Digital Pharma Advances: Key Takeaways on AI and Omnichannel

Feb 03, 2025 | min read

CI&T

We recently joined the Digital Pharma Advances conference in London, where pharma industry leaders gathered to explore the cutting edge of AI-driven marketing and customer-centric omnichannel strategies.

Among the CI&Ters at the conference was our VP of Digital Solutions, EMEA, Rafael Rossioli, who participated in a panel discussion alongside Andrea Marzoli from Kyowa Kirin International plc, Jason Yau from Merck, Tom Parker from Shionogi Europe, and Phoebos Stergiou from Gilead Sciences. Their conversation centred on how pharma brands can not only meet but exceed customer expectations in today's dynamic landscape.

The Role of AI in Omnichannel Strategies

AI emerged as a recurring theme throughout the conference, particularly on its potential to boost effective omnichannel strategies. Rafael highlighted AI's extensive capability to gather and visualise insights, allowing brands to personalise offers and influence customer behaviour more efficiently. He noted that many pharma companies have already started adopting AI in the omnichannel space, especially in generating insights for sales representatives and other functions. AI tools are undergoing proof-of-concept trials in controlled settings, where human review remains essential for reliable results.

Personalisation and Customer Insights

The panellists agreed that leveraging AI to analyse customer data is key to delivering personalised experiences across multiple touchpoints at the right time and place. This data-driven approach allows for a deep understanding of customers, tailoring content and interactions through the optimal channels at the most relevant points in their journey.

The goal? Anticipate customer needs, predict their next move, and deliver the ideal "next-best action" (NBA) at every stage. However, Rafael pointed out, that achieving an ideal NBA can be hindered by data fragmentation across departments and functions, which slows down the process when only partial customer data and touchpoints are available in systems.

Challenges in Content Engagement

Gilead’s Phoebos Stergiou emphasised the pharma industry's traditionally slower adoption of new technologies, making the focus on data-driven insights even more critical. The need for clean, organised data was highlighted as the foundation for successful AI implementation.

While good content remains a hot topic, the challenge is now more pronounced than ever, as healthcare professionals (HCPs) can access information from various sources such as Gemini and ChatGPT. Capturing the attention of HCPs to engage with content on digital portals has become increasingly difficult. Hence, developing robust features— like Sample Order capability, effective e-learning implementation, and centralised information for HCP access through MyAccount—is more important than ever.

The Importance of Human Interaction

Despite all the technological advancements, face-to-face interactions are still the strongest channel among HCPs and consumers. Rafael urged that field teams should be supported with innovative and strong tools for their visits, enabling them to engage interactively with their contacts and record outcomes back to a CRM for future analysis, thus ensuring the delivery of the ideal NBA.

Looking ahead

Across other panels, speakers discussed the concept of "human-bookended" AI, reinforcing its role as a powerful tool to complement, not replace, human expertise. The importance of fostering a company-wide experimentation culture and dismantling silos was repeatedly stressed as essential for delivering effective omnichannel experiences and broader AI adoption.

A final, memorable soundbite from Dr Emilio Rubio, Head of Internal Audit & Control at Sandoz, perfectly encapsulated the mood: "Lose the fear." This forward-thinking attitude, combined with a focus on data-driven insights and human-centric AI implementation, will be key to unlocking the full potential of digital pharma marketing.

At CI&T, we partner with companies totalling 14% of the total market share in the pharmaceutical industry. Learn more about some of our work in pharma here, including Lifescan and B, a top healthcare provider dedicated to transforming healthcare with AI.