharmacies have embraced the important part they have in any consumer’s life. Positioning themselves in different meaningful roles, from carer to friend, from friend to hero. This not only helps them succeed in promoting their brand and new services to customers. But they can keenly garner lifelong consumers that will keep coming back.

As the industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how pharmacies use newer ways of advertising and connecting with consumers to differentiate themselves.

The world changed. Tech advanced. Users and customers evolved. And the pharmacy industry is not the same as before.

Get in touch with Polar London and ensure your strategy is the best one for maximum growth and engagement.

Learn how the Pharma industry is embracing emerging tech to complement thier marketing efforts

Pharma is an industry that has been more cautious when it comes to quickly adopting new tech and change, compared to other industries. And often that behaviour may halt the pace at which newer technologies -to engage better with customers- are adopted, taking a bit longer compared to other industries. 

But in this new era, where more content is produced in a week than a year’s worth of material decades ago… Consumers expect innovation and creativity to stay engaged.

While a great part of the industry still thinks print-first when it comes to informing users about their products. Others have taken a stand, and have become frontrunners for adopting new technologies to improve -and modernize- the ways of connecting with patients. 

But those who stand at the forefront of the pharmaceutical industry’s marketing, understand that print-first is okay, but new technologies have the power to increase the efficiency of marketing actions manifold if used correctly.

Here are some examples of how pharma companies leverage new tech:

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

They have not only disrupted the world as of now. But they are also being leveraged by Pharma giants. It’s the case of Pfizer Brazil, where their AI Chatbot ‘Fabi’ provides astoundingly intelligent support and information on medicines. On the other hand, Novartis is also using AI-based analytic tools to engulf consumer data and extract insightful trends that later on become laser-focused marketing strategies. Even having a dedicated AI Lab in collaboration with Microsoft.

VIRTUAL REALITY

Thanks to VR, immersive and unbelievable customer experiences are being created daily. Johnson & Johnson has used VRs to invite customers to their facilities and observe how products are made. Roche built amazing educational experiences for healthcare professionals. From showcasing complex medical procedures without risk. To some of their products, among many other applications. All through VR.

AUGMENTED REALITY

Augmented Reality -the sister of VR- is also being heavily used to enhance marketing actions by embellishing the real world with branded assets or experiences. See how Pharma is embracing emerging tech; Sanofi used AR to create a demonstration for their insulin pen. On the other hand, GlaxoSmithKline has created -via AR- tailored content for customers, such as dosing instructions.

WEARABLE TECH

How Pharma is embracing emerging tech – Wearable technology is an ever-growing and expanding market. This provides a great gateway to access user data almost instantly. And in return, offer more tailored experiences. AstraZeneca joined forces with software developer Huma to develop digital patient companion apps, that will take advantage of wearable-sourced data. And, Novo Nordisk is using wearable technology to create personalised fitness plans for their customers.

BLOCKCHAIN

What cannot be altered -ever- must be transparent. The benefits of blockchain are being exploited to improve the quality and control of supply chains in the industry and reduce counterfeiting. For example, Pfizer has partnered with Chronicled to use blockchain to ensure the authenticity of their Viagra products. And Merck has also used blockchain to improve the efficiency and transparency of their clinical trial data.

It’s a fact! Pharma is embracing emerging tech to improve their marketing efforts in 2023. From AI to VR, and more. These technologies are helping companies better engage with their customers and build stronger relationships. 

At Polar London, we perfectly understand this new behavioural change, and the need of staying connected in a more modern way with patients, practitioners, and carers. 

We believe that the key to achieving digital excellence lies in clearly illustrating objectives and being open to the possibilities that new technologies can bring. By embracing emerging technologies and incorporating them into our strategies, we can effectively reach our goals and stay ahead in the constantly evolving digital landscape.

The world changed. Tech advanced. Users and customers evolved. Seizing these new techs is now paramount to taking engagement and brand value to a whole new realm. 

Get in touch with Polar London and make sure you’re playing the right game, with the right set of tools for maximum growth and engagement.

A new Paradigm

A winning content strategy in Healthcare; The healthcare industry is comprised of many players. Pharmaceuticals, practitioners, hospitals, health care professionals, related institutions, and even pharmacies. 

We all know that the pandemic forced the industry to undergo an intense and accelerated transformation. New learnings and ways to carry out business had to be incorporated and put into practice in no time. This required the entire sector, to adapt.

A new paradigm on how to sell, think, develop and deploy marketing strategies took over.

