How AbbVie delivers exceptional patient experiences

AbbVie was founded in 2013 as a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and delivering innovative new medicines with distinct and compelling benefits for people. Today, AbbVie medicines help approximately 52 million people living in more than 175 countries, and AbbVie is making significant advancements with a robust pipeline of potential new medicines.

A platform for agile development

AbbVie has invested in digital transformation since day one, building a best-in-class technology ecosystem that is ready to meet the demands of the business. But with multiple new product launches each year, digital transformation wasn’t a one-and-done project for AbbVie — it’s been an ongoing commitment.

AbbVie uses an integrated, multichannel marketing communications strategy to engage with healthcare providers via email, web, mobile and more. The company has launched 50 new customer experiences for its brands — each with their own individual site — within the past two years.

What made it possible was the right mix of people, technology, and processes, says Joe George, head of the marketing technology center of excellence at AbbVie. “We leveraged Adobe platforms and solutions to implement major strides in DevOps and test automation. This has in turn allowed us to roll out several campaigns and web experiences over the past year, and quickly adapt to the challenges caused by COVID-19.”

The recent global pandemic has necessitated even more reliance on the technology platform, as decision-making needs to occur faster than ever before. Sites need to be adjusted with near-daily information updates, and healthcare providers and patients require up-to-date information and communication.

Personalization through data management

Exceptional customer experiences also hinge on personalization, empowered by insight and data.

George’s marketing technology team used a data management platform to unify disparate data sources and create a more robust profile that enables personalized experiences. “With marketing technology solutions like Experience Manager, Target, Audience Manager and Analytics, we are enabling an omnichannel customer-centric experience for key stakeholders,” he says. “We are taking all the tools, systems, feature sets and capabilities available and leveraging them to meet customers’ needs.”

A foundation for new digital capabilities

AbbVie has built a marketing technology foundation that decouples new product launches from IT digital technology release cycles. At the same time, it enables the incremental development of new experiences and capabilities to enhance the customer experience.

“We have created a bedrock foundation for experience delivery that we can build upon now and into the future,” George says. “We can anticipate demands, look at where the industry is moving, and constantly adapt. The time we take to deliver experiences has been slashed and new functions such as user-generated content, digital enrollment forms, and telehealth can easily be built on top of our existing digital foundation.”