Transforming Omnichannel Approaches for Top Pharma 

People inherently dislike change. Our brains tell us to stick to the proven formula and find evidence in our worldview that this formula works just fine. Yet, there is objective reality (the data) and it might tell a completely different story.  

In a recent podcast episode, Franck Mayet, Digital Transformation and Customer Engagement Expert, shared lessons learned from managing omnichannel pharma marketing operations across dozens of geographies. Franck brought up many interesting points, like data-driven content delivery, change management, and the GloCal approach. Let’s dive in. 

No One-Size-Fits-All, But Don’t Reinvent the Wheel 

According to Franck, one of the biggest mistakes global teams make is assuming a single approach will work across all markets. “It’s never going to be like that,” he says. “You need to listen to your internal stakeholders and adapt to their needs.” The key is alignment not just between global and local teams, but also between delivery operations and business priorities.  

This doesn’t mean everything must be customized. In fact, Franck encourages teams to embrace what he calls a “GloCal” model. Brands need to find a sweet spot between a unified global framework and local flexibility to reflect the 5% of market-specific nuances. “We need to stop thinking everybody is different,” he adds. “What we often see as massive complexity is actually marginal.” 

The Only Realistic Way to Scale and Innovate 

“Operations must be data-driven,” Franck emphasizes. Whether you are managing a content factory or a digital campaign, success hinges on your ability to capture, measure, and interpret performance data continuously. This helps detect delivery bottlenecks early on before they escalate and turn into a much bigger problem.  

Sweeping these problems under the carpet is not the best strategy. The sooner you understand what the problem is, the quicker you can address it and make it less painful. “I’ve been managing 7,000 requests across 30–40 geographies. Out of 7,000 requests, something will naturally go wrong. You need to acknowledge that to remove the pressure”, says Franck. 

If you do not act on your mistakes and search for answers in data, you can never achieve omnichannel engagement in pharma. Teams often get stuck in the box of what they have done before, because it might feel safe for a while. Yet, changing your delivery based on data rather than likes and always questioning your methods will help you clearly see the next best action. As Franck puts it, “you don’t know what you don’t know. Only data will tell you whether it’s a smart move or not.”  

But he warns against hoarding data for its own sake: “Data should be accessible to both client and vendor. Reporting only works if people use it. Otherwise, it’s just noise.” For his team, data is non-negotiable. “Don’t tell me we have an issue without showing the data. Or say everything is fine without proof.” Without data, it’s just interpretation of a situation, which might be full of cognitive bias. 

Treat Customer Feedback as the Most Valuable Data Asset 

Quantitative KPIs like turnaround time or cost per asset only tell half the story. It is important to understand that data is not always dashboards or numbers. To measure success in content production, qualitative data, like customer satisfaction and stakeholder feedback, is equally vital. “You’ll never know how much you served the needs of your customers unless you ask them,” says Franck. 

Global teams, he reminds us, are there to support the business, not operate in isolation from it. A strong feedback loop between global operations and local business units is essential for growth. 

AI Will Not Replace People but Shift Their Focus 

Paradoxically, automating repetitive tasks often means bringing more people in, not fewer. “You unlock more creativity when your people aren’t stuck doing the basics,” says Nataliya Andreychuk, the podcast host and CEO at Viseven.  

Franck believes that automation, especially powered by AI, can help eliminate low-value tasks like copy-pasting and manual compliance steps. But this isn’t about reducing headcount. Instead, it’s about freeing teams to focus on what they do best. It means local teams will have more coherent answers to the questions, like “What is the best customer engagement strategy? What is the most effective customer journey?”  

It’s worth admitting that operational excellence in content production goes hand in hand with omnichannel marketing and strategy. The countries with the fastest growing omnichannel capabilities are those where a digital lead sits at the same table as the business. They listen closely to pharma omnichannel strategy, pain points, and emerging opportunities and speak up during brainstorming sessions.  

How to Get Started with Omnichannel?  

Franck’s advice to companies looking to embrace omnichannel is simple: “It must be enterprise-wide. It must become part of your DNA.” This requires leadership buy-in and a clear understanding that building a solid ecosystem won’t make employees redundant. It will make them move faster with their strategy. It can, for example, help you refocus your resources on new product launches where field force effort is essential.  

He also underlines the importance of working transparently with vendors. Surfacing the bottlenecks and voicing concerns will help you avoid tunnel vision.  “If you’re afraid of change, you’ll never bring value. Experiment, iterate, and learn what works.”  

You might face a great deal of resistance along the way, and that’s okay. For omnichannel to be baked in the corporate culture, you need to understand how change management works. Each team, whether it is marketing or business, must see how this transformation impacts their workflow in a positive light. That’s when progress really starts to happen. 

---