We want to make sure your marketing strategy for any healthcare product or service has that required edge. So it cannot only adapt. But thrive.

The health category has to cover all the basics and best practices when it comes to an impactful online presence. Things like great UX, robust SEO, and other staples must be in place. But that’s not all that it takes.

These healthcare specifics will ensure that edge will have a part in your strategy.

Content strategy ‘must-haves‘

Do your consumer homework

To achieve a winning content strategy in Healthcare, we must do our research, it is important to grasp a deeper understanding of our consumers. As a second step, we need to identify their ‘content need’, what topics click with them, and what level of depth do they expect from those topics.

With that, we have the right ingredients to outline a relevant and responsive digital content strategy. But without proper research, any content strategy is much like shooting in the dark.

Video is king

Once the audience research is done and the content outline is set, the right distribution channel must be chosen. We’re living in the Video Era. Where video is KING.

When working toward best-in-class video content, we must consider if it needs to be a long or short form, and what the key point to communicate is. The right amount of storytelling, and many other variables.

But to make all these decisions, there is another KING in town. That is DATA.

Data and Testing

Data can be used to fine-tune many variables like choosing the right channel, the right timing, the right geolocation, and so forth. Leveraging proper data mining outcomes can result in videos that people will identify with: “This content is talking right to me!”. These data points become extremely useful to test, optimize and iterate until we have the perfect recipe for our audience.

Speak to my heart not my head

In the golden era of marketing, everything was ‘top-of-mind’. Constantly boasting a product or service’s features, and bombarding customers with your logo and ads, so when the need for your product arises, you are the first option they will think about.

Those days are over. A winning content strategy in Healthcare includes winning the mind, which may be important. But the company that wins the consumer’s heart holds the upper hand nowadays.

To enter the consumer’s hearts, you do need data as we mentioned before. But that’s not all. You need to establish and trigger empathy. And often the bridge to achieve that is the right kind of storytelling. That’s when data well used, on top of content experience, can lead to staggering results.

Some of the factors to calibrate your storytelling can be:

• Who’s speaking: Is it a bland narrator? A patient-led narrative? A user’s POV?
  
• What are we saying: Is the content forcefully trying to push a product? Does mention a product at all?
  
• The Resonance Factor: What part within the content will create the empathic resonance with the consumer? And why? 

Understanding that last why, is the most important piece of the puzzle. To gather even more data, and make sure every action, iteration, and content is always on-point.

When we’re told emotional, character-driven stories that we can relate to, our brain synthesizes oxytocin. A chemical that plays a key role in our ability to empathize. And that creates brand value that lasts forever. 

Future-ready – A winning content strategy in healthcare

At Polar London, we constantly analyze the market. And we constantly see how this aspect is overlooked as a priority. Yes… compliance must be taken care of. But these things also deserve your attention:

• Mobile -first designs: Only in 2022, 60% of all web traffic came from smartphones. And it’s going to increase!
  
• Individual user experience and personalizations: Catered and tailored customer journeys are here. And the healthcare industry must adapt as well.
  
• Future possible migration to an app: Everything has its app. And that’s for a reason. Convenience and consumer behaviour request it. Need to migrate? we can help you leap.
  
• Accessibility: Accessibility is about inclusivity. But more importantly, it helps you get a wider, more massive reach. It must be a must.

The world changed. Tech continues to advance. Users and customers evolved. And the healthcare industry is not the same as before. Don’t let your strategy fall behind. 

Get in touch with Polar London and make sure you’re playing the right game, with the right set of tools for maximum growth and a great CX.

The Customer-Centric Era

Health, Pharma and Wellness companies have now moved away from just listing their product’s features as marketing campaigns. Before, it was about bringing clarity over their edge compared to their closest competitor. As decades went by, the way users and customers behave changed. This brought a massive change in the way marketing is made an how campaigns in this sector or “Health campaigns” are executed.

From appealing to the users’ minds in an attempt to stay on top, to win over their hearts with storytelling. All of that has changed now. True creativity and real, humane ways of connecting with audiences are required to succeed nowadays.

Customer-centric actions, where the customer feels understood, comprehended, and at the centre stage, mean everything. It can be the make or break for any marketing campaign. But some industries such as big pharma, healthcare, and wellness, may have a tougher time trying to implement this new mindset.

Let The Best Lead The Way: What Are The Best Doing in their Health campaigns?

