Healthcare Content Strategy: Elevate, Innovate & Impact 

Content strategy has been discussed so much that it’s become another buzzword for many marketers. However, there is no denying that a strong healthcare content strategy can significantly impact the success of any campaign. So, what exactly is the role of a content strategy? How does one build it? And where does the modular approach fit into all of this? 

In today’s episode, Nataliya Andreychuk, Co-founder & CEO of Viseven, and Prasant Vijayakumar, the Chief Strategy Officer, delved deeper into the topic of healthcare content marketing strategy. Prasant has nearly 20 years of experience in the industry. He started out as a pharmacist and medical rep, then spent many years working in content creation and at a creative agency. In recent years, he’s focused on digital transformation. The focus on modular content has been a key part of his personal journey and growth as a content strategist, constantly exploring how to bring more efficiency to the process. Lots of fresh insights ahead! 

The Role of Content in the Successful Implementation of Any Content Production Set-Up 

“We’re having new, eye-opening conversations around content strategy. While we’ve always aimed to stay up to date, be strategic, and drive innovation, the role of pharma content strategy itself has existed for a long time, particularly in branding and new product launches. It’s always required a thoughtful, deliberate approach,” shared Nataliya. 

However, content strategy for healthcare has taken on new importance in the past 5–10 years, especially with the rise of digital transformation. As strategists, we now focus more on efficiency and standardization, which are essential to scaling effectively. 

In pharma, content has always been a sensitive area because of strict regulatory requirements. You can’t just create and publish freely; there’s a process to follow. Having a clear strategy helps speed up that process, reduce duplication, and develop and deliver content to customers — and even patients — faster. 

One of the biggest advantages of having a well-defined digital health strategy is standardization: creating repeatable ways of working that still allow for compliance. In pharma, we don’t necessarily produce high volumes of content every day. The challenge is more about what we’re allowed to say — around efficacy, safety, and other approved claims — and how we say it to HCPs. 

Nataliya adds that this is a good point: in recent years, the spotlight has been more on commercial content — how things look, the creative visuals. But now, attention is gradually shifting toward medical content, which also needs strategy, structure, and innovation. 

Shift from Commercial to Medical 

Prasant pointed out that when we talk about modular content, we often focus on the commercial side. But content actually begins much earlier, well before launch. As soon as a publication is released, it becomes usable content. 

These early medical materials can later be adapted for commercial use. So, when thinking about content strategy, it’s important to start before commercialization and to reuse approved content throughout the product lifecycle. 

Nataliya agreed, highlighting that it’s a valuable way to rethink how we use content strategy, also pointing out that there are still many misconceptions regarding the modular approach and how it fits into a content strategy, following with the next question. 

Can We Really “Retire” the Modular Approach and Still Succeed in Omnichannel Communication? 

Prasant argued that the word retirement cannot really be applied to modular content. Modular content has been a misunderstood topic, and there hasn’t been much effort to define it. It’s a space with too many varying definitions, and that’s affected the industry’s ability to embrace modular content as part of a pharma content marketing strategy fully. 

We’ve often seen modular content as something that tech will solve; however, it’s not just technology; it’s strategy. Going modular is a strategic decision, one that takes a lot of planning and preparing, and it’s one of the key functionalities you want to bring into your organization. 

Following his statement, Prasant added that modular is just a way to standardize the content process. Still, that doesn’t mean going 100% modular. The original idea has always been to identify pieces of content — key messages — you want to communicate across different channels and formats. And one of the biggest benefits of modular content is the ability to standardize those core elements first. 

Of course, new content will always be created — that’s where your creative agencies come in. But you should also reuse what you already have, standardizing the process. Modular content helps bring everything together, get it to customers or patients faster, and maintain consistency in messaging. 

Avoid the Wrong Intention: Focus on Standardized Practices, Not Outdated Material 

Nataliya continued by suggesting that while many content pieces are being modularized, the intention behind it sometimes seems off. The goal shouldn’t be to recycle outdated materials but to ensure that you’re using truly reusable pieces. 

“One of the key shifts in focus for creative agencies should be developing meaningful content,” Prasant added, “not just presenting the same old messages in a completely new design, as it is a waste of time and effort to focus on just past content.” Nataliya agreed, transitioning to the next topic. 

