DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SERIES - Personalisation is key to closing the Digital Divide
My purpose is to unleash the human potential to create a healthier world. My vision is to inspire more commercial and marketing leaders in pharma to shift from being mere message bearers to becoming healthcare professionals trusted advisors. My goal is to unlock the genius within people and create genuine connections.
I'm passionate about helping pharma professionals feel confident in using technology, particularly the field force, to improve their engagement with healthcare professionals. This allows us to be seen as trusted advisors and deliver value, rather than merely taking up or wasting their time.
When it comes to digital transformation, enabling people to use technology confidently is something I'm deeply curious about. I’ve been exploring this topic by interviewing inspiring pharma leaders to learn from them and give them a platform to share their perspectives, so we can all benefit. I was delighted to chat to Chiara Bolognini, an International Marketing Enablement Partner at Roche.
Chiara is a senior marketing and commercial leader with over twenty years of experience. She has spent fourteen years in life science companies, holding senior global and international roles, and working with matrix global leadership at Novartis Global Headquarters. She also worked at Bristol Myers Squibb, Abbott Global Headquarters, and is now with Roche Pharma International.
Chiara has proven senior marketing leadership and has led global, regional, and local marketing teams, driving key integrated omnichannel marketing strategies and executing them with excellence. She has also been responsible for blockbuster product launches and growth, resulting in billions of dollars in sales.
Chiara and I have only known each other since May of this year when we met at the NEXT Pharma conference in Dubrovnik. This conference seems to be where I meet the most amazing people. Chiara was presenting, and we spoke on the last day of the conference. We ended up going out to dinner with Vanitha Venkatasubramaniam from Novo Nordisk, and the three of us had a wonderful evening.
Sometimes, you meet people who have an aura or energy about them that makes you feel immediately connected on a personal level. After just an hour of conversation over dinner, I felt as if I had known Chiara for years. We connected on a deep human level, which I truly appreciated. She was so authentic and open, and I felt privileged to meet her. I also felt like I had gained a new friend.
I'm curious to know what inspired you to join the pharma industry. Could you tell me a little about your current role at Roche and your journey to where you are today?
My story goes back to my childhood. My stepfather, who raised me, is a doctor. At seventy-four years old, he is still working and we can’t seem to stop! He would bring home medical journals and talk about his work in the hospital every day. This gave me a constant understanding of how to deal with patients, colleagues, and the dynamics of hospitals. Over time, I became his young assistant. This experience ignited my strong scientific interest. When I joined the pharma world, this interest was deeply satisfied by launching big blockbusters, growing existing products, and bringing life-changing therapies to patients with devastating diseases. This has become my purpose. At Roche, I have continued to pursue this purpose throughout my career, focusing on changing patients' lives. My global journey in life sciences has been unique, as I started with international and global roles, gaining valuable exposure through various experiences. This has taught me that paths can differ from traditional ones. I encourage others to pursue their goals despite any challenges they may face.
You have extensive experience in senior global marketing roles. How have you seen the approach to digital transformation change and evolve in the last five years?
In the last five years, we've witnessed significant changes, especially due to the pandemic. Before the pandemic, marketing and digital marketing were often siloed and disconnected from strategy, which is something we always have to avoid. The pandemic brought a rapid acceleration in digital marketing, bringing it closer to traditional marketing. Since then, there has been a major effort to integrate marketing and digital marketing within companies so that they function as one cohesive unit. In terms of marketing capabilities that drive digital transformation, many pharma marketers have a scientific and medical background, which can sometimes detract from their focus on digital skills. However, I believe that the next generation of digital natives will naturally have these skills, and digital transformation will progress much faster in the future.
What are the most significant challenges pharma companies face when implementing digital transformation strategies?
Three main challenges come to mind: capabilities and core business focus, regulations, and traditions. First, the core business of pharma is science, and there will always be a tendency to invest more in that area, which can slow down investments in digital marketing transformation. Second, strict regulations mean that everything must be approved, and we must adhere to ethical standards. This can also slow down digital acceleration. Finally, traditions play a role, particularly in the relationship between field forces and customers. Pharma has traditionally been conservative, relying on trusted partnerships and relationships. This has sometimes hindered digital transformation, as resources and investments can't be intensely focused on everything simultaneously. For example, during the pandemic, we invested heavily in digital engagement, but now we see a return to traditional fieldwork.