Sometimes great marketing is trial and error. But often -more often than not- it requires a professional understanding of the social panorama and analyzing what top-tier players in the marketing world are doing, to extract silver linings that can be replicated with any brand, anywhere.

That’s why we decided to highlight these 5 winning campaigns in the health sector. See for yourself, and then we can jump to valuable conclusions…

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#1  – Hip-Hop Public Health & Lil Sugar

A creative awareness video-based health campaign is about the harms of sugar. Highly appealing to younger generations.

This piece of craft speaks for itself. Not because it leveraged the video format, which is the most preferred form of modern content, but because it managed to create impactful awareness on a very concerning topic: sugar addiction side-effects.

Something so seemingly naive as sugar gets wonderfully exposed by this seemingly innocent sugar cube that explains all the tremendous disasters that both sugar and its derivated can cause to your health. Catchy song, great animation, and valuable information having the customer’s health at heart. This campaign hits all the spots.

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#2 – Richard Branson (Virgin) & LinkedIn Reframe Dyslexia

A multi-company action campaign using social media and influential people with dyslexia as an awareness platform.

A powerful campaign that brought healthy visibility to Dyslexia. A condition suffered by 1 out of 5 people. A condition that in the past was seen as an undesired roadblock. That caused alienation and discrimination, topped with the feelings of not being as normal as others.

When actually, dyslexic thinking could be seen as an edge to solve situations uniquely. That sounds like a skill right?…

That’s exactly what this campaign was about. To turn dyslexic thinking into an official listable LinkedIn skill. People loved it because it talked and made 20% of the human population on LinkedIn feel heard and accepted. More than 10,000 people listed it on the first day. Starting with none other than self-made dyslexic thinker billionaire Richard Branson.

You can learn more about this amazing campaign here:

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#3 – Eye-Dar: Bringing Sight To The Sightless

A life-changing way of using available technology to aid visually-impaired people.

This amazing campaign talks about a real product. An app that uses a piece of tech most modern smartphones have (lidar) to create a sound map of a visually impaired user’s surroundings. This can help them train the ability of echo-location, which consists in using the bouncing of sounds to understand objects around them. According to studies, only 1% of blind people developed the skill. Thanks to the app, that number can significantly change.

Once again, this idea brings the user to the main stage. Making them feel heard, loved, and not alone. This creates a level of awareness so massive, that it becomes unstoppable. Why? Because it is truly life-changing.

You can see the video below:

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#4 – The Unwearable Collection & Boehringer Ingelheim

Bringing visibility and humanizing a tremendous disease via an impactful strategic partnership.

In this case, it was about bringing awareness to those who suffer from GPP (Generalized Pustular Psoriasis). A condition that not only causes a great deal of suffering to the person but carries along a tremendous social stigma. Often deriving in alienation and isolation. The illness is experienced as painful flares on the skin, usually deriving in pus-filled blisters. First, I suggest you take a look at the video:

Boehringer Ingelheim collaborated with fashion designer Bart Hess, in an attempt to capture in literally unwearable suits, the description of the feeling of GPP provided by the sufferers. From flaring fire to sharp glass, to knives, and thick sharp paper edges, these suits capture what it’s like to live with GPP. Once again, giving voice and empathy to this niche. Making them feel understood, instead of alienated.

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#5 – The Greatest | Apple

Apple believes accessibility is a human right. Innovative features like Door Detection, Sound Recognition, Voice Control, and more are designed to let you use your devices in ways that work best for you.

Apple raised awareness of its accessibility features to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities late last year.

Every day people with disabilities are shown to be using features on their Apple devices such as Sound Recognition for people who are deaf, as a woman’s Apple Watch alerts her that her baby is crying, and Detection Mode, which allows blind or low-vision users to navigate their environment.

It was directed by Kim Gehrig through Somesuch.

Emotionally emotive to inspire and make relatable everyday tasks achievable for all. Supported by an awesome track to compliment the narrative, if you haven’t seen the ad yet then you need to watch it.

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How To Implement This New Paradigm?

It’s clear through these health campaigns how we can place the customer at the centre stage. More importantly, how there are more humane ways of bringing awareness to certain topics and keeping society informed on certain things without alienating anyone. On the contrary, to further include and unite people, while elevating the level of awareness.

At Polar London, we understand how these new ways and trends of campaigning can add a necessary edge to the industry’s companies. Making users and consumers feel heard, understood, and comprehended.

If you want to explore if your brand can profit from shifting toward this paradigm, Polar London is the right place to begin, check out our latest work and get in touch.