E-Guide

Researched and written by Becky Hallam, Sanwari Gupta, and Erica Hawthorne

Healthcare Programmatic
Maturity Model

You’re likely already integrating programmatic display advertising into your healthcare marketing mix—after all, it’s a crucial component of modern media strategy.

But where does your organization fall on the programmatic maturity spectrum?

Are you a newbie or a black belt? We designed the Programmatic Maturity Model to guide marketers through a systematic understanding of the different levels of programmatic expertise: from foundational knowledge to sophisticated programmatic-first approaches.

Use this model to assess your organization’s healthcare programmatic advertising capabilities, including needs, processes, tools, and outcomes, and pinpoint areas of opportunities for growth and impact. Unsure where you’re supposed to be? Don’t know where to focus next? Need help justifying new investment? This model will help you strategically plan your next steps.

Scroll to learn about the four phases of programmatic maturity.

Click the headers to dive into each phase.

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Newbie
Sophisticate

Archetype

Just starting out with programmatic media 

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High confidence in programmatic for efficiency

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Uses advanced programmatic features to drive marketing impact

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Views programmatic as the enabler for ALL marketing 

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Definition of Programmatic Initiatives

Small discrete healthcare programmatic campaign

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Programmatic commands a larger portion of the budget, expands across multiple brands

Refined use of programmatic technology and data to fine-tune campaigns

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Maxes out on programmatic media first, before other media expenditures

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Business Driver

Testing and innovation

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Cost efficiency

Channel ROI

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Cross-channel ROI

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Scope of Programmatic Initiatives

One channel: usually banner display

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Few channels: usually banners across display, video, native

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Multichannel: banners across display, video, native, plus new creative formats for traditional channels like TV and audio/radio

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Omnichannel: all channels are implemented seamlessly and sequentially (trigger-based) as one for full-funnel impact

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Creative Formats

  • Display banners

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  • Display banners
  • Video
  • Native ads
  • DOOH

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  • Display banners
  • Video
  • Native ads
  • DOOH
  • Search extensions
  • EHR
  • TV
  • Audio

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  • Display banners
  • Video
  • Native ads
  • DOOH
  • Search extensions
  • EHR
  • TV
  • Audio

Creative Customization

No customization

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Minimal customization

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Creative is customized based on the role each channel plays in the customer journey

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Sequenced messaging is deployed across formats on the fly

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Customer Data Sources: HCP

  • NPI Target List
  • NPI Target List
  • In-platform expansion
  • NPI Target List
  • In-platform expansion

NPI list that routinely includes in-platform expansion

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Customer Data Sources: DTC

  • Contextual targeting
  • Behavioral segments

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  • Contextual targeting
  • Behavioral segments
  • Healthcare data segments (e.g., PulsePoint, Crossix, Swoop, PurpleLab)

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  • Contextual targeting
  • Behavioral segments
  • Healthcare data segments (e.g., PulsePoint, Crossix, Swoop, PurpleLab)
  • First-party DTC data leveraging LiveRamp or another DMP

Custom application of DTC data segments based on audience quality performance across the campaign and full deployment of all offerings with customized budget priority

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Performance Analytics Capabilities Needed

Campaign performance (delivery, clicks) versus goal

Campaign performance (delivery, clicks, AQ) versus goal

Additional insights gained from expanded platform reach

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Real-time campaign performance by channel

Visibility into whole marketing funnel

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Optimization of omnichannel execution using real-time campaign performance by NPI, audience segment, channel, geo/demo, trigger behavior, and clinical behavior

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Performance Measurement

Last click model (limitation: this never shows effective)

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Separate KPIs to measure the impact of each channel

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Separate KPIs to measure the impact of each channel, including creative combination as well as the overall umbrella effect

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Ability to measure audiences and behaviors across channels and HCP/DTC connection using audience quality and NPI device graph reporting

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Goal of Measurement

Allocate budget for future campaigns

Design media plan

Deploy best performing targeting tactic first

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Maximize movement through the funnel

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Value at this Stage

  • Precision targeting
  • Reach against target list
  • Lower CPMs ($45 versus $300)
  • Less risk than direct buys
  • Better optimization opportunities

Access to more of the target population’s web journey than direct buys

Frequency control across the entire multichannel programmatic buy (not possible for direct buys)

Cost savings on platform fees as spend levels go up

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Ability to build customer journeys based on real-world data

Better data drives higher performance

Economies of scale to negotiate agency and platform fees

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Relation to Direct Media Buys

Programmatic is small part of the media plan; direct media buys deliver the majority of the media plan goals

Programmatic is leveraged for cost efficiency and scale

Direct media buys are leveraged for control (over inventory, placements, and pricing), and customization (of the messaging and the experience)

Programmatic drives larger portion of the budget, but coexists with direct buys from select premium publisher brands (e.g., WebMD/Medscape) or tentpole events (e.g., Super Bowl)

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Programmatic leads the media plan; a few select premium publisher brands or tentpole events are funded after programmatic reach is tapped out.

Programmatic Expertise

Rely on programmatic partner for strategy and execution

Rely on programmatic partner to manage and optimize placement and creative

Planning and execution is shared across programmatic partner and in-house programmatic team

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Programmatic planning and execution is completely in house

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Leadership Involvement

Arm’s length

Informed

Advocate

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Considers programmatic part of growth strategy

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IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF ERICA HAWTHORNE