Many digital agencies acting as the agency of record (AOR) for pharmaceutical brands face a critical disconnect. Creative teams are tasked with designing content that connects with patients, yet they rarely have access to essential insights like the patient journey, persona profiles, or performance metrics. I’ve experienced this firsthand: as a creative, I was often asked to “make it work” without the data or context needed to resonate with the target audience.
The result? Campaigns that might look good but fall short in engagement and impact. This gap is where CX services—and consultants like me—come in. By bridging creative and marketing teams, CX can elevate both the quality of digital content and the effectiveness of campaigns, ensuring they truly meet patient and provider needs.
The Disconnect Between Creative and Marketing Teams
In pharma marketing, creative and marketing teams often work in parallel but disconnected streams. Creative teams handle visual storytelling, and marketing teams focus on metrics and ROI. But without alignment, these teams miss a vital element: understanding how the patient journey and personas influence engagement.
The Value of CX Services: A CX consultant bridges this gap, bringing both patient empathy and data-driven insights to the table. With CX guidance, creative teams gain access to the same rich data marketing relies on, allowing them to craft visuals, messaging, and interactions that speak to patients’ real needs and behaviors. This alignment doesn’t just enhance the creative output; it ensures every asset produced is optimized for engagement.
Creative Teams Often Lack Insight into the Patient Journey
Imagine crafting an app or content series for a new drug without knowing the stages patients go through—from diagnosis and treatment to management and support. Without a clear view of the patient journey, creative work can easily miss the mark, focusing on features rather than addressing patient pain points and motivations.
The Role of CX in Patient Journey Mapping: A CX consultant helps agencies map out patient journeys, identifying key touchpoints where the brand can offer meaningful engagement. For example, a patient diagnosed with a chronic condition may need reassurance and information in the early stages, while later, they may seek support resources. CX can guide content creators in designing resources that align with these journey stages, leading to more impactful and relevant brand experiences.
Flying Blind: Creative Teams Limited Access to Persona Details and Marketing Data
When creative teams lack access to persona insights or campaign performance data, they’re essentially designing in the dark. Personas and data aren’t just checkboxes—they’re essential tools that shape design decisions and enable teams to personalize content that truly resonates with patients and healthcare providers.
CX’s Role in Integrating Personas and Data: A CX consultant ensures that persona details and performance data aren’t just accessible—they’re woven into the creative process. For example, knowing that a persona values easy-to-digest, visual information can lead to content formats like infographics or simplified dashboards within an app. Furthermore, performance data offers feedback on what works, allowing the creative team to refine designs based on actual patient and provider interactions.
Real-World Impact: Elevating Agency Success with CX
To illustrate, let’s look at how agencies can leverage CX to strengthen their creative and marketing alignment. Imagine a scenario where an agency working on a diabetes management app for a pharmaceutical client integrates CX services.
With CX research, the team discovers that newly diagnosed patients feel overwhelmed by information. By applying this insight, the creative team develops a “start here” guide for new users, breaking down app features and content to alleviate information overload. Meanwhile, marketing can track engagement data, such as time spent on this guide and follow-through on recommended app actions, providing feedback to both teams. The result? A cohesive, patient-centric experience that drives engagement and makes patients feel supported.
The Long-Term Value of CX for Pharma Digital Agencies
By incorporating CX into digital projects, agencies not only improve project outcomes but also set themselves apart as true brand stewards. A CX consultant’s role goes beyond one-off wins; they build a bridge between creative flair and marketing precision, ensuring each campaign or product is a genuine asset to the patient experience.
Ready to Bridge Creative and Marketing with CX?
If your agency is ready to elevate its pharma projects by bringing CX insights to both creative and marketing teams, let’s connect. Let's talk about how my CX consulting services and support can drive better alignment and more impactful outcomes in your projects.