Effective advertising is deeply rooted in neuroscience, specifically targeting the amygdala and the hippocampus. Working together within the limbic system, these two structures process emotions and encode memories, forming the foundation of emotional memory. Consequently, campaigns tied to authentic emotion inherently drive higher engagement and positive brand association.
A prime example of this is HEMA’s emotive festive campaign, “The best gift you can give is love.” Rather than relying on purely commercial drivers, HEMA utilized first-party loyalty data and qualitative brand research to tap into universal human emotions.
Why does this matter for the pharmaceutical industry?
This approach holds immense value for the pharmaceutical sector. By digging deeper into the experiential reality of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients, pharma marketers can balance clinical data with emotional resonance.
For example, a study involving stroke survivors revealed a profound common thread: patients and their partners consistently divided their lives into “before” and “after” the event. This insight was leveraged for a successful HCP campaign emphasizing that timely medical intervention could safeguard a patient’s “life before a stroke.” By framing the choice as an opportunity to keep a patient’s life intact, the message resonated deeply. Concurrently, insights gathered from general practitioners regarding barriers to guideline implementation led to the creation of targeted support tools and services for GPs and practice nurses (POH).
As face-to-face customer contact declines across the industry, organizations must evaluate whether their content is genuinely meaningful to their audience. Elevating customer engagement requires looking beyond product features and diving deep into the patient and customer journey. Ultimately, the industry must transition.