Trust by design: Crafting authentic connections through digital

Digital
content is king illustration

The pharmaceutical industry has long struggled to earn and sustain trust. While healthcare professionals (HCPs) generally trust the products pharma provides, 80% admit they distrust pharma-provided digital content and platforms. Similarly, only 4% of consumers believe pharma prioritises their health above commercial interests.1

The question of trust is heightened by a society saturated in disinformation, amplified by divisive social media narratives that blur fact and fiction. Established institutions, constrained by regulatory and reputational concerns, often remain silent, further weakening public confidence.

Digital is the critical battleground, a space where trust can be restored or broken. Here’s how pharma can approach this challenge in the digital age and offer perspectives that succeed – by design.

Content is king

Bill Gates famously said, “content is king” in 1996, foreseeing its central role in the internet’s evolution. Nearly three decades later, content dominates our online experiences, shaping information consumption and driving value. Yet, in today’s unregulated “wild west” of social media, misinformation flourishes, often overshadowing reliable voices.

Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry, limited by regulatory constraints, largely avoids engaging meaningfully in this fast-paced environment. It’s little wonder when a single ‘like’ on LinkedIn can be misinterpreted as promoting prescription medicines. Nonetheless, the real opportunity lies in pharma’s role to support, not lead, the conversation. Here, they can work to empower HCPs, institutions, and patients by facilitating clear, reliable, valuable, and accessible information in a dependable way.

If content is king, then the channel is the kingmaker

While content is critical, its impact depends on how, where, and what platform delivers it. For pharma, owned channels like brand websites, emails, and CPD platforms are key. These platforms offer unique opportunities that empower HCPs and patients by providing genuine value and overcoming trust barriers, simply by delivering digital experiences that meet users’ needs.

In most industries, UX is essential to success. In pharma, however, it is often overlooked in favour of low-cost solutions that are “good-enough”, but end up compromising on quality and trust. Well-designed digital experiences inspire confidence, demonstrating that pharma understands and prioritises users’ needs. This is in contrast to cluttered or confusing interfaces that erode trust and raise doubts about a company’s intentions.

For HCPs, intuitive platforms offering trustworthy, evidence-based content are essential. Providing comprehensive drug data, treatment options, and trial results in one place can save time and improve engagement. Removing unnecessary barriers, such as multiple logins, is equally important.

For patients, resources must balance simplicity and depth. Unbiased explanations, supported by visual aids, help patients understand their conditions and treatments. This type of accessible, non-promotional content positions pharma as a trustworthy resource and a reliable source of support.

Authenticity: The path to trust

To build trust, pharma must deliver transparent, evidence-based content aligned with user expectations. HCPs value peer-reviewed information and are wary of promotional messaging. Instead, by providing comprehensive clinical trial data, including methodologies and outcomes, pharma can build credibility with HCPs and empower them to make informed decisions.

Collaborations with trusted organisations, such as medical associations, further enhance credibility. Joint efforts, with multiple brands and neutral stakeholders create resources that resonate with HCPs as more reliable than pharma-owned content. For patients, addressing broader needs, such as signposting support groups and sharing educational resources, shows genuine intent to improve outcomes, aligning with what users value most.

The role of AI and automation in advancing trust

AI and automation are transforming digital experiences across industries, and pharma is no exception. These technologies present opportunities to rebuild trust by delivering personalised, responsive products. AI enables tailored content, offering relevant resources based on user behaviour and preferences. For instance, an HCP engaging with trial data might be directed to related case studies, while a patient might receive tailored insights aligned with their treatment journey. AI-driven personalisation such as this, helps digital products feel genuinely helpful, not generic or transactional.

Customers can quickly spot when optimisations prioritise brand objectives over their experience, eroding trust. True optimisation balances business goals with user outcomes. And by using AI responsibly, with transparency and respect for data privacy, pharma can demonstrate its commitment to delivering genuine value, as well as strengthening trust with its users in the process.

Success hinges on customer centricity

At the heart of rebuilding trust lies a customer-first mindset. Whether addressing HCPs, patients, or other stakeholders, pharma must prioritise empathy and a genuine desire to help. Too often in this industry, commercial pressures overshadow the customers’ needs, leading to experiences that feel transactional, rather than supportive.

Understanding users through research and open communication is essential. Insights should drive the design and development of digital products that reflect empathy and address real problems. Digital tools must show that pharma prioritises users over profit, delivering value before focusing on commercial outcomes. Digital products that employ this mindset can demonstrate pharma companies are here to help, not simply sell.

Building trust for the future

Digital tools, powered by intuitive design, AI, and customer centricity, offer a unique opportunity to bridge the trust gap between pharma and its audiences. By creating content in such a way, pharma companies can deliver seamless, valuable experiences that foster trust and credibility.

Trust begins with thoughtful, user-centric design, transparent content, and digital tools that meet users’ needs. By making digital platforms reliable, and empowering resources for HCPs and patients alike, the sector can rebuild credibility over time.

It may take time, but by focusing on empathy and exceptional digital experiences, pharma can demonstrate its commitment to improving health outcomes, earning back the trust and credibility necessary to drive a healthier future.

Success by design: Build trust in pharma through digital experience

By following these steps, rooted in user-centric design methodologies, pharma companies can begin to rebuild trust through meaningful, user-centric digital experiences that foster credibility and engagement:

  1. Understand your audience: invest in user research to uncover the needs, preferences, and challenges of HCPs and patients. Use these insights to shape content, design, and functionality that genuinely aligns with their expectations.
  2. Create transparent, evidence-based content: share unbiased, peer-reviewed information and avoid overly promotional messaging. Provide comprehensive data, such as clinical trial outcomes and methodologies, to build credibility and trust.
  3. Focus on exceptional UX design: design digital platforms that are intuitive, accessible, and consistent. For HCPs, ensure quick access to critical information. For patients, use clear language and visual aids to simplify complex health topics and empower understanding.
  4. Leverage ethical AI and automation: use AI to personalise user experiences and deliver relevant, timely content. Ensure transparency in data usage, respect privacy, and prioritise optimisations that enhance user outcomes, rather than solely serving business objectives.
  5. Collaborate to enhance credibility: partner with trusted third-party organisations, such as medical associations or healthcare platforms, to co-create resources. Collaborative content is perceived as more reliable and demonstrates a commitment to shared goals.

Reference

  1. YouGov, Do Britons Trust Big Pharma? 2024
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Rob Verheul
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Rob Verheul