There is a confluence of events happening this month that give us a great opportunity to spotlight one of the most complex and fascinating markets you can find anywhere: healthcare and life sciences (HLS for short).

HLS includes all the industries that relate to caring for the health of individuals, so think of hospitals, health insurance plans, pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations, biomedical device manufacturers and the like. In this market, a “customer” could be a “patient” or a “member,” or customers could just as easily be employers, trade unions or other groups that purchase group plans on behalf of their own employees or members.

On top of that, HLS companies operate in a web of different regulations at the federal, state and sometimes county/municipal levels that perform functions such as protecting patient privacy, establishing quality standards, or even defining the funding for certain treatments or procedures. Of course, the complexity grows for any entity operating across borders, which might include similar national/state/local regulations, or even regional entities, such as the European Union.

You might ask - what happens to marketing with all that going on? At the risk of sounding biased, marketing can make a difference in enabling companies to flourish and fulfill their corporate missions, which all seem to include the word “patient,” “care” or some variation on the theme of “customer.” Look for more posts coming soon, where I will highlight:

• The content planned for a May 4 Webinar produced by AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans) for SAS, titled: "Manage the Challenges of Healthcare Reform with Advanced Customer Intelligence and Engagement Strategies"
• The 8th Annual SAS Healthcare & Life Sciences Executive Conference, in Cary, NC on May 11-12, featuring speakers such as Sen. Tom Daschle and an entire track of content focused on Consumer-Centric Health Analytics.
• What’s in store for a May 19 Webinar produced by PharmExec magazine for SAS, titled: “Customer Intimacy – the Pharma Challenge,” highlighting how delivering relevancy, driving engagement and creating relationships through deeper customer intimacy makes a difference.

Until then – be well and let me know what you think. Also, for an engaging illustration of just how complex the HLS market is, check out this post by my colleague, Sarah Rittman, titled “Managing the Unmanageable”