GSW Releases 2017 Pharma, Health And Wellness Trends Forecast

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GSW, one of the largest health and wellness advertising agencies in the world and part of inVentiv Health Communications, today released its annual trends reports series. The series, featuring four reports, can be found on http://gsw-w.com/2017Trends/ and identifies emerging trends to help marketing professionals and their brand managers understand how consumer expectations are changing. They provide context around the technologies, first movers and ROI models that are inspiring these game-changing shifts.

This is the sixth year that GSW is issuing its annual trends series, which is read by thousands of healthcare and marketing executives. The reports are fueled by clues, examples, stories and big ideas collected by more than 70 trend watchers from around the world. 

"Understanding trends helps brands create new experiences in the moments before their customers realize they need them – and months and years before their competitors catch on to the same thing," said GSW Vice President of Innovation Jeff Giermek. "Trends are really changing expectations. They're when what we can do – because of shifts in technology, services, or connections –- becomes what we expect to do."

The 2017 trends series includes 55 trends in all, and four reports including consumer, digital, communications and healthcare trends. Highlights include:

• Get Involved: The shift to outcomes-based metrics will finally put the spotlight on the member of the healthcare team most able to drive persistency and commitment: the patient.
• Empathy Experiences: In 2017, brands will go even deeper into the lives of their customers, bringing back investments in ethnography, exploration and experiential research.
• Dr. Batman and AI Robin: In 2017, we'll be watching new collaborations between humans and machines that let doctors rely on the information in computers and invest their time and growth in engaging patients in new ways.
• Still Don't Get It: Health literacy will be back in the spotlight. Look for a drive for simplicity in communications and a groundswell of conversation about how to decode healthcare.
• Treat Myself: In the U.S., rising deductibles and cost-shifting strategies have left many consumers wondering how to pay for needed healthcare. Their response: work arounds. The new algorithm for care for many will start with homeopathy + home care + hope.
• Push It: We're living in an era of mindless sharing where people form a near-instant opinion based on just a headline or summary. In 2017, look for more publishers, institutions and brands to take advantage of this new way news is circulated.
• Lumps and Bumps: 2017 will be a year of brutal honesty for the selfie – and so much other social sharing. The new point of pride will be a #nofilter life as a growing expectation for openness and honesty sweeps the social web.

"Trends help us create experiences that beat channel benchmarks, raise expectations and ultimately help us meet the metric that matters most – engaging more people in critical conversations about the changing possibilities of healthcare," added Leigh Householder, Managing Director of Innovation at inVentiv Health Communications.

About GSW
GSW is a full-service healthcare communications agency that goes beyond advertising to create personalized brand experiences that involve, inspire, educate and activate people through ongoing brand journeys. Building partnerships with pharmaceutical, biotech and health-and-wellness clients in 18 major markets around the world, GSW creates marketing solutions through a comprehensive and wide array of services.

Integration with public relations and medical communications agencies at inVentiv Health drives complete communications solutions that build corporate and brand value and deliver on the bottom line.

About inVentiv Health Communications
inVentiv Health Communications is a purpose-built collective of agencies across advertising, digital, public relations, medical communications, research, market access and clinical trial recruitment with deep expertise in engaging people and professionals. With a unique lens from clinical development through commercialization, our specialists understand the human side of healthcare and think and deliver as one integrated team. We have the data, insights, creativity and knowledge to create exceptional global, multichannel communications for organizations focused on health and wellness. Together, we are the connected healthcare engagement partner driving a new era of more measureable and innovative marketing. inVentiv Health Communications is powered by inVentiv Health, a global professional services organization designed to help the biopharmaceutical industry accelerate the delivery of much-needed therapies to market.

Contact:
Elizabeth Stelzer
GSW
+1 614 315 8769
[email protected]

SOURCE GSW