Pharmaceutical Digital Marketing Forum 2024 Successfully Concludes, Showcasing Innovation and Compliance-Driven Growth Strategies

As healthcare reforms deepen, the pharmaceutical market is undergoing a wave of transformation. Traditional pharmaceutical marketing models are facing challenges, including shortened prime sales periods, price reductions, and increased market access pressures. Against this backdrop, pharmaceutical companies are actively exploring new marketing pathways, with digital marketing emerging as a new trend due to its precision, efficiency, and measurability.On the afternoon of May 9, 2024, byVCBeat andVB100The 8th Future Medical Ecosystem Expo, Hosted by VCBeatThe “Pharmaceutical Enterprise Digital Marketing Forum” was successfully held in Sub-venue 4 of the Beijing Beiren Yichuang International Convention and Exhibition Center. The forum brought together industry elites to discuss new concepts, technologies, and models in digital marketing, share successful experiences, provide valuable insights for the digital transformation of pharmaceutical companies, and lead them into a new era of digital marketing.

The conference was held inMr. Song Yalin, Partner at Wei Kuai Capitalconvened under the auspices of。

Song Yalin, Partner at VFast Capital

Mr. Niu Zhengqian, Executive Vice President of the China Association for Pharmaceutical Enterprise ManagementIn his presentation on “Practical Applications and Development Trends of Digitalization in Pharmaceutical Marketing,” Mr. Niu Zhengqian emphasized the urgency and necessity for pharmaceutical companies to undergo digital transformation. He pointed out that, as a digital social ecosystem rapidly takes shape, the pharmaceutical industry is facing unprecedented challenges, and accelerating digital transformation is one of the key measures to boost operating revenue and mitigate the impact of declining interest margins. He believes that digital transformation is not only a nationalCompliance with the requirements of the 14th Five-Year Plan is an essential measure for enterprises to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Mr. Niu Zhengqian illustrated the application of digital marketing across the pharmaceutical industry chain through case studies, such as Yiling Pharmaceutical leveraging Saibailan’s SaaS services to strengthen distributor management, Jointown Pharmaceutical Group boosting sales via a digital platform, and Zhongmei Huadong empowering retail pharmacies in chronic disease management through digital solutions. Finally, Mr. Niu Zhengqian called on pharmaceutical companies to keep pace with the times, accelerate digital transformation, and fully leverage the advantages of internet-based, informatized, and platform-driven technologies in their operations, thereby better serving public health and advancing the Healthy China initiative.

Niu Zhengqian, Executive Vice President of the China Pharmaceutical Enterprise Management Association

Subsequently,Ms. Chen Xuanhe, Senior Researcher at VCBeat Institute“Current Status and Future Trends of Digital Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Industry” was shared. In her speech, Ms. Chen Xuanhe delved into the current development status and future trends of digital marketing in the pharmaceutical sector. She pointed out that digital marketing now comprehensively covers the entire lifecycle of pharmaceutical products and the full course of patient care, with this integration continuing to deepen. Policy, capital, and technology are the three major drivers of this development; in particular, policy reforms and the rapid advancement of digital technologies have had a profound impact on the industry. Ms. Chen also noted that the pandemic significantly accelerated the growth of the pharmaceutical digital marketing industry in recent years. Currently, amid the intensifying anti-corruption campaign in the healthcare sector, pharmaceutical companies’ demand for marketing compliance has surged substantially, emerging as a new and robust growth driver for the pharmaceutical digital marketing industry in the post-pandemic era. In the future, the industry will make more extensive use ofAIGC and digital human technologies enable the efficient production of personalized academic promotion content and medical science popularization materials, while virtual representatives enhance interaction efficiency with physicians and empower patient disease education and management.

Chen Xuanhe, Senior Researcher at VCBeat

Mr. Dong Qing, Vice President of the Marketing Department at Hua MedicineShared “Digital Marketing Strategies for First-in-Class New Drugs in the Chinese Market,” Mr. Dong Qing introduced Hua Medicine’s development journey and industrial achievements in his speech, particularly highlighting Hua Medicine’s independently developed first-in-class global new drug for diabetes treatment, the glucokinase activator ((GKA) The commercialization strategy and national reimbursement drug list (NRDL) negotiation experience of Dorzagliatin (brand name: Huatangning). He shared the marketing planning for the innovative drug Huatangning before and after its launch, including how to expand product accessibility through online channels and how to leverage digital tools for physician education and patient management, thereby achieving balanced development between online and offline markets. Secondly, Mr. Dong Qing emphasized the importance of innovative prescription drugs being included in the NRDL, noting that it is not only key to expanding the drug market but also a guarantee of corporate profitability. With the support of NRDL policies, the promotion of Huatangning has accelerated. Finally, Mr. Dong Qing outlined Hua Medicine’s future market strategies, which include strengthening promotional efforts with partners through digital means, driving product penetration into grassroots markets, and seeking collaborations with platform enterprises to achieve broader market coverage. He believes that despite the many challenges facing the pharmaceutical market, pharmaceutical companies will surely find opportunities for business growth through precise digital marketing strategies.

