Digital health is a key battleground for consumer healthcare players, with the importance of a strong online presence reinforced by the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw ever greater numbers of consumers turn online for their healthcare needs. While the traditional brick & mortar retail environment will remain important, e-Commerce is growing in terms of scale and sales, and it is vital that companies' strategies are set up to maximise revenue from this channel.
Featuring multiple case studies from the digital CHC world, this investigation of ‘Digital Marketing, Digital Health & e-Commerce ’ will examine forward trends in a wealth of different areas:
- Digital marketing strategies
- Social media campaigns
- O2O
- Companion apps Gamification
- Digital native brands
- Conversational marketing
- Online platforms
- Leading CHC players
- Influencers
- QR codes
- Personalisation
- Subscriptions
- & more
The report will investigate the key avenues for reaching the growing online audience and provide case studies of successful e-Commerce strategies. The digital landscape will be examined and best digital marketing practices for CHC players explored, including making the most of social media, companion apps and dedicated online stores. The growing trend for personalisation will be appraised, and the merits of CHC players building subscription services scrutinised.
The digitalisation of consumer health is seeing certain brands reach bigger - and younger - audiences via social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Reports suggest advertising expenditure by OTC brands in key global markets will be driven by tailored digital ads, as well as performance advertising driving traffic to CHC e-Commerce platforms.
With more consumers aware of and comfortable with shopping for CHC products online, this will become an increasingly important sales channel. Elsewhere, Amazon's aims to become a vertically integrated healthcare company may prove another significant aspect of the digital revolution.
Table of Contents
Overview
Digital Communication
Social media strategy
- Fundamentals of social media engagement
- What makes a strong social media campaign?
- What are the key elements to include in a CHC brand's social media campaign?
- Social media is good for engagement and sales according to latest research
TikTok campaigns
- Lumify Eye Dance challenge offers a fun and quirky challenge to raise the profile of its eye drops brand
- K-Poop campaign from Dulcolax in S Korea raises awareness of constipation and the brand via humorous dance videos
- Canesten's Vagina Academy campaign in Brazil helps to overcome issue of shame in holding back treatment rates
- Lactacyd's New Year, New You hashtag challenge is a TikTok hit, reflecting Sanofi's commitment to digital in SE Asia
- Berocca's Get Supercharged at 2pm campaign in Vietnam utilised TikTok to extend positioning for daily use
- Durex challenges stereotype that penis size is what matters for great sex via educational rap video
- Sanofi regularly makes creative use of TikTok for various promotional campaigns
- Bayer is one of the heaviest users of TikTok for promotional campaigns among CHC players
Instagram campaigns
- Midol's No Apologies and Real Reasons campaigns encourage period pain sufferers to embrace honesty
- Zarbee's embraces Instagram and other social media apps to offer relevance and engage with trending topics
- La Roche Posay's Skin is More Than Skin campaign puts the focus on real people
Facebook campaigns
- Bausch + Lomb looks to raise awareness of AMD with What Sight Inspires You campaign targeting FB users aged 50+
YouTube campaigns
- ZZZQuil Natura in Italy harnesses YouTube to support limited-edition SKUs with humorous campaign
- Fabogesic's The Responsibility Dose delivers a counter-intuitive message for a pain reliever
Twitter campaigns
- Arguably the least loved social media site for promotional purposes, but some CHC brands make strong use of Twitter
Influencers
- Choosing the right influencer to front a brand campaign can make all the difference in reaching a target audience
- Goli Nutrition chooses its ambassadors carefully to maximise exposure and associate the brand with luxury, glamour and humour
J&J's original digital-first campaign
- Neutrogena Light Mask launch was J&J's first US digital-first campaign
Interactive audio ads
- Berocca showcases how consumers can interact with digital ads to place orders and better inform themselves
Optimised websites for mobile
- Haleonmeets the needs of Voltaren's target audience via website functionality
Search engine optimisation
- How important is SEO for marketers and what are the implications of enhanced use of AI?
In-stream advertising
- Unskippable pre-roll ads are most effective form of in-stream advertising according to latest research
Digital out-of-home advertising
- Solgar uses novel light-emitting billboards to boost the mood of UK city dwellers
Misinformation
- CHC players need to be proactive in dispelling the misinformation that can spring up on social media around healthcare
QR codes in CHC
- QR codes offer benefits to consumers, marketers and regulators
Concluding thoughts
- What are the vital takeaways for CHC players looking to build effective digital communication campaigns?
