e-Detailing in Pharma: Transforming Healthcare Engagement Digitally

Pharmaceutical detailing is the most time-tested marketing format in the medical content world. Old-timer sales reps should remember how pharmaceutical companies reckoned face-to-face (F2F) visits with doctors as the most effective approach to achieving their sales targets.

With the advent of digital marketing, plenty of new forms of online communication emerged and eventually superseded detailing, turning it from the most fundamental method of engagement into one of many. Despite the many challenges facing the pharma industry, the growing demand from healthcare professionals for personalized experiences has encouraged pharma companies to refresh their marketing strategies and adopt e-detailing as a modern approach to pharmaceutical detailing.

After reading this guide, you’ll be able to define the main differences between detailing and e-detailing, discover the benefits of this content format in the context of innovation, and understand how to leverage its efficiency with other marketing channels.

Introduction to e-Detailing

Pharmaceutical detailing is a marketing technique that allows sales representatives of a pharmaceutical company to promote products and services to healthcare professionals (HCPs) using a detailed presentation.

Unlike traditional detailing, e-detailing is delivered through online channels and can be accessed across multiple platforms. Traditional detailing, by contrast, relies on in-person interactions, such as face-to-face meetings, live sessions, or calls.

Detailing plays a vital role in the pharmaceutical industry for many reasons. First, it helps build a strong relationship between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals, providing the latter with detailed information on the latest research, new products, and more. Pharmaceutical representatives who communicate with healthcare professionals serve as the main source of credible information, guiding them through all the available and new medications and educating them on how each can be incorporated into treatment plans.

Moreover, detailing is a way for HCPs to stay current with the latest research and understand the direction of the pharmaceutical industry. With detailing, healthcare professionals can stay up to date with new findings and trends without spending much time learning more about the pharmaceutical landscape.

The global web-based e-detailing market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.66% from 2023 to 2030, driven by digital transformation. Valued at approximately USD 830.54 million in 2022, it is expected to reach USD 2,155.35 million by 2030. And what is even more impressive is that the pharmaceutical sector in the e-detailing field is already experiencing rapid growth and is set to dominate the market.

Benefits of Pharmaceutical e-Detailing

According to a survey by BCG, 84% of physicians want to maintain or increase online interactions with pharmaceutical companies.

Interestingly, the same report showed that 60% of HCPs prefer to learn more about new prescription products during an in-person visit by a pharmaceutical sales representative.

In such a hybrid communication environment, detailing is a perfect way to engage with HCPs.

Let’s find out why.

Benefit 1. Full accessibility and increased engagement

Typically, HCPs are very busy and don’t want to change their overloaded schedules or be interrupted because a sales rep needs to sell a new drug. E-detailers changed the way direct-to-consumer advertising works in the pharma industry.

The high level of e-detailing accessibility multiplies the level of HCP engagement. E-detailing creates human-oriented experiences for HCPs, eliminating sales representative obtrusiveness that might have turned many health professionals off in the past.

Now, it’s up to a health professional to decide how, where, and when to access information provided by pharmaceutical and life science companies.

For some reason, an HCP can’t attend one-on-one meetings and can use an e-detailer anytime via any device they want, like a desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet, and via any preferred channel, such as email or social media. An HCP who doesn’t mind meeting with a sales rep can view an e-detailer during a video call or after a live webinar.

Pharma sales reps can attract HCPs’ attention and create the feeling of total control over the situation thanks to e-detailing rich functionality:

• Media. Images, video, and audio help sales reps engage HCPs with an engaging story;
• Animation. Animated content looks way more attractive and engaging;
• Navigation Menu. HCPs can instantly jump to slides they like;
• References & Resources. All sources mentioned in an e-detailer are near at hand, which allows HCPs to check the authenticity of data presented in an e-detailer.

Benefit 2. Detailed analytics

One of the greatest benefits of electronic pharmaceutical detailing is that drug companies don’t have to meet HCPs personally to understand the overall impact of e-detailers on their decisions.

Being integrated with in-depth analytics in a customer relationship management (CRM) system, an e-detailer contains key performance indicators (KPIs) to collect real-time data about HCPs’ interactions.

There are several types of KPIs pharma companies can use:

• Quantitative KPIs: time per slide, the number of demonstrated slides, the order of slide demonstration, attitude towards the slide, and beyond;
• Qualitative KPIs: prescriptions, interactive surveys, and beyond.

KPIs allow companies to track any HCPs’ actions on e-detailers depending on their business goals and the e-detailing pharma software they use. Performance metrics are crucial because they help sales representatives find and improve inefficiencies in their pharmaceutical detailing strategies.

Benefit 3. HCP feedback and better customer experience

Along with information received with performance metrics, direct feedback from health professionals can improve pharmaceutical detailing strategies and pharma marketing.

