The large canvas offered by print makes it the billboard of S4 marketing. And that billboard is becoming increasingly dynamic, thanks to the ubiquitous QR code.
Print advertising has ridden the wave of digital disruption to remain an integral part of the pharmaceutical omnichannel marketing mix.
“Clever marketers are using print in a different way. It’s not just static content anymore. There are ways of joining the dots and the experience from print to digital,” says Ward6 Group Technology Officer Bradley Moore.
“Regardless of what you’re trying to achieve — whether it’s awareness or acquisition — it’s the sum of all parts of your campaign that are going to drive that impact and hoped-for action.”
A firm believer in print’s role in an omnichannel strategy is Zeina Khodr, MD of Paper & Spark marketing agency.
“It is no longer about maximising the performance of each channel in isolation as was the case with multichannel marketing,” she says.
“The aim is to create an ecosystem in which each channel supports and integrates with the next. Each customer contact, from a print advert to an online video to a rep visit to a detail aid or dinner meeting drives a desired action, working together to grow sales and best-practice use of medicines and devices.”
While doctors enjoy their daily engagement with the AusDoc newsfeed and eDMs, engagement with the print magazine remains high.
In a recent survey of AusDoc readers[1], many saw the magazine as a slowdown occasion and have built a longstanding routine around engaging with the news, education and advertisements.
“I sit down, and actually hold the paper and flick through, it’s just something you enjoy,” said one GP. Another noted: “You remember information better when reading print, maybe because you take more time [to read it].”
Medical Magazine Doctor Readership[2]
Dean Millington, MD of Antidote Marketing is a pioneer of using virtual reality to drive medical communication. Even so, he’s enthusiastic about the ability of print to drive HCP engagement with sophisticated digital solutions.
“Instead of obliterating print, digital innovation can thrive in a print environment,” he says. “By combining print, QR codes and augmented reality, a simple print advert or advertorial can become an immersive promotional experience or interactive learning opportunity. “An advert for a new heart medication could link a doctor to a video that places a holographic KOL video into their workspace to share key points from a new study. Or the code could link to a 3D animation illustrating a medication mode of action or a diagnostic protocol. In this way, we can combine the power of print and digital and bring doctors the next level of digital innovation.”
While Moore is a firm believer in the value of data-driven hyper-targeting, he is also a pragmatist.
“You cannot reach everyone through digital. Print provides another opportunity to get in front of the HCP. There’s also an opportunity to create double impact by complementing a targeted digital campaign with a print execution,” he says.
5 reasons to include the print power of Australian Doctor Magazine in your campaign
- Superior reach. 80% of GPs report receiving Australian Doctor Print compared with 55% for competitor GP publication[3]
- Superior engagement. 6 out of 10 average issue readership compared with 3 out of 10 for competitor GP publication[4]
- Trusted circulation. CAB-certified with circulation figure printed in every issue.
- Excellent service. Knowledgeable and helpful client team to offer advice and solutions.
- Competitive rates. We will help you achieve your ROI targets.
References
[1] Medical Publishers Assoc 2019 & 2021
[2] Medical Publishers Assoc 2019 & 2021
[3] Medical Publishers Association study, 2019 and 2021.
[4] Medical Publishers Association study, 2019 and 2021.