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As many as 70 million Americans suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, which can significantly impact patients' quality of life, causing persistent discomfort and complex health challenges. But despite the growth in treatment options over the past years, many people still struggle to manage their disease and access care. In a 2022 survey, the American Gastroenterological Association found that 40% of Americans stopped engaging in routine activities due to bowel symptoms, yet only 1 in 3 said they would only discuss those symptoms if their HCP brought it up first.
Addressing this dynamic to help more patients get the care they need requires rethinking how pharma defines and reaches their consumer audiences. Effective communication about treatment options is crucial for these individuals, and targeted advertising can play a pivotal role in this process. By increasing the precision of DTC marketing, GI brands can better reach and prompt eligible patients to discuss their symptoms and treatment options with HCPs – without sacrificing their presence on broad media channels or compromising patient privacy.
Combining Precision + Privacy in Addressable TV
OptimizeRx recently helped one established GI brand revitalize their addressable TV (ATV) advertising through this exact approach to precision patient advertising. The brand was unhappy with their current ATV performance, and upon further analysis, the OptimizeRx discovered a key misalignment. Instead of focusing on the brand’s “true” audience of chronic sufferers, the campaign was reaching too many individuals with acute GI conditions. And this overly broad audience was limiting advertising effectiveness.
To address this mismatch and shift the campaign to focus on and reach brand-eligible patients, we took a data-driven approach, anchored by three key elements:
- Optimizing the Audience: Using privacy-compliant, real-world medical claims data, we narrowed the indication segments from eight to four, focusing the campaign on chronic sufferers and excluding those with unrelated acute conditions. This enhanced audience precision allowed the campaign to more effectively reach the right patients—those most likely to benefit from the brand medication.
- Micro-Neighborhood® Targeting With the redefined audience, our patented Micro-Neighborhood Targeting (MNT) technology identified hyperlocal geographies with high concentrations of chronic sufferers. Then, our multichannel video program distribution (MVPD) partnerships (e.g., DTV, DISH, Comcast, Spectrum Charter) enabled us to deliver the optimal number of relevant ad impressions directly to eligible households – maximizing impact while minimizing ad fatigue.
- Omnichannel Expansion: To enhance engagement with the redefined and qualified audience, we layered programmatic digital display ads into the media mix, creating a surround-sound effect that amplified the brand message, increasing exposure along the patient’s journey
Results that Outperformed Alternative Media Partners
By refining the targeting strategy, expanding the channel mix, and reinforcing the brand message across multiple touchpoints, our efforts led to some of the brand’s top-performing ads:
- ATV ads ranked in the top 25% for impressions per new prescriptions (NRx) generated
- Digital display ads ranked in the top 33% for impressions per NRx generated (for three out of four audience segments)
- 10:1 ROAS: The campaign delivered a 10:1 return on advertising spend, indicating an efficient and highly effective use of advertising dollars.
Higher Commercial Impact, Improved Patient Outcomes
Tailored advertising strategies that consider the unique needs and behaviors of chronic sufferers lead to improved information penetration among relevant patient audiences and more efficient use of marketing resources. By leveraging data-driven strategies and employing an omnichannel approach, brands can ensure messages reach the right audience and prompt meaningful conversations between patients and HCPs.
Learn more about how OptimizeRx DTC marketing solutions help drive the conversations that convert – and help more patients start on life-changing therapy.