Vienna 2019

Well, after three days packed with expertise and insights, the key takeaways from Vienna are as follows:

• Consumers are increasingly demanding personalisation of products and services, with digitalisation key to both driving and meeting this demand

• Digital is disrupting conventional paradigms of healthcare

• The empowered consumer expects to sit at the centre of their wellbeing, playing an active role in their healthcare choices. The role of HCPs is moving away from paternalism and closer to that of a mentor or coach

• In terms of technology, we must ensure we are delivering real added value to the consumer, using insights to generate a deeper understanding of what motivates them

• Don’t be afraid to partner with other companies and service providers to deliver the holistic care consumers increasingly seek

After I took to the stage to give my keynote reviewing the trends of the past year and outlining what is next for CHC, Tamara Rogers, SVP & Region Head, EMEA Consumer Healthcare, GSK reviewed the Consumers of the Future = CEOs of their Own Bodies .

She explained that the wealth of data available offers great opportunities to the consumer healthcare industry, but that we must have the ability to interpret it and leverage insights to better know, understand and connect to the consumer.

Tamara was followed by Luca Pagano, Group CEO, BeMyEye, who explained how the BeMyEye disruptive technology allows marketers to maximise the performance of their brands in the retail space, delivering actionable insights to constantly monitor their in-store execution. The most transformational companies are implementing new methodologies for their go-to-market strategies. BeMyEye allows marketers to respond to retail trends in real-time, enabling them to implement continuous performance improvements.

After the presentation of our Awards shortlists, Grigoris Karelos, Country Director, Greece & Cyprus, J&J, asked us “whether we create “Love Brands”?

He argued that, by definition, communication about healthcare products is negative as we discuss illness and symptoms. Therefore, the way we talk about our brand is crucial. We must create emotional connections based on consumer insight to create impactful and relevant communication. It is important to have a clear and consistent brand belief if we want to create long-lasting relationships with consumers. However, the ways in which we communicate this message must evolve in order to stay relevant

We were then lucky to be joined by Daragh Anglim, Managing Director, Prohibition Partners, to explore the Medical Cannabis landscape of Europe.

This is such a fast-paced and exciting category, yet Daragh explained there is a real lack of education for HCPs on this subject – it has been legal in the UK since November 2018, but has yet to be prescribed on the NHS, with doctors taking a risk-averse approach.

There is a need for education and clarity about the medical use of cannabis. There’s an existing user base for the product, so it’s not about educating on what it is, necessarily, but rather its safe usage, therapeutic applications and medical benefits

Medical cannabis offers huge growth potential, but independent and reliable data is necessary to drive the category forwards.