Digital Health
- Adoption of digital technologies is redefining healthcare
Health apps
- Numerous approaches exist, with regulations still catching up
- Promotional apps - Lysol Germcast
- Promotional apps - Zyrtec Allergycast
- Always You brings behavioural change and gamification into consumer health
- Neuriva Brain Gym an example of a branded mental acuity app
- CoughTracker helps monitor and manage chronic cough, while Metamucil app offers insights into digestive health
- Reckitt uses apps to support several CHC brands including Enfamil
- Use of apps in the promotional space can be a challenging prospect
- Germany and UK at the forefront of app regulation
- No specific system of health app regulation in the USA
- Other developments in health apps
- Lumosity a key player in brain training apps
- Natural Cycles stands apart from competitors in fertility category
- Healthcare provider uses app to help smoking cessation, with highest impact in underserved populations
- Apps for mindfulness and sleep
- Top-rated health and wellness apps offer range of benefits
- Heart health and hypertension developments
- Amazon committed to digital health and telemedicine
Super apps
- WeChat is China's No.1 online mobile healthcare destination
- WeChat in numbers
- WeChat Pay opened up the path for WeChat to become indispensable
- WeDoctormarks WeChat's expansion into healthcare
- WeChat's healthcare-related functionality has impressive scope
- WeDoctor's features and how they work
- WeDoctor Health Mall offers access to OTC purchases
- WeChat offers health record management via its Public Services function
- Tencent Medical Knowledge Bank provides health-related information
- JD Health features on WeChat, providing a healthcare platform and online pharmacy
- AliHealth / Yilu offers another avenue for WeChat users to purchase healthcare products and book medical appointments
- Ping An Health becomes a mobile healthcare provider via collaboration with WeChat
- Building a WeChat mini-programme e-Store
- CHC players sell directly to consumers via their own company-branded WeChat e-Stores
- CHC players may set up multiple mini-programmes for different products in their portfolios
- Bayer makes use of growing popularity of O2O channels and WeChat services to support Canesten in China
- Features of Canesten mini-programme on WeChat
- With super apps an emerging trend in Asia, Grab teams up with Ping An to offer one-stop healthcare on a mobile platform
- Grab and Ping An team up with SoftBank for another mobile healthcare venture, GDT
- Good Doctor's features and how they work
- Gojek is another emerging super app, offering a one-stop healthcare mobile platform
- Covid-19 pandemic boosted use of super apps
- Can WeChat's success be replicated in other markets?
Wearables
- Latest technology offers new healthcare opportunities
- Wearables potentially a key tool for clinical trials
- Smart clothing offers premium-priced health monitoring options, but currently a very niche sector
- Fitbit's acquisition by Google brings smartwatch integration
- Fitbit is at the forefront of heart health monitoring
- Google Pixel Watch makes use of Fitbit's technology
- Happy Ring claims to be "First wearable for the mind"
- Oura Smart Ring targets fashion-conscious consumers
- Developments in women's health wearables
- Outlook and prospects
Gamified Health
- Building engagement and compliance in healthcare
CHC Players' Digital Strategies
Haleon
- Haleon sees increased digital adspend as route to sustained growth
Johnson & Johnson
- New digital technology and expansion in China major focuses for J&J
Bayer
- Strategic collaborations and acquisitions boost Bayer's digital presence
Sanofi
- French giant accelerates its digital transformation
Reckitt
- Digital strategy draws heavily on lessons learned in China
Procter & Gamble
- P&G focuses on digital innovation
China Resources Pharmaceutical
- Focused on strengthening positioning in e-Commerce
Nestle (inc. Nestle Health Science)
- Nestle has big digital plans
e-Commerce
e-Commerce in figures
- Exploring the scope of the global internet and mail order channels according to DB6
Global e-Commerce
- Covid-19 pandemic accelerates development of the channel
e-Commerce regulations
- An overview of the main markets
Distribution partnerships
- A flurry of recent activity in the field of rapid, on-demand delivery offers added convenience
Outlook
- e-Commerce forecast to continue strong growth, although sector will face some hurdles
Brand storefronts
Amazon
- Branded storefronts on Amazon a key part of e-Commerce strategy for leading CHC players
Hero Mighty Patch
- Acne brand launched on Amazon becomes an internet sensation
India
- VMS players making a play on Amazon in India
- Cipla launches new derma product via Amazon
BioGaia
- Probiotics player increasing presence on Amazon
Germany & UK
- Key European markets for Amazon storefronts
Reckitt
- Reckitt vaunts its partnership with Amazon
Smoking control
- NRT active on Amazon in Western Europe
Mexico and the US Latino diaspora
SE Asia
- Availability on Shopee and Lazada increasingly important to CHC players
Tmall / Taobao
- Chinese e-Commerce giant Alibaba offers platform for CHC brands to reach mass audience
CHC brand & company online stores
Nestle
- Nestle sees DtC channels as key part of future strategy
Haleon
- Haleon aims to launch more online brand stores
India
- More CHC players launching online stores in India
Blackmores
- Australian longline VMS player invests more in its online store
Japan
- CHC players increasingly adding OTCs for sale via their online stores
Hypera Pharma
- Brazilian giant launches e-Commerce platform
Europe
- Online stores less of a factor for major CHC players in the region
Digitally native brands
- Launching a brand online offers advantages for CHC brands but there are limitations
- Nourished personalised supplement range embraces its online-only status
- Hilma is a VMS range capitalising on trends such as "clean-label" goods and sustainability
- Proactiv is an established player in skincare regimen and subscription services
- Supplement brand Zooki offers clear point of difference and uses online and offline promotion effectively
- Thorne Research differentiates via at-home tests that provide meaningful insights for a personalised plan
Subscriptions
- An established method of building brand loyalty
- Personalised beauty products increasingly popular
Personalised Health
- Developments in personalised supplements
- Evvy shakes up feminine intimate care
- Awesome Woman brings personalization to FemTech services
Regimen
- Developing CHC brands into complete healthcare solutions
- Olly is an agile and trendy VMS range moving into the supplement regimen segment
- Haleon explores possibility of drug-free pain management regimen