OMNICHANNEL STRATEGY & CONTENT STRATEGY.
Developing an Effective Demand Generation and Paid Media Strategy for Merck's Digital Marketing.
ROLE & DELIVERABLES:
Planning & Strategy
Customer Journey
Content Strategy
Media Planning & Buying
CHALLENGE:
Merck faces a significant consumer-centric challenge in the realm of digital marketing. In an increasingly connected world, where consumers are inundated with information and choices, capturing and retaining their attention has become a complex task. Merck's challenge lies in effectively engaging and communicating with consumers in a way that resonates with their needs and preferences. With the rise of social media, online advertising, and personalized marketing, Merck must navigate the digital landscape to deliver tailored messages and experiences that align with individual consumer journeys. This requires a deep understanding of their target audience, leveraging data-driven insights, and utilizing innovative technologies to create meaningful interactions. By prioritizing consumer-centric strategies and forging authentic connections, Merck can overcome this challenge and successfully navigate the dynamic digital marketing landscape.
objective:
The objective of developing an effective demand generation and paid media strategy for Merck's digital marketing is to drive targeted awareness, generate high-quality leads, and ultimately increase conversions and sales. It aims to create a strategic framework that maximizes the impact of Merck's digital advertising efforts, effectively reaching the right audience with compelling messages and enticing them to take action.
Qualitative Goal:
The qualitative goal of the demand generation and paid media strategy is to enhance brand perception and customer engagement. It seeks to position Merck as a trusted and innovative leader in the pharmaceutical industry, delivering value to its target audience through informative and relevant content. By creating a positive brand image and fostering meaningful interactions, the strategy aims to build long-term relationships and loyalty with consumers.
Quantitative Goal:
The quantitative goal of the demand generation and paid media strategy is to achieve measurable business outcomes. This includes increasing website traffic, boosting click-through rates, improving conversion rates, and ultimately driving revenue growth. By leveraging data analytics and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), the strategy aims to optimize campaigns, allocate budgets effectively, and deliver a positive return on investment (ROI) for Merck's digital marketing efforts.
OVERVIEW.
In today's competitive digital landscape, having a robust demand generation and paid media strategy is crucial for effectively reaching and engaging target audiences. This document outlines a comprehensive plan to support Merck's (Digital) Marketing efforts, specifically focusing on advocacy and strategic communications for Merck's Oncology and Vaccines (HPV) products. The strategy aims to attract and educate audiences seeking a detailed understanding of Merck's offerings, ultimately driving demand and maximizing the impact of the marketing campaigns.
Understand the Target Audience: To develop an effective demand generation and paid media strategy, it's essential to identify and understand the target audience. Conduct thorough research to gain insights into the characteristics, preferences, and pain points of the audience interested in Merck's Oncology and Vaccines (HPV) products. This will enable us to tailor the messaging and media placement accordingly.
Define Clear Objectives: Establish specific and measurable objectives for the demand generation and paid media strategy. Some potential objectives could include increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, generating leads, and supporting advocacy efforts. Clear objectives will guide the strategy and provide benchmarks for evaluating its success.
Content Development and Optimization: Create high-quality content that resonates with the target audience and addresses their informational needs. Develop detailed and informative resources, such as whitepapers, case studies, and educational articles, showcasing Merck's approach to supporting digital marketing in the areas of Oncology and Vaccines (HPV). Optimize the content for search engines to improve organic visibility.
Paid Media Channels and Placement: Identify the most effective paid media channels to reach the target audience. This may include platforms such as Google Ads, social media advertising, industry-specific websites, and sponsored content placements. Conduct thorough keyword research and audience targeting to maximize the relevance and impact of paid media campaigns.
Ad Creative and Messaging: Craft compelling and persuasive ad creatives that align with Merck's brand guidelines and resonate with the target audience. Tailor the messaging to highlight the benefits, unique selling points, and detailed approach of Merck's support in digital marketing, focusing specifically on Oncology and Vaccines (HPV). Use clear calls-to-action to encourage audience engagement and conversion.
Landing Page Optimization: Create dedicated landing pages that provide in-depth information about Merck's digital marketing support for Oncology and Vaccines (HPV). Optimize these pages for conversion by including persuasive copy, engaging visuals, and clear CTAs. Implement A/B testing to continually improve landing page performance.
Measurement and Analytics: Implement robust tracking and analytics tools to measure the performance and effectiveness of the demand generation and paid media campaigns. Track key metrics such as website traffic, conversions, click-through rates, and engagement. Analyze the data regularly to identify areas for optimization and improvement.
Continuous Optimization and Refinement: Regularly review the performance of the demand generation and paid media campaigns, leveraging the insights gained from analytics. Make data-driven optimizations to improve campaign effectiveness, such as adjusting targeting parameters, refining ad creatives, or reallocating budget to high-performing channels.
Integration with Advocacy and Strategic Communications: Align the demand generation and paid media strategy with Merck's advocacy and strategic communications efforts. Collaborate closely with the respective teams to ensure consistent messaging and a unified brand experience across all touchpoints. Leverage advocacy partnerships, thought leadership opportunities, and industry events to amplify the reach and impact of the campaigns.
