Pharmaceuticals Company news South Africa

Breaking news: 85% of healthcare professionals now want to liaise with representatives online!

In a world forever changed by the Pandemic, pharmaceutical companies (pharma) have had to start communicating with healthcare professional (HCP) clients online. The latest statistics from global healthcare e-platform Veeva show that this move to digital interaction is creating lucrative opportunities for healthcare marketers and their clients. As Veeva's only accredited healthcare content partner in South Africa, Cingulate Marketing and Advertising can help your marketing team to increase their digital reach and impact.
Breaking news: 85% of healthcare professionals now want to liaise with representatives online!

Hard-hitting stats speak for themselves

Consider these statistics supplied by Veeva (Digital Field Engagement March – December 2020 Insights):

  • 57% of HCPs in practice are now “no-see”
  • 54% of HCPs restrict face-to-face meetings
  • More than 50% of HCPs prefer to hear from pharma partners at least monthly
  • 85% of HCPs are interested in meeting online

It’s unclear how much in-person communication will be valued in future, but HCPs do want to hear from their pharma partner.

Following the pandemic and lockdown, overnight, most pharma representatives were unable to continue face-to-face meetings with their HCPs. Pharma companies had to adapt immediately and embrace digital engagement strategies to communicate clinical and scientific information of products.

Digital: The numbers that matter


  • Globally, a dramatic increase in online sales representative engagement with HCPs was noted on the Veeva platform in 2020
  • In SA, the number of emails sent to HCPs increased by 974%, with an open rate of 39%
  • Also in SA, a 3866% spike was recorded in the number of online meetings organised by sales representatives with their HCPs on the Veeva platform.

Furthermore, representatives are actually getting to spend more time with HCPs online: 20 minutes versus the two-minute recorded average for face-to-face meetings!

Online engagement leading the way

Sabine Raves, CEO of Cingulate Marketing and Advertising, says: “We are the only SA healthcare marketing agency that’s an accredited Veeva content partner. We create assets to place on the Veeva platform for our clients, and these are made accessible to HCPs via representative led online engagement; tailored online, self-driven customer interaction on portals; and customisable representative triggered email.”

Here are just some of the benefits of the platform:

  • A customer-centric approach for better HCP targeting
  • Diverse digital activities
  • A competitive advantage
  • Quicker turnaround times to create and refresh content
  • Personlisation
  • Insightful statistics can be obtained

Drive digital, drive sales

Pharma that follow a digital multichannel approach to grow relationships with the HCP create a digital ecosystem. Those that empower digitally augmented sales representatives will be more successful in future – with more effective stakeholder communication and increased sales as a result.

Now build a rewarding online relationship with YOUR HCPs

Looking to explore your company’s online engagement options to connect with your HCPs more effectively? Contact Sabine on (011) 467 3645 or visit www.cingulate.co.za and complete the contact page.

As healthcare marketers continue to navigate the new normal, Cingulate is geared to expertly help you make online engagement work harder for YOU!

* Statistics and observations as reported by Veeva.

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At Cingulate, as a full-service, cross-marketing and advertising agency we offer you a 360° spectrum of agency services from strategy and concept development, to creative design, advertising (traditional and digital), media planning and buying, promotional material and event management.
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