DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SERIES - Learning and growing are best done together!

I was delighted to chat with Audrey Krassnitzer, Global MCE Director, Multichannel Engagement in Commercial Excellence at Novo Nordisk Rare Disease, on LinkedIn Live as part of my Digital Transformation Series in June.

Audrey is a Marketer, Storyteller, Strategist, and CX Enthusiast with 10+ years of experience in the pharma industry, strategic consulting, and marketing agencies. She is passionate about innovation, design strategy, and executing customer-centered omnichannel marketing initiatives. She is a self-professed nerd when it comes to data-directed storytelling and an enthusiast for speed, agility, and pragmatism. Audrey is also a mother, hiker, runner, and burrata aficionado!

Audrey and I met last year when I was attending Reuters in Nice, and we were staying in the same hotel. One morning, as we were walking to the conference together, I heard her American accent and was intrigued to hear her story. She told me she was originally from Ohio but now lives and works in Switzerland. We also shared a panel discussion earlier this year with Paul Simms. I find Audrey's passion infectious! I want to mention that in this article, she is representing her own views and not those of her company.

What's your background, and how did you end up in pharma?

I started in pre-med and then shifted my focus to classics, specifically archeology and ancient history. I thought I wanted to pursue academia, but to obtain my Ph.D., I needed to be fluent in too many languages. So, I found a different path. I spent a remarkable year as a teacher at a children's home in Ghana, which was a transformative experience. I believe everyone should have a chapter of service in their lives. Afterward, I lived with my parents in LA for a while before moving to New York and landing a publications planning role in an agency, which was my first job in the pharma industry. I was interested in understanding how we analyse data, clinical studies, and the role of medical and commercial strategies.

I later transitioned into digital marketing, wearing many hats for about eight years in the agency space, always within pharma and healthcare. During that period, I pursued a master's degree in strategic communications, specialising in marketing. From there, I made the leap to Switzerland and started working in Zurich. My first job in Zurich was with a consulting company. During the interview process, they asked me about my aspirations. I expressed my excitement about leaving the agency and pharma and wanting to explore trendy digital marketing. To my surprise, they informed me that the job I was interviewing for was in the life sciences space. I explained that my issue wasn't with pharma itself but rather the aversion to trying new things. I wanted to push the envelope a little more, not just in a compliance sense. If they were also interested in exploring that direction, I was onboard. I ended up working there for four years, taking on various roles, including traditional brand management and a year seconded as the European brand manager for another pharma company. I also worked in several commercial excellence roles, wearing different hats. The beauty of these different chapters, along with the projects I had during my consulting phase, prepared me for my current role at Novo Nordisk. For the past year and a half, I have been leading the multichannel activity for rare diseases. It's not just about strategy; it involves platforms, data analytics, and leveraging all my past experiences to excel in this phase of my professional life.

Let's talk about Omnichannel. How do you think the commercial and sales team can respect the role of face-to-face relationships while also embracing the power of omnichannel? How can we strike a balance?

The partnership between sales, commercial, and marketing is crucial in empowering and strengthening customer engagement in the omnichannel era. I believe the front line should become the custodian of the customer. They are the ones who know and see the customers, fostering close relationships. Even before the involvement of the sales representative, there is a funnel that includes identification, conversion, and nurturing of our customers. When it comes to nurturing, the face-to-face interactions become custodial. The front line should work closely with the commercial or marketing team to understand the type of content, messages, and topics that will be most relevant to their customers. This nurturing phase happens at the bottom of the funnel. In the identification and conversion phases, data plays a powerful role. We have a wide range of messages and channels, and digital channels become the most effective means of introducing our customers to our offerings. Understanding the customers' appetite, interests, and timing is crucial. We need to ensure they find the right information that delivers the value they seek. Did they find what they wanted?

Ultimately, it starts with the commercial team establishing key messages, strategies, and identifying channels. Then, they should partner with the front line to understand what will have the most impact in nurturing their customers.

What's the role of digital in that front line piece?

Digital should continue to nurture the interaction between face-to-face visits. When customers have questions, digital channels can provide resources for them to explore on their own. They can access e-learnings, webinars, and other educational materials in the virtual ecosystem you've created. This allows them to continue educating themselves on their own time. When the sales representative follows up, the customers can ask any questions they have. Digital channels give customers/HCPs the space to explore rich information in their desired format and at their own convenience. As a result, the in-person visit might be shorter, as the groundwork has been laid through digital interactions.