One more slide with a simple feedback form added to the end of an e-detailer can dramatically increase customer experience in the future. By providing unique insights, HCPs can expand the knowledge of pharmaceutical companies about:

• The Subject of an e-Detailer. HCPs can share their professional and personal opinions on the brand, products, or any other e-detailing topic with a drug company;
• Quality of e-detailing. HCPs can recommend pharmaceutical representatives to improve the content and its appearance and find possible mistakes and inconsistencies;
• Target Audience. HCPs can tell about their colleges’ needs, preferences, interests, competence, expertise, and beyond;
• Pharma Industry and Market. Even if HCPs can say nothing about the industry and market, they may say something that would pull some suggestions out of the minds of pharmaceutical representatives.

A pharma company can also create an interactive slide for conducting a survey based on multiple-choice questions as an alternative to a feedback form. In pharma marketing, such content has enormous potential for creating more effective means of HCP engagement.

Benefit 4. Omnichannel versatility

As one of the top healthcare marketing trends, omnichannel marketing is the future of communication between pharmaceutical representatives and HCPs.

In an omnichannel environment, pharmaceutical companies combine e-detailing with other channels to create personalized customer journeys and engage with different groups of HCPs based on data analytics.

To leverage the effectiveness of the e-detailing process for an HCP or a group of HCPs with the same characteristics, pharmaceutical sales representatives and marketers identify the most preferred combination of communication channels and use them as touchpoints in a customer journey at the right time.

In such a way, e-detailing becomes human-centered, looks professional, and feels natural.

Different Types of e-Detailing

There are several types of pharmaceutical detailing. Let’s look at some e-detailing examples and their importance.

Academic detailing

Academic detailing is a non-commercial face-to-face demonstration of new prescription drugs by healthcare professionals to their colleagues or patients in academic medical centers.

Academic detailing has educational value. The goal of conducting academic detailing is to improve the quality and results of clinical trials, patient care, prescribing patterns, and prescribing behavior.

Traditional detailing

Traditional detailing is a face-to-face demonstration of pharmaceutical products and services by sales representatives to healthcare professionals. The goal of conducting detailing is to provide doctors with all the necessary information on new drugs and their effectiveness.

e-Detailing

E-detailing is a digital marketing practice used by pharmaceutical sales representatives to present a company’s products and services to healthcare professionals online with an interactive presentation called e-detailer.

Depending on the marketing approach, some pharma marketing specialists divide e-detailing into two categories: self-detailing and remote detailing.

In the process of self-detailing, an HCP reviews an e-detailer alone without the guidance of a pharmaceutical representative. Remote detailingis an onlineone-in-one demonstration of an e-detailer bya pharmaceutical representative to an HCP during a video call or webinar.

There are also three types of e-detailing, subject to the purpose of HCP engagement.

How Does e-Detailing Enhance Healthcare Engagement?

E-detailing is all about creating engaging content that not only brings value but is also often entertaining and informative at the same time. Interactiveness is a key component in an e-detailing approach, offering numerous advantages and opportunities to enhance the user experience. Here are some of the features widely used in e-detailing that enhance healthcare engagement:

Gamification

Games have long been recognized for their educational impact. Today, it’s not just about entertainment—games can raise awareness on key topics and, of course, increase brand engagement. Incorporating gaming mechanics such as puzzles, quizzes, challenges, scavenger hunts, and other interactive elements into e-Detailing content can make interactions with HCPs more engaging and memorable.

Animations

One of the first things that grabs attention is a compelling animation—it’s a powerful way to convey a message and share valuable insights. Use animation to illustrate complex ideas, formulas, and graphs and tell a story that can be memorable, thanks to the right selection of animations and visuals.

Interactive presentations

Presentations can be very interesting thanks to the properly chosen content and graphics. But what if you took them a step further and made your presentations interactive? Add such details as clickable infographics and hotspots, embedded videos and 3D media, live polls, drag-and-drop elements, and other components to make your presentations more interactive.

Surveys

Just like live polls, surveys can become a very engaging part of your meeting with a healthcare professional. Surveys make presentations more engaging and personalized, allowing HCPs to share their opinions and ideas without disrupting the flow planned by sales representatives.

Videos

Sometimes, it is best to present evidence in the form of video rather than text. For example, if you are giving a presentation on a new product and about to share its benefits, instead of simply reciting it and displaying plain text, a video featuring the company’s experts could be much more effective. Moreover, videos can be shared across multiple channels, making them a cost-effective type of content.

How to Launch a Successful e-Detailing Campaign: Step-by-Step Guide

What does it take to successfully create and launch an e-detailing campaign? Here are some tips for creating a high-performing e-detailing pharma campaign:

Define clear goals

What are you trying to achieve with your e-Detailing campaigns? Is it increasing brand awareness? Strengthening your relationship with HCPs? Whatever the goal, your campaigns should have a clear objective—ideally, at least 2–3, divided into short-term and long-term targets.