How do you think we can close the digital divide to provide content, educational, and promotional materials to healthcare professionals through their preferred channels?
Personalisation is key to closing this gap. By personalising content, we can bridge the divide and better meet the needs of healthcare providers. Many pharmaceutical companies are already investing heavily in digital engagement, orchestrating digital and in person interactions to deliver content that is relevant to the specific customer, at the right frequency, on the right channel. However, one challenge I didn't mention earlier is the fear of digital transformation among sales teams. If we don't get buy-in from our people, digital transformation won't succeed. They might say yes but then find workarounds. If they are not in the office, it's a challenge.
At NEXT Pharma, you mentioned that pharma needs to treat their field team as customers. Can you elaborate on this perspective?
This strategy aligns with the vision shared in your book, The Omni Advantage. Although it’s an unconventional approach, it’s essential for changing our mindset around strategy delivery. As marketers, we need to recognise that our primary customer is the sales rep. By placing the sales rep at the centre of the digital ecosystem, we empower them to view digital engagement as a tool to better engage with customers. This helps alleviate their fears about digital transformation and drives them to use digital innovations effectively. I believe that digital content will never replace the human element, but enabling humans with digital tools is far more powerful. Involving the sales team in digital content creation or design increases their buy-in. Companies that incorporate field team suggestions into content creation often see greater usage because the field team is naturally inclined to use what they’ve helped create. Pharma companies interact with customers through the frontline team, regardless of their role. We need to provide a seamless experience, not siloed ones. Some companies do this better than others, and it’s essential for the sales team to feel ownership of their role. If they’re not involved in designing the strategy, they won’t feel invested. The focus should be on putting the sales rep at the centre of the digital ecosystem, which in turn will benefit the customer and achieve customer centricity.
Are you using AI yourself, Chiara? I’m curious to hear how you’re utilising it.
In the pharma marketing world, AI is increasingly used for insights and content generation. It’s becoming easier to adapt content for different markets, reducing the effort and cost traditionally required. AI tools can now efficiently approve and localise content for diverse cultural contexts through simple queries in the AI system, such as: "replace image and text style for an Asian audience." While human creativity remains invaluable, the true power of AI in marketing operations lies in inspiring us to transcend our limits and expand our ability to create and produce content based on a broader and interconnected pool of insights. I am looking forward to seeing how AI assistants will change the way we interact with our customers. Consider this scenario: our customers visit our website's AI chatbot or use ChatGPT to enquire about our products. What will the answers be, and what answers do we want the AI to provide? By observing this new landscape of Large Language Models, we will gain valuable insights into our brand perception and identity, allowing us to inform our strategy. This will help ensure our brands align with their promises and perform at their best.
How do you ensure that data analytics is actionable in shaping your marketing strategy?
Making goals measurable is key to ensuring that insights are actionable. In fact, those measurable goals and the related insights or measures will inform and drive actions and tactics. In addition, I use a data strategy model that links strategic imperatives to objectives, tactics, KPIs and metrics. This approach helps you see the impact of what you're delivering and maintain a clear connection between strategy and execution. It’s a great model for integrating data into the marketing strategy and ensuring it drives decision-making effectively. Clearly, the Closed Loop Marketing mindset (marketing plan, execution, feedback, analysis) must also be instilled in marketing teams so that actionable insights play a key role in shaping the marketing strategy. What I am particularly cautious about is not leaving everything to automated AI systems. These cannot accommodate all types of strategies and the unique nuances that occur at market level in various ways, although they now provide us with a valuable opportunity to gather data from multiple sources and interrelate them with just a query. That said, it is essential that data is interpreted with a human touch to determine the most appropriate next steps based on the insights gathered.
Conclusion
It was a privilege to interview Chiara and hear her valuable insights on how pharma companies can overcome challenges by integrating digital tools, focusing on personalising content for healthcare professionals, and ensuring that field teams are viewed as central to digital ecosystems. She also highlighted the increasing role of AI in shaping pharma marketing and the importance of making data analytics actionable in driving impactful strategies. It’s heartening to know that the perspectives shared in my book, The Omni Advantage, are helping to break down silos and drive meaningful engagement in our industry. Our goal is to deliver value to healthcare professionals, ultimately leading to better patient care and a healthier world. Feel free to reach out if you have feedback on the book. Together, we can break down barriers, focus on people, and use technology to create a significant impact.
If you would like to purchase a copy of The Omni Advantage, it is available as a paperback or audiobook.