Dong Qing, Vice President of the Marketing Department at Hua Medicine

Next,Fan Jing, Head of the Digital Marketing Department, Pharmaceutical Business Division, JD HealthMs.Present the themed sharing session “The Evolution of Pharmaceutical Marketing”She proposed,As the environment changes and technology advances, pharmaceutical marketing is undergoing a process of evolution from differentiation.Pharmaceutical marketing needs to adapt to environmental changes, iterate rapidly, achieve deep interconnectivity, and provide personalized services. Fan JingMs.Shared JD Health’s practices in digital marketing, including leveraging big data and internet technologies to rapidly respond to market changes and enhancing marketing efficiency through an online-offline integrated approach. She also discussed how JD Health utilizes digital tools to provide solutions across the entire drug lifecycle, ranging from patient recruitment and market insights to payment solutions. Fan JingMs. Li believes that patient-centric, digital-driven marketing—characterized by high efficiency, precision, and low cost—is key for the pharmaceutical industry to respond to market changes and enhance its competitiveness.

Fan Jing, Head of the Digital Marketing Department, Pharmaceutical Business Division, JD Health

Founder of Huimei Digital Technology,Ms. Zhang Xinyan, CEOSharing on the topic of “AI + Healthcare: Multidimensional Empowerment for Upgrading Commercialization Strategies of Innovative Drugs,” she introduced Huimei Digital Technology’s successful case studies from seven years of exploration, during which it collaborated with nearly 100 companies to provide integrated online digital marketing solutions. Ms. Zhang Xinyan highlighted Huimei Digital Technology’s four “Hui” solutions—Hui Academic, Hui Care, Hui Cloud Pharmacy, and Hui Research, along with intelligent collaboration. By establishing academic channels, delivering precisely targeted content, conducting patient care follow-ups, and empowering pharmaceutical sales representatives, these solutions help enterprises achieve commercial success. Additionally, Ms. Zhang introduced Huimei Digital Technology’s partnership with leading domestic large language models to develop a professional medical content creation solution leveraging its proprietary healthcare industry database. She showcased the successfully developed AIGC product “Xiao Mei MIA” and its applications in knowledge retrieval, literature interpretation, and content creation, demonstrating the potential of AI technology in pharmaceutical marketing. Ms. Zhang’s presentation provided attendees with profound insights into the application of digital marketing in the pharmaceutical industry, highlighting Huimei Digital Technology’s innovations and achievements in this field.。

Founder of Huimei Digital Health,CEOZhang Xinyan

Founder of the Knowledge Matrix,CEO, Ding ZhaoliangMr.Shared “Internet“Pharmaceuticals: The Drug Marketing Revolution in the Digital Age.” In his speech, Ding Zhaoliang emphasized the importance of digital marketing in the pharmaceutical industry and shared insights on leveraging a knowledge matrix to operate content ecosystems within the broader health sector. He proposed that, with growing consumer demand for health information—particularly driven by the rise of new media platforms—pharmaceutical marketing must place greater emphasis on “precision” and “lightweight” approaches. Using Douyin (TikTok) as an example, he demonstrated how big data analytics can enable precise targeting of consumers, while content marketing enhances user experience and drives sales conversion. Ding also introduced the concept of “universality,” arguing that pharmaceutical marketing should be more grounded and accessible to facilitate the widespread dissemination of medical knowledge. He shared“Knowledge MatrixK6Six Steps of Marketing”，This model centers on products to generate high-quality content, constructs comprehensive scenarios for pharmaceutical marketing, and fully supports pharmaceutical companies in achieving digital transformation. WithOmni-Media Platform Layoutas the medium, including live streaming and private domain communities,Knowledge MatrixBuild a comprehensive health content ecosystem and enhance brand influence through content creation and distribution.Closing Remarks, he provided an outlook on the future of pharmaceutical marketing, believing that digitalizationPrecisionMarketing efforts will continue to deepen; pharmaceutical companies must attract consumers through innovative content strategies to succeed in a competitive landscape.

