Most leading pharma companies have already launched thousands of apps on Google Play Store and iOS Appstore. Surprisingly, the total app downloads by physicians for proprietary Pharma apps around the globe is below 100,000. The propriety pharma websites on specific brands and therapy area have no different fate with poor traffic and minimal HCP engagement. In this insights article, we explore the reasons behind failure of such initiatives.
The iOS App Store launched in 2008 with 500 apps. Today, 1.85 million different apps are available for users to download. Android users have even to choose from, with 2.56 million available through the Google Play Store. Accompanying those downloads however are the uninstalls. Globally, the mobile app uninstall rate after 30 days is 28%. That app uninstall rate means almost 3 in every 10 apps will be deleted from users’ devices within a month. Strangely, 21% of apps are used only once during the first 6 months. All such install, abandonment and usage statistics for Pharma Apps and website is even more dismal.
There are several reasons for this dismal performance. The most important ones are discussed below:
- Pharma Companies are Publishing Multiple Website and App for Each Brand and Therapy Area: HCP attention space and their mobile devices both have limited real estate. There are only a few numbers of apps any user installs and uses. A survey conducted by tech company Localytics recently highlighted that both average and advanced users will typically use only 6 to 10 apps out of the over 30 apps installed on their smartphones. Each pharma company is publishing multiple apps and HCPs simply can’t have all those apps and websites with them. The question Pharma marketers should ask themselves is: Which one would you prefer for ecommerce shopping: Amazon or the ecommerce site of individual brands?
- If you Build it, they will Come Mindset: In digital space business, “if you build it, they will come” will only end in disaster. Often this stems from the fact that marketers in Pharma are keen on ‘What they want to communicate’. Instead, the HCPs are more interested in “What they are looking for”. Finding a product market fit where you are closely working with your audience/customer iteratively is fundamental to a successful website or app. This requires a lean startup mindset and is mostly lacking in big pharma enterprise.
- HCPs are Sceptical of the Information Provided by Propriety Pharma Apps: HCPs are looking for is the unbiased access to information from various sources. For obvious reason, they find it unlikely that such brand sites and apps from Pharma companies, will be fully unbiased. Hence, there are few takers for such apps.
- App Engagement and Retention is a Continuous Process: Most pharma publishers treat app or website launch like a traditional event … done and then forgotten. Instead, the launch of the app is just the beginning. The publisher has to continuously deliver value to its audience and keep them engaged for retention. Because there is little that is done by marketers to keep the audience engaged after the app install, HCPs abandon by uninstalling the app. These uninstalls are like the plague: they’re often a sign of failure to engage the HCPs before they decided to go.
- Pharma Apps and Websites Fail to Offer required Customer Experience to the HCPs: As regulations are getting stricter and marketers are losing access to healthcare professionals, the product and brand itself is not enough for doctors to make their decision in prescription. Majority of the vanilla marketing are simply ignored by doctors these days. The doctors are looking for information and services that that helps them to better manage the health and clinical outcomes of their patients. HCPs increasingly want their experience with Pharma companies to be truly personalized, authentic, and built around their individual needs.
The way ahead for Pharma to Tap the App ecosystem for HCP engagement
1 Prefer Buy over Build: Building apps and websites are not the core competence of the Pharma companies. Instead of misallocating funds on building these apps, they should rather focus on discovery and marketing for drugs. The way ahead for them is to partner with third party apps to tap into their captive audience. For them, buying will always work better than building.
2 Prefer Outcome of Output: They should remember that it only begins when you have your site up, app launch or project initiated. The important part comes after that where you have to retain the HCPs by keeping them hooked to your offerings and information. Having dashboard and analytics to measure the impact is must to implement it.
3 Offer Great Customer Experience: Marketers should engage with the HCPs through different channels by offering them an authentic and personalized customer experience ensuring they get exactly what they are looking for.
At MedSynapse, we have built a thriving community of 200,000+ verified doctors from Middle East and South East Asia. This active community growing exponentially. By working with us as partners, Pharma companies can tap immediately into the community and start focussing on outcome from day one. We not only provide the captive HCP audience through our platform but also offer end to end services including digital brand strategy, medical content creation, project management, media/creative services, moderation, pharmacovigilance, and analytics/reporting. We do the heavy lifting for our clients and they focus on offering a great customer experience to their target HCPs.
