Study shows only eight out of 100 pharma brands send welcome e-mails to consumers

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ePharm5 exclusive: Study shows only eight out of 100 pharma brands send welcome e-mails to consumers

 

Only eight of the top 100 best-selling prescription products sent a welcome or enrollment e-mail to consumers who signed up for an online pharma program, according to Chicago-based consulting agency WHITTMANHART. Not sending a welcome e-mail when a consumer signs up is a missed opportunity for pharma, according to WHITTMANHART senior strategy manager Denine Harper. "The welcome e-mail is one of the most important e-mails a company can send, but it is one of the most neglected," says David Henry, WHITTMANHART senior strategy manager.

 

 

[FULL STORY]

 

Exclusive pharma study: Only eight of the top 100 products sent welcome e-mails to online enrolless

 

WHITTMANHART performed a comprehensive study of the top 100 prescription products in the United States and followed their e-mail programs for seven months. This study reviewed Web sites, e-mail, loyalty, and HCP programs of the nation's top pharma brands.   Only eight of the top 100 best-selling prescription products sent a welcome or enrollment e-mail to consumers who signed up for an online program, according to a WHITTMANHART study of pharma e-mails.

 

Not sending a welcome e-mail when a consumer signs up is a missed opportunity for pharma, according to WHITTMANHART senior strategy manager Denine Harper. A proper welcome sets the stage and tone of the entire online program and gives a first impression of the brand.

 

"The welcome e-mail is one of the most important e-mails a company can send, but it is one of the most neglected," says David Henry, WHITTMANHART senior strategy manager.

Harper agrees, saying most brand marketers don't think of the welcome e-mail as a key tool. However, "it's so important--it needs to hit the top of the priority list," she says.

Getting a welcome e-mail out to the consumer as soon as possible engages them right away, says Harper. Sending it immediately is best, but at the very least, it should be sent within five days of registration. The e-mail should touch the consumer while the brand is still fresh in their minds. Harper and Henry also agree that an auto response doesn't really qualify as a welcome e-mail. However, an auto response is better than nothing.

 

A good welcome e-mail uses HTML, not text, because HTML messages are more aesthetically pleasing and can better communicate the brand value. Yet of the eight pharma brands that sent a welcome or enrollment e-mail, four were text-based, according to the study.

 

Here are some other welcome e-mail best practices:

• "Engage, engage, engage," says Harper. Provide relevant brand information and always include links back to your Web site to encourage further interaction on the site.
• Say thank you and use personalization by addressing them by name or incorporating some of their indicated preferences.
• Always ask consumers to add the "from" address into their address books to keep the e-mails out of the spam or junk folder and into the inbox. "It's an almost sure path straight to their inbox every time," says Henry.
• Set expectations about future e-mails up front and stick with it. The consumer should know what kinds of e-mails they will be getting in the future and how often.
• If you have a static, but high-quality, HTML welcome e-mail, change the content every few months to keep it fresh, current and relevant to the Web site.
• Ensure that you're complying with all legislation, especially CAN-SPAM. Make sure consumers have a functional way to unsubscribe and the e-mail has a physical 'from' address.