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Unified Customer Experience (UCX): Redefining Omnichannel for Success

Unified Customer Experience (UCX) Source: freepik

Until now, Customer Experience has been the key in shaping HCP communication strategies and delivery. We introduce UCX as it sets a new standard beyond current CX approaches.


HCP INDUSTRY TRENDS

We're witnessing a significant shift in focus aimed at enhancing the customer experience and omnichannel engagement for HCPs, an evolution that encompasses both up-and-coming pharmaceutical firms and established global manufacturers. From traditional face-to-face interactions, our industry has transitioned through phases of non-personal promotion to arrive at intricate omnichannel campaigns. More recently, Customer Experience (CX) has become a key driver in shaping HCP communication strategies and their operational delivery.

Now we see leaders in Sales and Marketing strategizing to achieve the next level of HCP engagement through Unified Customer Experience (UCX), which looks to boost Rx rates and financial outcomes. Realizing this future hinges on embracing current omnichannel and customer experience best practices while crafting a new wave of HCP communication strategies.

Welcome to the era of UCX.

WHAT IS UCX?

UCX is setting a new standard beyond current CX approaches, uniting internal teams, HCP audiences, and Marketing Technology (MarTech) platforms for “end-to-end engagement,” creating more personalized, differentiated, and higher-value experiences.

A defining aspect of UCX is its use of novel data not previously factored into omnichannel campaigns, elevating HCP communication. For example, it can employ advanced scenarios to enhance interactions with HCPs:

Sales and Marketing Synergy

Both teams will use enhanced data collaboratively for coherent experience design and joint engagement metrics

Practice and Location Unification

Engaging all patient-facing roles, including multiple physicians, NP/PAs, and office authorization/access staff

MarTech Consolidation

Streamlining operations and refining approaches using a single data source and primary technology resources, including new Customer Data Platform (CDP) functionality

WHY UCX? WHY NOW?

The urgent push for UCX comes from the need to:

  • Prepare and allocate internal resources efficiently, ensuring that UCX enhances the impact and efficiency of Sales and Marketing while identifying the most effective HCP communication initiatives
  • Stand out from the competition by offering unique, engaging experiences for HCPs, elevating UCX beyond traditional engagement methods
  • Mitigate existing or anticipated challenges to near-term financial forecasts, with UCX playing a pivotal role in driving Rx performance

While UCX opens the door to advanced customer engagement, shifting to this model calls for a strategic approach and thorough planning to ensure your organization is primed for change.

HOW TO START – 5 KEY PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS FOR UCX

The journey from omnichannel to UCX isn't just about having the right tools; it's about using them correctly. Here's how to leverage your existing infrastructure and pivot strategically towards UCX.

  1. Strong MarTech Foundation – Create a system that goes further than managing HCP identity and consent. Use your MarTech to enable dynamic campaign management and sophisticated marketing automation that underpins every customer interaction.
  2. Effective Channel Prioritization – Prioritize your channels not by what's available, but by what's impactful. Begin with the channels that have proven successful; then, methodically integrate emerging technologies, such as chatbots and virtual reality, ensuring each addition aligns with your UCX vision.
  3. Efficient Partner Ecosystems – The right partners can transform strategy into success. Integrate a team of specialists who have the expertise to tailor each channel's unique capabilities to your UCX strategy.
  4. Principled Data Collection – More data isn't always better. Focus on collecting and refining data assets that improve customer interactions, laying the groundwork for a UCX that resonates with every touchpoint.
  5. Local-to-Global Building – Craft a scalable strategy that goes beyond geographical reach. Ensure that your local successes are the foundation for global standards and expansion, preparing your brand for sustainable growth within the UCX ecosystem.

Since the future of successful commercialization lies in offering the best CX, adding a UCX Architect to your team can be a game-changer, helping to isolate and execute critical touchpoints in the customer journey. With a unique blend of knowledge in commercial drivers, technology, and analytics, this role aims to unify CX across sales and marketing, ensuring the delivery of high-value interactions. Our experience is that these strategic integrations can significantly impact revenue and efficiency, with a rise in prescriber numbers and HCP satisfaction.

UCX: THE NEXT LEVEL OF OMNICHANNEL

The most important benefits of UCX include accelerating therapeutic adoption and generating observable, measurable responses to messaging and calls to action. Properly timed strategic planning allows sales and marketing teams to integrate new data and marTech to test, launch, and refine communication strategies more effectively. By starting this process early, even if it's just the preliminary planning and business case stages, you can expedite the launch of optimized HCP programs that consistently deliver results.

Asentech views the shift toward UCX as a critical turning point for the industry, marking a new era of impact, value, and innovation. UCX is set to synchronize communications across channels, across functions like Sales and Marketing, and across the various stakeholders within HCP communities and their practices, offering a coherent marketing approach based on shared data and technology platforms.

A superior customer experience — now defined by UCX — is the key to the success in HCP and pharmaceutical engagement.

We have Access to all the technology: full sales automation, marketing automation, sales cloud, webinar tool, patient engagement apps, augmented reality flyers... We have all the components of a sports car, but we are not driving as fast with it as we could."

Global Customer Engagement Lead, Mid-Sized Pharma