MedXD: Catalyzing a Medical Omnichannel Mindset via Experience Design

Transforming Aspiration into Action for Medical Omnichannel

Despite high aspirations for omnichannel engagement, many medical affairs organizations struggle to turn these ambitions into reality. Previous surveys indicate several barriers to omnichannel implementation for medical affairs professionals, including a lack of knowledge and expertise, viewing omnichannel as a “commercial” strategy, and general resistance to change.

To overcome these barriers and catalyze progress in developing medical omnichannel mindsets and skill sets, we’ve found it beneficial to “turn the omnichannel mountain into a molehill”—breaking down the at-times intimidating and nebulous aspirational concept of omnichannel into a series of smaller, solvable, and more practical challenges that medical affairs teams recognize and find actionable.

Progress Begins by Uncovering the “Oh” in Omnichannel

At Klick, we describe this process as “finding the ‘Oh’ in omnichannel”—focusing on generating those light-bulb “Aha!” moments where the value of omnichannel approaches becomes clear at the level of benefits, not buzzwords, and where intimidation is replaced by motivation. Technology transformation, while significant, is not a mandatory step to begin making strides toward omnichannel engagement. Practical ways of thinking, planning, and executing exist that medical affairs teams can adopt immediately. One such path from aspiration to action—which we are focusing on here—is through the application of experience design.

Introducing MedXD™: Experience Design for Medical Affairs

Experience Design (XD) is the practice of involving customers in design decisions. While medical affairs teams may lack familiarity with the craft of experience design, they are, in fact, crafting experiences all the time, such as how HCPs interact with them via a website or at a conference booth.

In orienting to experience design, medical affairs personnel should start by appreciating that customers don’t see “strategy”—instead, they see and interact with you through a series of touchpoints, collectively representing an “experience.” In short, experience is how a strategy is “felt” by customers. Marketing organizations and product companies have seen massive gains from customer-centric design approaches, establishing that there is undeniable business value in embracing empathy and customer-centricity.

As a starting point in helping medical affairs realize similar gains toward their own KPIs for medical impact, experience design begins with a strategic and holistic understanding of the lived customer journey—identifying needs, pain points, expectations, and opportunities.