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Shaping the Future of Healthcare: Highlights From the IQVIA Digital Innovation Summit 2025
At this year’s Digital Innovation Summit, we were proud to convene over 500 healthcare and pharmaceutical leaders to explore strategies and approaches to accelerate digital innovation in a rapidly changing world. Together, industry experts, thought leaders and attendees engaged in a collaborative experience, with provocative discussions on today’s challenges and opportunities in digital healthcare marketing.
In his opening keynote, best-selling author Erik Qualman said: “We don’t have a choice to digitally transform — the choice is how well we do it. How do we focus on being the change…so that we can future-proof not only ourselves, but also our organizations?”
Answers to this question echoed across the sessions that followed. Participants acknowledged the need to quickly take advantage of emerging opportunities, while supporting their teams in adapting to new technologies.
Themes discussed at The Summit included:
The transformative impact of artificial intelligence
It was widely acknowledged that artificial intelligence is transforming digital healthcare marketing with speed and force. Participants emphasized the power of AI technologies to revolutionize strategies and tactics across the digital marketing spectrum. Aspects of digital marketing explored in this context during The Summit included consumer audience creation, brand marketing, content development, omnichannel orchestration and personalization.
In the session, “AI, Privacy and the Future of DTC Marketing,” two of IQVIA’s data experts, Luk Arbuckle, Global AI Practice Leader, and David Reim, Audience Data Lead, discussed the intersection of direct-to-consumer healthcare marketing and AI. With real-world examples, they illustrated the potential for AI tools to enhance DTC audience creation and medical decision-making. In exploring risks and opportunities, they stressed the critical need for data privacy as AI tools are developed, and the imperatives for data transparency, governance, and security as AI capabilities are established.
Jerrad Rickard, Senior Director of Product and Strategy at IQVIA Digital, moderated the next session, “Transforming Healthcare Marketing with Generative AI.” Panelists included strong innovators in this space: Sopheara Peoples, Head of Oncology Digital Data and Tech at GSK, Bill Berry, General Manager of Life Sciences and Healthcare at Constellation and Avinash Prabhakar, Director of HCP Marketing Hematology at GSK. Sopheara highlighted AI’s dual nature as both a technology and a tool for marketers, and emphasized the need to keep the end goal in mind when applying AI to business problems. Panelists stressed the importance of strategic planning, data quality, and team collaboration in AI initiatives. They agreed leaders need to embrace AI, understanding that failure is inevitable but necessary for innovation.
The imperative for leaders to simplify complexity
The growing complexity of digital marketing was frequently recognized as a challenge for today’s healthcare marketers. In the session, “How Innovation is Shaping the Future of Digital Customer Engagement,” with Andrew Burkus, Senior Principal at IQVIA Digital, speakers agreed that leaders need to simplify complexity for their teams. Tim White, Chief Digital and Tech Officer at GSK, stressed the importance of maintaining clarity on business objectives as teams navigate obstacles to create best-in-class marketing. He said, “If you don't try to simplify…and get teams focused on exactly what needs to be done, then you will…not realize the dream you had originally.” Justin Freid, Chief Media and Innovation Officer at CMI Media Group, agreed, noting the new role of AI in these efforts. He said, “Simplification is key…AI is allowing marketers to [focus] on the core activities of generating campaigns and content…and the complexity is sit[ting] behind it.”
The importance of personalization science
Cristin Liberatore, Senior Director, Pharma Commercial Strategy at IQVIA Digital accompanied our expert panelists, Pfizer’s Kara Quinn, Director, HCP CRM Strategy Lead and Matteo Fochetta, Senior Marketing Manager, in the session “Achieving Real-World Success Through Omnichannel Orchestration.” They discussed the new capabilities that are driving more precise personalization, enabling marketers to connect with HCPs in the moments that matter and meet rising expectations for consumer-grade interactions. Kara emphasized the role of CRM in targeting and activating customers. Matteo discussed the importance of four adjectives — timely, relevant, connected and personalized — in the context of oncology marketing. By harnessing AI and data, brands can provide hyper-personalized experiences that build trust, improve patient outcomes and drive commercial success. Panelists wrapped up the session agreeing that cross-functional collaboration is key to maximizing omnichannel strategies.
The emergence of innovative advertising formats
Pharma marketing is reaching patients and HCPs with critical messaging through increasingly diverse platforms and channels. The final session of The Summit, “Captivating Innovation: Unleashing Emerging Ad Formats,” featured Alison Tapia, Former Senior Director at Dermavant Sciences, Jeremy Flynn, Senior Vice President of Data Products and Strategy at Clear Channel Outdoor and Lindsay King, Vice President, Programmatic at CMI Media Group. Panelists noted that traditional audio and video formats are being harnessed in innovative ways. Marketers can now utilize new forms like online gaming, digital billboards, and streaming audio. To succeed, marketers must employ a strategic mix of traditional and innovative approaches. Panelists agreed that it’s vital to engage early with internal legal partners to smooth the path for innovative new marketing campaigns.
This Summit demonstrated the power of coming together in a collaborative environment to share perspectives and exchange ideas on moving forward in a rapidly changing world. We were thrilled to share the stage with so many healthcare marketing leaders, industry experts and partners. Speakers and guests came away from this event stoked with fresh approaches to common challenges, ready to continue to innovate and move toward an exciting future.
Learn more about these topics and how we can help support your digital marketing goals. Contact us today.
