In pharmaceutical marketing, data is the foundation for strategy, targeting, and measurement. As marketing becomes increasingly data-driven—and more data becomes available than ever before—the question facing pharma brands is often which data to use. That’s where data choice comes into play. 

What is Data Choice?

Data choice refers to the ability to select from among multiple sources of privacy-safe, de-identified data when planning and executing marketing campaigns. Data includes pharmacy claims, like information about prescriptions filled, and medical claims from healthcare provider (HCP) visits, like diagnosis and procedure codes and provider information. Instead of being locked into using a single data provider, marketers can select from a curated set of partners based on campaign goals, audience profiles, budget considerations, and more. 

This flexibility represents an exciting shift from the traditional model of fixed data pipelines. Frequently, marketers have to adjust their strategies to fit the limitations of their dataset. But today, with data choice, marketers can select the best data to fit their strategies. 

For a health marketer, data choice offers:

No two campaigns are the same. A brand awareness initiative, for example, might call for broad-reaching data focused on scale, while a patient-activation effort may prioritize precision. With data choice, marketers can optimize for those distinctions, choosing the right data for the task at hand rather than settling for a one-size-fits-all approach.

Different data providers bring unique strengths to the table. For instance, some are best at capturing prescribing behavior, while others excel at aggregating consumer insights. When they’re able to choose, marketers can select the data provider that aligns best with their KPIs. With an advertising platform purpose-built for health, they can also compare the reaches of two different data providers before choosing. 

When it comes to data sources, putting all your eggs in one basket can be confining. Data choice opens the door to experimentation, letting a team test and compare data sources to sharpen their strategies over time. 

Marketers gain greater control over how their campaigns are executed when they can select their data partners. This transparency facilitates compliance and makes it easier to explain the targeting strategy to stakeholders, an increasingly important factor in our privacy-first, evolving regulatory environment.

Consider a pharmaceutical brand launching a new therapy. To maximize campaign reach, the brand chooses to work with two different data providers. By leveraging both, the brand ensures broader exposure across audiences, enhancing the campaign’s overall effectiveness. 

The Future is Flexible

As the demand for personalization in healthcare advertising grows, marketers need infrastructure built for agility and precision while prioritizing compliance. A core requirement is the ability to adapt targeting strategies, test new approaches, and choose the right data for each campaign. Platforms that deliver this level of flexibility enable brands to drive better results in an increasingly competitive landscape. 

Want to learn more about how a purpose-built platform can optimize your campaign efforts? Click here.