From a pharma company perspective, adopting more digital ways of engaging with customers is undoubtedly challenging and, to date, there has been great disparity in building digital capabilities and modifying customer engagement models. Hesitancy remains around how to create an optimal operating model in practice, although it is clear that collaboration between health systems and pharma is central to reaching common healthcare goals.2 Despite the challenges, building and maintaining a future-proof go-to-market is a vital topic for senior leadership, as change has been forced, fast and fierce.

This white paper sets out to address the conundrum of finding the right customer engagement model for the long term as health systems recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by analysing the peri-pandemic promotional landscape and mapping a vision of future customer engagement. Challenges to overcome are explored alongside six key enablers for operating successfully in a post-pandemic world: channel mix, content, customer focus, people, technology and change agility.