Words by Isabel O’Brien
As the pharmaceutical industry marks World Health Day, VML’s new Health Futures report calls for a strategic overhaul in how pharma engages with patients and healthcare professionals. The analysis emphasises navigating a landscape defined by eroding trust and heightened expectations.
Drawing from VML’s Future 100: 2025 trends forecast, the Health Futures report highlights cultural shifts impacting health behaviours and their implications for pharma. A central theme is the “Brand Paradox”, which involves balancing impactful storytelling with transparency and demonstrable efficacy to build trust and credibility.
Jason Gloye, Chief Client Officer and NA Lead, VML Health, notes: “In a landscape where healthcare decisions are increasingly discretionary, the industry must move away from a volume-driven mindset toward a more intentional, outcome-based narrative. Positioning treatments not as more healthcare, but as the right healthcare, at the right moment, for the right reasons, is essential for building trust.”
The report pinpoints five macro trends that necessitate new strategies for education, access and engagement: selective healthcare, reality-shifting digital environments, the analogue movement, the need for hybrid expertise and the brand paradox. In light of the statistic that only 13% of consumers strongly believe that brands provide accurate information, pharma must combat misinformation while maintaining emotional resonance.
Gloye adds, “Our analysis highlights some of the challenges presented to the health sector by broader global trends,” noting that the risk of being forgettable is as significant as being untrustworthy.
To navigate this complex landscape, the report recommends integrating AI with human insight to inform strategic decisions. It also underlines the importance of real-world experiences and partnerships with those who genuinely embody healthy lifestyles. Read the full findings here.