Choose the right technology platform 

With the right e-detailing platform, pharmaceutical sales reps can provide HCPs with much more engaging content during in-person meetings and deliver high-quality presentations even remotely. Consider choosing a platform that meets not only your requirements but also the needs of your clients and offers all possible functions needed for the creation of e-detailing content. Some great examples are eWizard, IQVIA OCE, Adobe Experience Manager, and Showpad.

Create engaging content

Your content should be informative and engaging, packed with valuable insights while conveying your company’s core message. Add different elements to your content, such as graphics, lists, and videos, and include a call to action, incorporate links to different sources, and ensure your content is what your audience needs. The most engaging content meets the needs of your target audience. Start by identifying the most relevant and highly searched topics that interest HCPs, and provide them with high-quality content that answers their questions.

Make an impression

The purpose of your e-detailing campaign, among many other reasons, should be to engage with healthcare professionals and have them remember your story. This is why it is crucial to implement elements in your content that are capable of making a long-lasting impression. Focus on creating content packed with useful information, data, and facts so that HCPs can learn new information without wasting their time and feeling like someone is pushing their products too hard. Sometimes, the simpler, the better, especially when marketing to healthcare professionals.

Track success & make changes

No matter how prepared you are, you can never get it right on the first try. Gather data during your sessions, ask HCPs for feedback, and monitor key performance indicators to determine the success of your campaigns. This will allow you to improve every next campaign and ensure that you always provide HCPs with the right content.

Overcoming Challenges in e-Detailing for Pharmaceutical Companies

E-detailing, as a relatively new digital channel, still faces challenges that can only be addressed over time. Here are some of the key issues:

Need for additional training

Pharma sales content, along with online meetings and sessions, require a different approach from the usual method of promoting and marketing products or services. It takes time to learn the new approach to healthcare professionals, and in many cases, sales representatives have to learn a whole new suite of tools and platforms.

The use of different technology

E-detailing content is often delivered through specialized platforms designed specifically for e-detailing and, in some cases, tailored to the needs of specific industries. Due to this reason, it takes more time to create personalized content and craft e-detailing presentations with the help of those platforms, and even though the end result is worth it, it is still a longer process to get used to new tools.

Underutilization

E-detailing, compared to other digital channels, is less known in the pharmaceutical industry. Lack of awareness about this approach leads to sales representatives and medical science liaisons still using the “traditional” methods like face-to-face visits. Moreover, the low adoption rate often results in experts deliberately avoiding e-detailing due to concerns about understanding the technology and integrating it into their workflows.

Pharmaceutical e-Detailing Case Studies & Best Practices 

There are several principal approaches your organization should consider when creating e-Detailers.

Be careful with texts

Don’t overload your e-Detailer slides with text. The goal of any detailer is to support a sales representative’s pitch, not to be its basis. If an e-Detailer contains too much text information, it could confuse an HCP. Use text to highlight the essential information and share the rest orally to keep an HCP focused and engaged.

Interactivity is a must

Make your e-Detailer as interactive as possible. Content doesn’t attract attention without an engaging presentation. Create immersive experiences for HCPs by adding transitions between slides, animating objects, and hiding interesting facts in pop-ups and drop-down lists.

Make it as intuitive as possible

Create layouts that are easy to understand to make HCPs easily perceive e-Detailing content at first glance and stick to the principle of simplicity. If you don’t know how to make your e-Detailers simpler and more intuitive, show your e-Detailer to your team before engaging with HCPs. After engaging with HCPs, ask for detailed feedback and track their interactions within each slide.

Future of e-Detailing in Pharma Marketing

As electronic detailing gains popularity, more and more platforms will be changing and adjusting to the needs of both pharmaceutical marketers and healthcare professionals. Here are some features to look forward to:

Intuitive creation

With a diverse collection of pre-built templates and easy-to-use tools, pharmaceutical representatives will be able to create interactive e-detailers without needing specialized coding or design skills.

Accelerated MLR review and approval

Powered by modular content, pharmaceutical marketers and pharma representatives will reuse pre-approved content blocks, significantly streamlining the medical, legal, and regulatory review process for e-detailing.

Integration for any purpose and KPI tracking

Teams will be able to integrate the desired e-detailing systems with any popular system or platform, allowing for in-depth analysis of e-detailing effectiveness by tracking HCP behavior with advanced precision.

Seamless omnichannel experience

Pharma marketers will make e-detailing a part of their marketing campaigns, integrating this content across multiple channels and providing HCPs with a unified experience.

If you are looking for a tool that already offers all these opportunities for creating digital sales content, eWizard, a content experience platform, is the right choice. It enables top pharma and life sciences companies with everything needed to leverage pharmaceutical detailing in omnichannel marketing.

Final Words

Want to create next-generation interactive presentations with top-notch design and tailor them to the current needs of HCPs in personalized customer journeys? Let us know when you would like to get started, and our specialists will get to you shortly with a professional e-detailing consultation.