Keen to reach the eyes and ears of healthcare professionals? Social media and podcasts could provide a way in, according to a CMI Media Group and Compas report about the media landscape.
The healthcare agencies pulled together data on audio, video, gaming, social media, retail and more for the report to understand topics including media investment patterns. CMI’s Media Vitals provided two of the key findings, showing that 78% of HCPs use social networks for professional purposes and 21% see podcasts as very or extremely important resources for staying abreast of treatment options.
CMI’s Media Vitals previously found two-thirds of HCPs use social media at least once a week. The figure could rise as younger and millennial HCPs, who are 27% more likely to use social media weekly, start to make up a bigger proportion of the workforce.
The agencies use the data to make the case that “HCPs are consumers too.” Data on the use of podcasts by HCPs supports the point. Podcasts are an important professional resource for more than one-fifth of HCPs, leading the agencies to say “brands should ensure they reach HCPs during both ‘White Coats Off’ and ‘White Coats On’ moments, and target content accordingly.”
Drugmakers have recognized the opportunities podcasts present. SMI found pharma companies spent more on podcast ads over the first two months of 2023 than across the previous five years combined. In 2024, Belharra Therapeutics has used a podcast to tell its biotech origin story and Eisai has supported a miniseries about Alzheimer’s disease.
The report suggests advertisers should prioritize audio advertising opportunities within podcasts over banner ads adjacent to podcast pages “for a more immersive content and customer experience.” On the video front, the agencies said savvy advertisers are optimizing content for mobile, “using vertical video formats and easily digestible short-form content to ensure optimal user experiences and engagement.”