At this year’s Digital Healthcare Coalition (DHC) Disrupt Summit, pharma’s most forward-thinking marketers explored how technology and innovation are reshaping engagement across the healthcare ecosystem.
Faruk Capan, CEO of EVERSANA INTOUCH and Chief Innovation Officer at EVERSANA, joined industry peers, Corrine Lynberg (Novo Nordisk), Eric McCulley (UCB Pharma), and Mark Bard, Co-Founder of The DHC Group for a fireside discussion on one critical question: What should pharma marketers prioritize as the next wave of commercial transformation unfolds?
From Sales Reps to Ecosystem Quarterbacks
Panelists agreed that traditional commercial models—centered on sales reps and TV campaigns—no longer meet today’s needs. Field teams remain essential, but their role must shift from transactional selling to orchestrating a connected ecosystem linking patients, providers and digital channels.
The opportunity lies in empowering reps to help patients and providers have more meaningful, goal-oriented conversations—shifting discussions from disease management to overall well-being—and serving as quarterbacks of a more holistic, patient-centered model that guides the entire journey through coordinated, connected experiences.
This mindset shift moves pharma beyond reach and frequency towards a new currency of engagement. As Faruk put it succinctly:
“The future is not reach and frequency anymore; it’s precision and trust.”
Precision and Trust: The New Currency of Engagement
Achieving trust, Faruk explained, requires smarter use of technology, data, and AI to personalize engagement and activate patients meaningfully. As patients increasingly become their own advocates—turning to social media, podcasts, and influencers for guidance—these channels now hold greater credibility than traditional advertising. The challenge for pharma is to engage transparently and authentically in these trusted spaces.
AI as the Catalyst for Scalable Transformation
Faruk also underscored that while AI will soon augment up to 80–90% of commercial processes, simply layering new tools onto legacy systems won’t move the needle. True transformation requires reimagining the entire commercial model itself—making it more agile, intelligent, and human-centered.
EVERSANA’s AI Agency Platform embodies this approach, embedding human-in-the-loop intelligence with scalable AI infrastructure to revolutionize pharma marketing.
Collaboration Fuels Innovation
Transformation, Faruk noted, can’t happen in silos. Success depends on collaboration, both within organizations and across trusted partners. He urged the industry to embrace scalable, tech-enabled change through co-creation and shared learning. By modernizing operations and building connected, data-driven ecosystems, pharma can accelerate its ability to deliver value to patients and providers alike.
Turning Insights into Action
Marketing success today is measured not just by brand outcomes, but by tangible improvements in patient health. Faruk and fellow panelists encouraged marketers to:
- Identify which innovations warrant immediate investment.
- Tighten operations to master the simple things first.
- Empower cross-functional teams to act decisively.
- Move toward orchestrated, patient-centered engagement that drives lasting value.
The next era won’t be led by those who adopt the most tools—but by those who build connected, human-centric systems that turn innovation into sustainable competitive advantage.
Ready to reimagine your commercial model? Learn more about EVERSANA’s AI Agency Platform.