Marketing & Communication in the Healthcare Industry in India

Gone are the days when  Healthcare Communication  was only associated with 'done to death' copy and 'over-exploited' visuals of a doctor or healthcare professional with a plastic-coated smile or a happy family for whom the secret of their happiness lies in being healthy. But in today's cluttered scenario , can the consumer actually differentiate between a healthcare ad or a mutual fund ad and so on and so forth??

The Healthcare industry and the FMHG is growing with a fast pace and just like other industries ,advertising and promotions play a crucial role. Today the consumers are empowered with ample information which they acquire through multiple channels like  friends ,family ,chemists and physicians and not to forget Internet i.e. via Search Engines which provide millions of links on a particular topic.

Few years ago , the marketing initiatives in the Pharma industry were restricted to -

• Medical representatives approaching Doctors with free samples of medicines 
• Providing merchandising branded with the company logo including Pen, letter pads, calendars etc.

As a matter of fact doctors play a very important role as opinion leaders/ builders for healthcare products and so to a great extent , the success of the brand or the company providing healthcare products/ services relies upon the word of mouth of these opinion leaders.But still , considering the new challenges in the medical filed and the inquisitive consumer of today's times , the players in the healthcare industry should look at a harmonious blend of the traditional and the new marketing and communications initiatives .

• Before deciding upon the marketing initiatives , the focus should be on the rapidly changing customer behavior. 
• There has to be a  Clear-cut product differentiation or atleast a USP .As a matter of fact there is very little to differentiate one doctor's  care versus any other’s .
• Exploiting new initiatives to break the 'information overload' and innovative ways of reaching to the end user
• Also Identifying a particular segment of your TG which is exposed to the likes of the digital and social media and then taking steps towards exploiting various available mediums.
• Internet can not only be used a source of information but can be very well utilized for direct contact with the customer and can also be a customer care medium.
• Promotions with the help of opinion leaders.

 Last but not the least ,the communication should essentially focus on the 'experience'  i.e.providing a pleasant ,uncomplicated and hassle free procedure as an example afterall , it is the patient’s opinion about the healthcare provider that governs their decision.

Chandana Mungre Kashid

Contact me: chandana.mungre@gmail.com