Rapid technological advancements and changing market dynamics have transformed the way bio-pharmaceutical companies interact and engage with a diverse set of customers. Best Practices, LLC undertook benchmarking research to analyze the hotspots in digital and multi-channel innovation in the healthcare space. This study highlights key trends in the successful education and engagement of customers across online channels. It also delivers benchmarks around assessing the impact, effectiveness, and ROI of leading digital marketing activities. Download Full Report: http://bit.ly/2bxroBH

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Key Trends & Innovative Activities
in Biopharma Digital Marketing
Best Practices, LLC Strategic Benchmarking Research & Analysis

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Table of Contents
 Executive Summary pp. 3-9
• Research Overview p. 3
• Key Findings & Insights p. 6
 Detailed Research Findings p. 10
1. Hotspots in Digital Innovation p. 15
 Assessing Key Growth Areas
 Measuring ROI in New Activities
2. Winning in the Mobile & Wearable Device World p. 25
 Mobile Targeting, Uptake, Search & ROI
 Wearable Preparedness
3. Succeeding with Today's Physicians p. 35
 Effective Channels & Campaign Measurement
 Deploying Dynamic Content
 Making the Most of EHRs
4. Maximizing Social Media Presence p. 44
 Team Structure & Staffing
 Top Activities
 About Best Practices, LLC p. 49

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Field Research & Insight Development:
Best Practices, LLC engaged 39 digital marketing
leaders at 30 companies through a benchmarking
survey instrument.
Research participants worked in such functions as
digital, multichannel marketing, business excellence &
intelligence, marketing, and sales.
• Identify innovative digital
marketing approaches in
healthcare
• Assess the impact,
effectiveness, and ROI of new
leading activities
• Capture insights for
implementing innovative
programs
Research Objectives & Methodology
Research Objectives:
 This benchmarking deliverable is part of a series of Best Practices’ studies designed to
examine Digital Marketing performance excellence in the healthcare industry.
 This study analyzes “hotspots” in digital and multichannel innovation, including:
 Mobile
 Social media
 Dynamic content
 Advanced customer insights
Business Objective:
This research examines the innovative programs and activities being implemented by high-performing
digital marketing teams in the healthcare space. This benchmark study identifies and evaluates key
trends in the successful education and engagement of customers across online channels.
:
 Electronic health records (EHRs)
 Wearable devices
 Campaign automation
 Digital customer service

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Data Segmentations & Acronyms Used in this Study
Data Segments:
 Large Company: Annual revenue of > $10 billion
(US) in 2014
 Medium & Small Company: Annual revenue <$10
billion (US) in 2014
 Centralizing DM Team: Any respondent company
where the digital marketing function is becoming more
centralized in structure (e.g., housed in a designated DM
group, multichannel group, or Center of Excellence)
 De-centralizing DM Team: Any respondent company
where the digital marketing function is becoming less
centralized in a single structure or group (e.g., DM is
embedded within individual brands, units or therapy areas)
 Brand-Aligned DM Teams: Any respondent company
where digital marketing capability is a mix of both centralized
teams & individual brand teams or business units
 Digital Is Part of MCM: Any respondent company
digital marketing capability resides within a centralized
multichannel marketing group or Center of Excellence
To help distill the most precise and relevant benchmark insights, several data segments were used in this
study. Definitions of these data segments, as well as other research terms and acronyms used
throughout this research, are provided below.
Key Terms & Acronyms:
 DM – digital marketing
 EHR – electronic health record(s)
 HCP – healthcare provider
 MCM – multichannel marketing
 ROI – return on investment
 SEO – search engine optimization
 SM – social media

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Universe of Learning: 30 Top Companies Contributed to this Research
This research engaged 39 digital marketing leaders from 30 leading pharmaceutical, biotech, and life
sciences companies. Thirteen study participants represent large pharma organizations, while the
remaining benchmark class represent medium or small companies.
Benchmark Class:
Large Companies
(Revenue > $10 Billion US in 2014)
Medium & Small Companies
(Revenue < $10 Billion US in 2014)

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The following key findings and insights emerged from this study.
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Key Findings
 High-Performing Mobile Campaigns Have Delivered an Average ROI of 17%: For their most
successful mobile programs, healthcare digital teams have been able to show an average return of 17% on
investment. Median ROI for signature mobile campaigns was 7%. While one group has exceeded a 100%
return, others have been yet unable to credibly demonstrate any return.
 Top 3 HCP Channels: Point-of-Care Apps, ePresentations & eMarketing: The top channels for
informing and engaging physicians appear to be point-of-care apps (highest effectiveness rating, a growth
opportunity for many orgs), digital presentations (96% somewhat effectiveness rating), and e-marketing
(91% effectiveness rating). Search and website activities are somewhat effective for most companies.
 Top Social Media Activities include Listening/Data Collection & Facilitated Peer-to-Peer Discussion:
To succeed with social media, biopharma companies must listen openly to customers and interact on their
terms. Currently 76% of benchmarked companies - and 89% of large pharma - conduct some form of data
gathering through social media listening. Sixty-five percent are also facilitating peer-to-peer interactions via
social media. More traditional “push” approaches to branding, such as a highly active Twitter account, are
less common today on the social media side.

