In Episode 4 of Deep: The Health Marketing Podcast, John Mangano welcomes Jason Patterson, Chief Analytics Officer at Publicis Health Media (PHM), to discuss the dynamic world of pharma analytics. From Jason’s unique angle, they cover the rapidly evolving media landscape, some more surprising potential uses of AI, and how data and analytics are revolutionizing the industry and stand to improve patient outcomes.
This episode of Deep offers a wealth of insights for anyone working in healthcare marketing or analytics—or anyone simply interested in how the right use of data can improve people’s lives.
The Power of Transparency
At the heart of Jason’s approach is the idea that data shouldn’t just be used to report on success but to improve strategy. As he explains, clients are no longer satisfied with just knowing whether their campaigns are working. They want to know why they’re working and how they can get more from their marketing dollars.
The episode highlights how analytics in pharma is not about simply judging what’s right or wrong about media strategies. Rather, it’s something more intricate: providing a roadmap to improvement by collaborating with internal teams and external partners. Jason stresses that transparency is key to making this happen, ensuring that all stakeholders—clients, publishers, and vendors—are aligned on their goals. They must also know what data is being used and how.
How to Keep Up
Today, media buying is far more complex than before, due to CTV, other new advertising channels, and lofty optimization expectations. Jason delves into how modern analytics is keeping pace with these changes, ensuring that media strategies remain effective in reaching patients where they are.
Building on a history of improvement, pharma marketers now have a new and unique responsibility: educating patients. As Jason points out, today’s patients are far more empowered than they were not long ago. They’re walking into doctors’ offices armed with information, ready to discuss their treatment options. This is where pharma advertising plays a crucial role, not by telling patients what to do but by ensuring they are informed about available treatments.
AI and the Future of Pharma Analytics
Jason offers a refreshingly practical take on AI. For him, the excitement lies in AI’s ability to clean up datasets faster and make them more actionable for media planning, creating more agility in administering buys. But while AI can help sift through mountains of data, the human element—curiosity, transparency, and collaboration—remains irreplaceable.
These qualities are what set great analytics teams apart, and Jason argues that they’ll continue to play a critical role as new tools and technologies emerge. He also offers practical advice for navigating increasing privacy regulations and other challenges ahead. His optimism about the future of pharma analytics is contagious.
Listen to Deep: The Health Marketing Podcast on The DeepDive, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music.