BREAKING THROUGH THE NOISE: SOLVING THE HCP ENGAGEMENT CHALLENGE WITH LIVE EVENTS

In an era of digital overload and rising expectations, healthcare professionals (HCPs) are harder to engage than ever. Despite billions being poured into digital channels, many pharma and medtech brands are struggling to achieve meaningful, lasting connections with their most important audience.

The Engagement Gap Is Widening

According to a recent Across Health Multichannel Maturometer study, HCPs are exposed to 3,000+ digital brand touchpoints per year—but only 12% are considered impactful by the HCPs themselves.¹
Meanwhile, Veeva’s Pulse Field Trends Report shows that face-to-face access to HCPs rose by 59% in 2023, as more professionals seek authentic, high-value interactions in a world still saturated with virtual noise.²

The key message is clear: HCPs aren’t disengaged, they’re just selective. They are hungry for value but not interested in being sold to. To truly break through, brands must move beyond noise and numbers, toward experiences that create genuine value and lasting impact.

Why Live Events Still Lead

Live events offer a rare opportunity to engage HCPs in a way that’s human, immersive, and valuable. They turn passive observers into active participants and allow for nuanced, two-way conversations that digital alone can’t deliver.

Here’s how well-designed, insight-led live experiences can transform HCP engagement:

1. Humanising the Brand Experience
In a 2022 report by PharmaLive, 81% of HCPs said they’re more likely to engage with a pharma brand that demonstrates a deep understanding of their clinical challenges.³ Live events offer the perfect stage for empathy, education, and connection, helping brands show up as trusted partners, not just product providers.

2. Enabling Peer-to-Peer Learning
One of the top reasons HCPs attend events is for peer exchange. Medical Marketing & Media found that 68% of HCPs consider peer interaction a top factor when deciding to attend a live event.⁴ Roundtables, panels, and collaborative workshops give professionals the opportunity to share knowledge, debate ideas, and connect with like-minded peers.

3. Building Trust Through Transparency
Trust is critical in healthcare. A McKinsey survey found that HCPs are 2.5x more likely to prescribe a brand when they have high trust in the company behind it.⁵ Events provide an environment for open dialogue, live Q&As, and behind-the-scenes access that digital tactics struggle to replicate.

4. Creating Memorable Moments
According to Event Marketer’s EventTrack, 74% of attendees say they have a more positive opinion of a brand after an experiential event.⁶ Immersive storytelling, interactive tech, and sensory design ensure your message doesn’t just land, it sticks.

5. Capturing Actionable Insights
Face-to-face interaction also yields richer feedback. When HCPs are engaged in-person, feedback quality and depth improve by 60% compared to digital surveys alone.⁷ These insights can inform future campaign strategy, content planning, and product development.

Designing with Purpose

To truly engage HCPs, experiences must be strategically designed, insight-led, and outcome-driven. That means:

• Delivering education over promotion
• Aligning every touchpoint to the HCP journey
• Offering flexible, hybrid formats to match schedules and preferences
• Measuring both behavioural impact and business results

It’s not just about creating a moment, it’s about creating a moment that matters.

The Takeaway

The HCP engagement challenge is real – but so is the opportunity. As digital channels continue to fragment attention, live events have never been more powerful as a tool for connection, trust-building, and lasting impact.

If we want to make moments that matter, we need to create experiences that speak to HCPs not just as professionals, but as people. Live events do just that.

If you would like to speak to us about how Strata can help with your live events, get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

Sources:

1. Across Health, Multichannel Maturometer, 2023
2. Veeva Pulse Field Trends Report, 2023
3. PharmaLive, Physician Engagement Insights, 2022
4. MM+M, Event Preferences Survey, 2023
5. McKinsey & Company, Building Pharma Trust, 2022
6. Event Marketer, EventTrack Report, 2023
7. Internal Benchmarking Study, HCP Engagement Metrics, 2023