April 4, 2024
There’s no regional aspect to healthcare marketing; it’s highly country specific. Whether pharmaceutical giants, medical device manufacturers, consumer health brands or Med Tech startups, each company and brand must identify its priority markets based on many factors.
But the work does not end there. Before the messaging can begin, the shape of the local healthcare system should be considered, including GDP, how consumers approach the healthcare system, an aging population, cultural norms and what the insurance situation looks like. It must all be considered.
In all these aspects, Intel reassures brands that they are targeting the right markets and that the healthcare innovations introduced align with the needs and preferences of the in-market system, its insurers and its consumers.
But it isn’t just volume. In healthcare, there are other dynamics at play. Is the disease screened for? Do people know the symptoms to look for? How long do patients take to get a correct diagnosis? Is there a clear treatment pathway? Which specialists are involved in the patient’s care? Where, within the treatment pathway, might the new drug or intervention fit?
This points to a dynamic healthcare market in a region like Asia-Pacific. Yet, Asia-Pacific markets are often low on the priority list for global healthcare company market entry, which means that healthcare innovation can come slowly to the region. The standard approach is for brands to launch in the U.S. and then Europe, before Asia-Pacific. That delays the arrival of innovation in the market by anywhere between two and five years. But all this is changing. Alongside Europe, China, Japan and Korea are increasingly valuable healthcare markets – and brands are taking notice.
GCI Health’s Glen Halliwell advises that communicating about healthcare in Asia-Pacific should be tailored to a market’s concerns such as an aging population, cultural norms and insurance habits. Read the full article, “Why It’s Important To Avoid Generic Healthcare Communications” in Campaign Asia here.