Do we put too much emphasis on the channels? Are we fixating on the channels and neglecting the creation of relevant content? Is that your view?

I believe we tend to overcomplicate things by fixating on being trendy and digital. In the end, we are all humans interested in building relationships. While channels are important, we should focus more on content relevance and timing. The key is to listen to our customers directly and understand their needs. Both qualitative and quantitative data play a significant role. Our customers communicate their desires and expectations, and there are often unsaid expectations as well. These expectations manifest in their virtual ecosystem, which we can observe through data. By overlaying qualitative and quantitative data, we can bring in our commercial excellence partners and align the three components: data, voice of the customer, and the type of content. This allows us to assess whether we are delivering what customers are asking for and whether they are engaging with our content as intended. We need to map out how customers receive information, absorb it, and carry it into their next interactions. Ultimately, we should focus on what is valuable to them.

What is the senior leadership role in digital transformation?

In my experience, senior leaders play a crucial role as advocates. They provide direct feedback and set clear expectations. They should serve as sparring partners and help remove roadblocks.

How do you measure the value that omnichannel delivers to HCPs? What KPIs can you use to measure that?

It all starts with identifying the strategic objectives. There is no magic KPI that can solve everything; it must always tie back to the initial goals. From there, the data will tell a story. It's not about relying on a single piece of data or a single KPI; it's about understanding how these KPIs are interconnected. How frequently are we engaging a certain number of customers? Which key messages are resonating? What type of content is most effective? It's interesting to note that some key messages may perform well on one channel but poorly on another. This calls for further digging. Why did that happen? Was it due to the channel itself? Was it the right channel or format? There are many aspects to dig into. The key is to identify the metrics that can be stitched together to reflect your strategic objectives.

Measuring the value of omnichannel towards HCPs is primarily based on engagement. It's important to listen to the frontline and gather their feedback.

In my previous consulting work, whenever we refreshed a campaign, we conducted cross-functional surveys, overlaying the findings with data. It's essential to monitor how often customers are visited, their behaviour within the HCP portal, and how they interact with your digital content.

You say "less is more!" If you could give one tip to other marketers to bring teams closer together, what would that be?

Based on what I've seen work, I would love to have a discussion about other approaches as well, but partnership stands out. Regular alignment between the commercial team and sales management is vital. Information should flow seamlessly. This partnership needs to be present as part of the routine in developing strategies and creating campaigns.

What situation in the last 12 months has caused you to have the biggest learning, and why?

In the past 12 months, the power of partnerships and reaching beyond my own spaces has been the most significant learning experience. Joining Novo Nordisk has been exciting because of the abundance of resources available in a large company. However, discovering how to adapt those resources to the teams I partner with took time and exploration. It has been incredibly enjoyable for me over the past year and a half.

If you had a magic wand, what is one thing you'd like to change in pharma?

I would love to make the analysis of data easier, especially for frontline teams who are more focused on building relationships. It would be amazing if we could wave a magic wand to simplify the interpretation and application of data.

I noticed on your LinkedIn profile that you are a burrata aficionado. Could you tell us about your passion and where we can find the best burrata?

Yes, I would choose burrata over ice cream any day! For me, burrata is more than just a food; it's tied to the memories created and the conversations had while enjoying it. The best burrata I've ever had was the first one after giving birth to my first child. I had been waiting for nine months, and when I finally had it, I paired it with a glass of wine, making it a memorable experience.

A colleague of mine from Naples told me that the best burrata comes from Puglia, and she even brought some back for me on a plane. Burrata shared with good company is truly the best.

Conclusion

I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Audrey about digital transformation. I admire her passion for measuring relevant data when engaging with HCPs, as it aligns with our core values at Cheemia.

Audrey sees digital as a great way to continue communication with HCPs and provide education, which I agree with. But all of my interactions are remote, and I find that remote communication is not just for education but also for sales consultations. According to a recent Veeva Pulse report, the duration of video calls is often longer than face-to-face meetings. Additionally, 80 percent of content is shared digitally, compared to 44 percent in a high-quality face-to-face setting. In a video call, there is a higher likelihood of sharing content. I don't see it as replacing face-to-face interactions; instead, digital channels complement and enhance overall engagement.

If you're seeking effective solutions to empower your field team, boost their confidence, and build positive relationships with healthcare professionals in this omnichannel world, I would love to hear from you.