Top 10 Quotes from the PHM Healthfront Stage
This year’s PHM HealthFront highlighted themes which pharma, agencies, and marketers should make central to all we do. Below are 10 quotes from the stage that really resonated with all of us at MyHealthTeam.
Andrea Palmer, president of Publicis Health Media, sat down with Gabrielle Union-Wade, who shared her experience with searching for solutions on her own health journey and how patient communities played a pivotal role. (Photo courtesy of PHM)
1. “Community is the cornerstone of health advocacy. … If it’s a priority to you or your patients, infuse it into your culture at every level.” — Andrea Palmer, president, Publicis Health Media
2. “‘Omni’ means all — so ‘omnichannel’ means patients, doctors, sales reps, digital. … Our customer is at the center, and that means we focus on their experience.“ — Katie Ford, head of U.S. media, Novartis
3. “Brands need to start understanding what it means to operate like publishers, honor the communities out there, and join them. You have to offer high-quality experiences.” — John von Brachel, VP, head of Content Lab, Novartis
4. “Meet people where they are. Show up where they are. … Don’t think that suffering is a natural part of aging.” — Gabrielle Union-Wade, actress, producer, voice artist, activist, and author
5. “Storytelling is not just a tool; in health, it is essential.” — Brian Cooley, head of Cooley Insights and editor at large, CNET
Andrea Palmer spoke with actress Brooke Shields. (Photo courtesy of PHM)
6. “It was important for me to say [postpartum depression] happened to me in order to take away the shame. … When you open up the discussion, then you open up a community.” — Brooke Shields, actress, model, entrepreneur, and New York Times bestselling author
7. “In social, the opportunities are endless. Be sure to build a plan and road map, driven by different use cases.” — Ryan Billings, head of commercial innovation and U.S. established brands BU, Organon
Matt Turner, deputy editor in chief at Business Insider, and Stephen Farquhar, CEO of Publicis Health, joined Andrea Palmer to discuss the current health media landscape. (Photo courtesy of PHM)
8. “It’s not the amount of data you have, it’s the unique data you find.” — Stephen Farquhar, CEO, Publicis Health
9. “Bring in people from the community. Embed them in the organization and dive deep into [their priorities]. Make sure that you reflect and respect the community you are trying to reach.” — Laurie DeMille, senior director, prevention marketing at ViiV Healthcare
10. “Journey mapping is incredibly important. Anyone can enter a journey at any time, and it’s the backbone of any campaign. Reach them in different ways, even if you are not speaking to them. Find the white space — focus on their experience so they feel connected.” — Grace Rodriguez, DTC portfolio marketing head, immunology, UCB
The common thread for all of these quotes — and many more ideas shared at PHM HealthFront — is that they encourage engaging patients directly and listening to their needs. Each quote reflects the sentiments we hear from the 23 million patients who visit our social networks every year — and it’s great to see that the patient community validates what we heard on the stage.
Read further takeaways from PHM Healthfront or Reuters Pharma USA and gain industry insights from the “Future of Digital Health” panel.