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Universe of Learning: Insights Drawn from Host of Biopharma Experts
Q. What is your current job title?
N=39
Participant Job Titles:
C-Suite/VP,
5%
Director, 33%
Manager,
38%
Lead/Head,
13%
Other, 13%
*Other research participants:
Business Analyst, Digital Project
Specialist, Assistant, Senior
Territory Business Executive
*
This research features quantitative insights from a wide range of leaders from the digital marketing
function. Roughly half of respondents serve at the VP or director level, or as heads of digital units.

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USA &
Canada, 54%
Asia-Pacific,
21%
Europe, 15%
Latin America,
5%
Other, 5%
Benchmark Research Reflects Digital Practices around the Globe
N=39
Country:
*Other countries represented:
Saudi Arabia, Russia
*
Q. In what country or region are you currently located?
Study participants provide digital services to major markets around the world. More than half serve
the US and Canada, with strong representation from both the Asia-Pacific and European markets.

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104
111
129
132
139
154
188
190
195
Social media engagement
Advanced analytics & predictive modeling
2-way online community engagement
SEO & online advertising
Mobile
E-marketing
Internal training & skills development (e.g., iPad field
support)
Dynamic content & other collateral building
Websites
Improved Dynamic Content a Key Development in 2015 DM Picture
Q. Which of the following common digital activities have had the greatest positive impact on engaging and
influencing your customers?
Ranking the Impact of Digital Activities:
N=35
= Key focus area
of this deliverable
This research deliverable analyzes a host of innovative activities in biopharma digital marketing,
highlighted in red against other core areas below. A rapid improvement in the deployment of dynamic
content is one notable trend, while companies have made slow but steady strides in social, analytics, and
mobile engagement.
Research Note: The above scores represent a weighted average based upon survey participants’ rank order of impact of various digital activities.
Higher scores indicate higher impact ranking for a particular digital channel or activity area.

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High-Performing Mobile Campaigns Have Delivered an Average of 17% ROI
Q. What is the highest level of return on investment you have been able to clearly demonstrate for any specific tactic,
campaign, or activity associated with your mobile programs?
N=10-11
ROI for Mobile Programs:
10%
17%
7%
1%
75th Percentile Mean Median 25th Percentile
Greatest Digital Success Story in
Last 12 Months:
“We leveraged MCM capabilities to
increase market share & FF customer
access." -Multichannel Lead
Three-fourths of small and mid-sized companies that are leveraging the growing use of mobile among
physicians and other customers to analyze usage patterns. Armed with these critical insights, many
digital teams create high-impact point-of-care resources that sync with other popular applications.

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4%
4%
8%
8%
17%
17%
21%
21%
29%
63%
50%
83%
38%
79%
38%
25%
13%
29%
13%
4%
8%
4%
4%
4%
4%
4%
50%
50%
29%
38%
42%
Twitter
YouTube
Company or product websites
SEO & paid search
E-marketing
Online community interactions
Digital presentations
Point of care applications (e.g., Epocrates)
Highly effective Effective Ineffective Highly ineffective NA (not active in this area)
Point of care applications
Top 3 HCP Channels: Point-of-Care Apps, ePresentations & eMarketing
Q. How effective are each of the following channels for informing and engaging physicians about new therapies?
N=24 % Respondents
Effective Channels for Reaching Physicians:
The top channels for informing and engaging physicians appear to be point-of-care apps (highly effective,
a growth opportunity for many orgs), digital presentations (96% effectiveness rating), and e-marketing
(91% effectiveness rating). Search and website activities are somewhat effective for most companies.

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12%
18%
24%
29%
65%
76%
Shared games / maps / tools / visualizations
Highly active Twitter accounts
Clinical development news and trial publicity /
recruitment
Sponsored discussion
Facilitated peer-to-peer interaction
Social listening and data collection
Social Media Listening & Data Collection Used by 76% of Social Marketers
Q. How has your DM group made use of social media over the past year?
N=17
% Respondents
Innovative Use of Social Media:
To succeed with social media, biopharma companies must listen openly to customers and interact on
their terms. Not surprisingly, the most prevalent SM tactics include social listening and data collection
(76% of organizations) and facilitated peer-to-peer interactions (65%). A more traditional “push”
approach to branding, such as a highly active Twitter account, is less common.

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Best Practices®, LLC is an internationally recognized thought leader in the field of best practice
benchmarking®. We are a research, consulting, benchmark database, publishing and advisory firm that
conducts work based on the simple yet profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior
economic performance by leveraging the best business practices, operating tactics and winning strategies of
world-class companies.
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Chapel Hill, NC 27517
(Phone): 919-403-0251
www.best-in-class.com
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