Ongoing Testing and Innovation: Stay updated with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in demand generation and paid media. Continuously test new strategies, ad formats, targeting options, and platforms to optimize performance and stay ahead of the competition. Foster a culture of innovation and experimentation to drive continuous improvement.
By following this comprehensive demand generation and paid media strategy, Merck can effectively engage audiences seeking detailed information about its digital marketing support, with a specific focus on Oncology and Vaccines (HPV). This strategy will drive demand, increase brand awareness, and support Merck's advocacy and strategic communications efforts. Regular measurement, optimization, and innovation will ensure the strategy remains effective and aligned with the evolving needs of the target audience.
Introduction to Digital Marketing and MERCK.
Digital marketing has undergone significant transformations in recent years, shifting away from traditional methods and becoming a crucial platform for creating online brand experience (BX) and customer experiences (CX). This rapid growth in digital marketing has rendered certain practices from last year obsolete, while propelling the industry towards new directions.
Interesting Fact: In 2019, internet usage in Puerto Rico continued its upward trend, with an incidence of 78% among users aged 12 and above, which translates to over 2.3 million people. This figure represents an increase from 75% in 2018. Notably, the largest surge was observed in generation X (40-54 years), with internet usage rising from 82% in 2018 to 94% in 2019.
As a result, digital marketing is no longer an optional strategy for organizations in the healthcare space; it has become an essential requirement for reaching and engaging with today's tech-savvy consumers.
Elevating the Digital marketing strategy for MERCK.
A digital marketing strategy involves disseminating information, content, and promotions about your business through digital devices, particularly the internet. By adapting your business communication to the web and digital platforms, you can reach a wider audience. The potential of digital marketing is vast, but it can also be overwhelming. The key lies in establishing a connection that allows your business to effectively convey its story. Once you establish this connection, devising a marketing strategy becomes easier.
Fun Fact: In Puerto Rico, approximately 2.9 million individuals aged 12 and above own a mobile phone, which has become the primary device for internet connectivity, with a usage rate of 96%.
Since the beginning of 2014, mobile devices have surpassed desktops as the main tool for accessing the web. Consequently, prioritizing desktop usage is no longer necessary. Currently, only 2% of Facebook users log in through desktop or laptop computers, while 98% are consistently connected through their mobile devices (Puerto Rico, Facebook Insights 2020).
Remember, mobile usage is entirely consumer-driven. Rather than viewing it solely from a consumer's perspective, consider it as a consumer yourself. Brands must fully comprehend the significance of mobile devices in consumers' lives and initiate every mobile campaign with thorough consumer analysis. To achieve this, companies should examine how consumers utilize mobile devices, identify any deviations from expected behavior, and learn from these insights to personalize their experiences accordingly.
Hint: Regardless of the industry, personalization is the essence of care.
Introduction to Digital Marketing and MERCK.
When a user is bombarded with numerous options, it takes them an average of three to seven seconds to make an appropriate decision. These crucial seconds are known as The First Moment of Truth (FMOT). They are significant because they determine the success or failure of marketing efforts invested in a particular brand or product (Google, 2015).
The Zero Moment of Truth refers to the initial exposure of the consumer to a product's advertising (the stimulus) and the time it takes for the customer to reach a purchasing decision (the first moment of truth). This time period is influenced by the significance of micro-touchpoints between the stimulus and the FMOT.
The human attention span needs to shift.
According to Digital Information World, the average human attention span has decreased from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds today, which is even shorter than the attention span of a goldfish. This decline in attention span can be attributed to the rise of smartphones. In light of these behavioral studies, it is evident that the optimal video length for capturing attention is still 8 seconds, the same amount of time it takes for a user to make a decision across multiple touchpoints.
In the current digital landscape, marketers must employ intelligent strategies to effectively engage audiences within these 8 seconds. This necessitates the use of impactful visual storytelling techniques and captivating imagery that can seize and maintain attention before it is diverted elsewhere.
Over time, we have learned that digital marketing often becomes convoluted with unnecessary touchpoints that do not align with the primary business objective. Therefore, it is crucial to keep things simple. The internet has empowered individuals to research and educate themselves about products before making a purchase, making it imperative for marketers to focus on providing valuable information rather than solely relying on advertisements.
Have brands adapted to these changes? Perhaps. Alongside the well-known digital marketing channels such as search, social media, email marketing, and display ads, we must also integrate various other topics into our strategies that cannot be disregarded.
Consumer experience.
Decision Makers will go thru the whole cycle and it’s represented as a never-ending circular framework.
Physicians will not go thru the whole cycle because of: Academic Education, Time Management, and Always a source of Professional Advocacy
Young Adults will not go thru the whole experience until later in life - if they are to become parents. We cannot expect or ask more from an audience that will not behave differently when it comes to traditional “ads”. Maturity will move them towards Advocacy.