Founder of the Knowledge Matrix,CEODing Zhaoliang

SubsequentlyZeQiao Media Chief Content Officer Kang YuxinMr.He shared insights on “Innovative Interpretation, Efficient Delivery: A New Paradigm for Healthcare Information Dissemination in the Digital Wave”He elaborated on how Zeqiao Media leverages technological innovation to lower the high barriers to medical communication, making medical content more vivid and easier to disseminate. He introduced the human anatomical models and medical scenario model libraries independently developed by Zeqiao Media, tools that have been utilized to enhance the promotional effectiveness of projects for pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Kang Yuxin also emphasizedThe application of high-tech video dissemination methods, such as MR and VR, exemplified by the AED CPR VR training program, showcases Zeqiao Media’s achievements in the field of immersive medical education.Finally,Kang YuxinIntroductionZeQiao Media’s exploration of industrialized standards for medical videos, through an assembly-line approachSOP Production Video Content: Effectively Reduce Costs and Improve Production Efficiency.and can leverage a comprehensive omni-media matrix andAIGC and metaverse technologies empower enterprises with comprehensive content customization and services.

Kang Yuxin, Chief Content Officer of Zeqiao Media

Finally, the forum entered the roundtable discussion session. ByMr. Song Yalin, Partner at VFast CapitalModerator and panelists participating in the roundtable discussion include:Mr. Wang Meng, Deputy General Manager of Marketing at Beijing Zhongyi Wanle Biotechnology Co., Ltd.; Mr. Liang Deming, Deputy General Manager of Beijing Siheng Advertising Co., Ltd.; Founder of Wanmu Health;Mr. Cheng Jin, CEO; Mr. Ding Zhaoliang, Founder and CEO of Knowledge Matrix，The guests engaged in an in-depth discussion on the challenges, solutions, and future trends encountered during the digital marketing transformation and upgrading of pharmaceutical companies.

Roundtable Discussion: Exploring Digital Marketing Pathways for Pharmaceutical Companies

Wang MengIt is proposed that, at present, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly embracing“Omni-channel Marketing”: Strategically Deploying OTC and E-commerce Channels. Against the backdrop of an overall industry downturn, with limited means to address pain points, a more strategic choice is to prioritize “opportunities over pain points.” It is crucial to seize emerging opportunities; under the context of medical insurance cost containment, the self-pay market is on the verge of explosive growth. Individuals born in the 1950s and 1960s, who hold significant purchasing power and brand recognition, will become the main force in future healthcare consumption. Therefore, pharmaceutical marketing should focus more on future opportunities. In digital marketing, based on product awareness and the current landscape, virtual human doctors represent a highlight, helping experts participate more efficiently in digital marketing initiatives.Liang DemingFocusing on the two key concepts of “precision” and “lightweight,” he shared how to achieve precision marketing through big data on new media platforms. He pointed out that small teams can also successfully market products online, as issues related to product accessibility and information reach have been resolved. Liang Deming also discussed the categorization of physicians, emphasizing the important role of science-communication-oriented doctors in marketing efforts.Cheng JinFrom the perspective of pharmaceutical companies, two trends were proposed: "benefits for doctors and patients" and "tripartite collaboration." He observed that pharmaceutical companies are increasingly focusing on patient experience and physician efficiency, while emphasizing the importance of collaborating with third-party organizations such as foundations and associations. Cheng Jin discussed three levels of physician education, including one-way communication, interactive exchange, and the application of automated AI tools.Ding ZhaoliangUsing “universal” to summarize digital marketing, believing that medical and pharmaceutical information shouldEnsuring scientific rigor、Rigor、On the basis of being engaging，Reach a broader public audience. He highlighted the practice of precisely acquiring patients through platforms such as Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) and emphasized the importance of content marketing.

During the discussion, the guests also touched upon pharmaceutical companies' digital marketingROI Issues，Wang MengEmphasizes the relationship between input and outputThe Importance of “Persistence” and Strategic Deployment: The Universal Law of Development Is the Transition from Quantitative to Qualitative Change; Digital Marketing Should Not Seek Quick Success and Instant Benefits.Liang DemingShared how to achieve immediate feedback through content marketing andOptimization of ROI.Cheng JinandDingZhaoLiangAllMentioned thatROI is broken down into more granular dynamic process indicators, and emphasizes the relationship withBrand OwnerJoint Efforts and IntegrationThe Importance of Leveraging AIGC and Other Technologies to Transform Workflows and Enhance Human Efficiency in Achieving Marketing Objectives.

Overall, the panelists believe that pharmaceutical marketing faces dual challenges from policies and the market, but digital marketing offers new opportunities and solutions. They unanimously agree that pharmaceutical companies need to continuously innovate and adapt to achieve long-term sustainable development, and emphasize that in the process of digital transformation, it is necessary to comprehensively consider market trends, technological applications, andMultidimensional Assessment of ROI.