Reflections on Asembia '24 from a creative perspective

It’s always exciting being in Vegas for Asembia! The lights and glitz create the perfect backdrop for some of the most stunning ideas shaping market access. The entire event is a showcase where great companies dedicated to healthcare innovation shine.

Amongst the presentations I attended, including one my colleague, Tom Martin and I led, I wanted to reflect on some observations I had during this thought-provoking conference.

Tom and I held a luncheon where we shared some new insights on evolving engagement with formulary decision makers. In our session, we detailed findings on shifting attitudes towards payer-focused marketing. In the past, payers we spoke with were vehemently opposed to any marketing messages that were “overtly commercial” or “slick”.

However, in our most recent set of payer interviews, ones conducted with professionals in their role for an average tenure of 3 years, their attitudes towards messaging were vastly different.

“Don’t overwhelm me with information.”

“I need something that catches my eye.”

“Graphic design is important.”

Wait a second. Are these the same folks who have traditionally turned up their noses at anything Madison Avenue would create?

This sounds like pharmaceutical manufacturers may have a never-before-seen opportunity to capitalize on a different attitude. Not only are payers sharing that smart creative and design are important, the ones we spoke with are also embracing evolving media and untraditional channels, such as TikTok, YouTube and others as viable awareness drivers.

So what’s holding us back from diving in?

It’s fear.

Fear of arduous approvals. Fear of the unknown. Perhaps possibly the fear of being the first to do something.

But being in Vegas does remind one that fortune favors the bold.

Back in 2017, PhRMA launched a campaign called GOBOLDLY. This collection of inspiring messages showcased the cutting-edge advances in science and spoke to our industry’s commitment to tackle the world’s most complex and devastating health conditions.

The ideas and innovations pharma develops are truly amazing. But there seems to be a disconnect between the brilliance happening inside the companies and the payer messaging coming out of it.

Payer messaging should embrace this bold legacy. But when one looks at payer engagement today, where’s the sizzle? Is fear keeping us from telling our most powerful, engaging stories?

At Asembia, there was one vendor in the exhibit hall who had the most brilliant strategy. They brought puppies to their booth. As I walked around, and sat in meetings, I heard over and over again, “Did you see the puppies?”

Marketers and creative teams wrack their brains, trying to figure out the most salient things to say. But perhaps the difference they seek starts by doing something different in and of itself. Being bold.

I can only imagine the conversations that team had to endure while their approach was under review.

“What if someone is allergic to dogs? That could cause a reaction. That’s a liability.”

“What if a puppy has an accident? That could get messy and be considered a health hazard.”

“What if someone gets scratched or bitten? Lawsuit!”

I’m impressed that they were able to navigate all these horrendous scenarios, overcome their fears, and execute a winning idea that was unusual and powerful – along with getting through their internal review.

I realize there is a wide berth between puppies and payer messaging, but the essence is the same. Doing something different, works.

Which begs the question, how long will fear continue to cause the great blandification of payer messaging?

With the sights and sounds of Vegas fresh in my mind, going with the safe bet of the tried, true and tired, may be easy. But winning big requires changing up the approach.

Let’s push the boundaries of how and what we’re messaging to payers to be more on par with the incredible power of discovery that’s happening within your laboratories and in the real world where your evidence matters even more.

We’re value drivers and problem solvers. If you’d like to create bolder, more effective payer messaging and creative solutions, contact us for a quick capabilities presentation.

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This article is intended to communicate Cencora’s capabilities which are backed by the author’s expertise. However, Cencora strongly encourages readers to review all available information related to the topics mentioned herein and to rely on their own experience and expertise in making decisions related thereto as the article contains marketing statements and does not constitute legal advice.

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