Building a Modular Content Factory: The Foundation for Creativity, Localization, and Agency Collaboration 

“Before implementing modular content, it’s essential to ensure strategic alignment across the organization,” Prasant said. “For example, suppose you decide to establish a Center of Excellence for content operations. In that case, there needs to be a clear reason behind it, such as improving efficiency and reducing repetitive, transactional activities that often lead to wasted effort.” 

Ultimately, when you have a commercial product, you want to ensure consistent messaging throughout its lifecycle. That’s where content strategy comes into play — and modular content becomes a key enabler in delivering consistency and driving more effective healthcare communication. It also offers an opportunity to learn. For instance, if you notice that content isn’t engaging your audience over time, modular content allows you to reevaluate and adjust how things are done. 

Starting From Scratch: Can You Adopt Modular Content at Any Stage of Your Content Journey? 

“No matter where you are in the process — whether you’re creating a content hub, setting up a content studio, or building new operations — you can still start from scratch, right?”, Nataliya wondered. Prasant agreed, adding that if your internal processes are in place — if you understand your target segments, their drivers and barriers, and what messages you need to communicate — then the next step is knowing what content is already available. From there, it’s about identifying which modules you need to deliver those messages.  

“After that, it’s simply a matter of determining how to reach your audience: which channels to use, what formats, and which templates — many of which can be standardized and used across markets,” Prasant shared. “Once markets begin using these templates, it becomes a plug-and-play process. We also already have access to technology that allows you to easily translate and localize content without leaving the system.” 

This approach creates a collaborative global-to-local ecosystem that connects creative agencies, in-house studios, and cross-functional teams, bringing content together on a unified platform and pushing it out to the right channels. 

Nataliya agreed, emphasizing that this is exactly the kind of transformation needed. It’s not tied to the outdated, resource-draining content production models of the past. This shift is about building a better future where communication with healthcare professionals is more efficient and relevant. Modular content is central to this strategy, enabling omnichannel delivery that reaches the right professionals at the right time. That’s why, she concluded, we shouldn’t even be talking about “retiring” modular content. 

Is AI Changing Content Strategy? 

“The overall pharmaceutical content strategy isn’t likely to change, because AI is ultimately an enabler, not a replacement,” Prasant explained. When speaking with clients about modular content, he often highlights that in order to build a system AI can learn from, modular content is the best place to start. That’s because you need structured data to train AI, and modules, being clearly defined pieces of content with single key messages, provide exactly that. 

“The first step,” Krishna said, “is to start actively using modules. This generates the data needed to train AI effectively. Over time, this will enable advanced automation in content creation.” 

Here is the perfect vision for the future: AI will be able to auto-assemble assets in the correct formats for any channel once your content strategy is in place. This level of automation is coming soon and will be part of product offerings within the next few years. However, reaching that point requires the right foundational strategy, particularly around modular content. 

Nataliya agreed, reflecting on how our brains and workflows are evolving. “Now, we process smaller chunks of data, content, and visuals more efficiently,” Nataliya noted. “As our minds adapt to change and stress more quickly, we’re becoming more effective in many areas of life, including communication and content creation.” 

Final Words 

We can see that modular content, data, and AI are the key enablers of future communication patterns — and right now, we’re still in the preparation stage. 

“The most important thing is to have a proper content marketing strategy for healthcare and pharma. Don’t try to build everything at once — Rome wasn’t built in a day. Take it step by step,” Prasant advised. “Always start by creating a prototype, test it, learn from it, and then move on to the next stage. This applies to modular content as well.” 

Also, don’t aim to go 100% modular from the start. Begin by standardizing the content you already have. On one hand, you’ll have reliable, reusable modules; on the other, you’ll bring in creativity to keep your content fresh and engaging. 

Speakers shared the final piece of advice: “Know what you want to do, understand why you’re doing it, and start small, and only then think about how to scale.” 

If you enjoyed the conversation and would like more insights like this, make sure to follow Viseven’s YouTube channel and join in on the next episode of the Pharma Talks podcast — where human voices meet industry insights. As always, we have got even more important discussions and engaging conversations lined up, so stay tuned for what’s coming next! 

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