What 300 pharma campaigns reveal about omnichannel performance

Pharma marketers can connect with patients wherever they spend time online, yet determining which combinations of channels, timing, and investment are most likely to consistently drive impact remains a challenge. 

We evaluated nearly 300 pharma category campaigns and over 6,000 measurement data points from prominent pharma measurement providers, examining how media channel mix, campaign duration, and investment correlated with campaign performance. Our findings provide pharma marketers with a category-level framework for planning direct-to-consumer campaigns and working towards maximizing the potential of omnichannel activation. 

From campaign reporting to category-wide insights 

Measurement is increasingly focused on understanding the broader business impact of marketing activity, including prescription lift and patient engagement. The analysis adds another perspective. Rather than evaluating individual campaigns in isolation, it examines patterns across hundreds of activations to identify planning decisions that consistently correlate with stronger outcomes. 

Four variables demonstrated the strongest relationship with performance: 

• Number of channels activated 

• Channel mix 

• Time in market 

• Investment level 

While no single factor determines campaign success on its own, these variables consistently appeared among the strongest performing campaigns in the dataset. Together, they offer a useful framework for planning future direct-to-consumer pharma activations. 

Why omnichannel campaigns consistently outperform 

In the study, the number of media channels activated emerged as a clear differentiator. Campaigns running across at least two channels achieved audience-quality (AQ) improvements at twice the weekly rate of single-channel campaigns. AQ measures how effectively a pharma campaign reaches its intended audience, making it a useful indicator of media effectiveness on downstream outcomes (beyond reach alone) like: 

• Script lift 

• NBRx 

• Patient conversions 

The strongest improvements appeared among campaigns using five to six channels. 

These insights reinforce the value of planning across the broader patient media journey, where health-related messages often require repeated exposure and opportunities for audiences to encounter information in different contexts. 

Our analysis suggests a practical framework for doing so: 

• Minimum: Activate across at least two channels. 

• Optimal: Consider five to six channels when campaign objectives and investment support a broader mix. 

Building your channel strategy early can also help coordinate messaging, frequency, and measurement across the entire campaign rather than adding channels incrementally over time.

Why CTV and digital audio strengthen pharma activations 

Channel count alone does not tell the whole story. The analysis also identified CTV and audio as important contributors within high-performing pharma campaigns. 

Among the channels evaluated, CTV and audio consistently stood out as valuable complements to broader omnichannel strategies. Together, they can help you extend reach across different consumer moments, from premium streaming environments to screen-free listening experiences. The analysis showed that on average, CTV campaigns delivered 72% and audio delivered 8% higher audience quality than display and online video (OLV) campaigns.

For pharma brands communicating complex health information, these additional touchpoints can create: 

• More opportunities to build familiarity 

• Reinforce key messages 

• Reach audiences in multiple moments throughout their day 

As part of an omnichannel strategy, CTV and audio can complement messaging delivered through other channels while increasing opportunities for meaningful engagement. 

How to think about campaign duration and investment 

To generate impact, channel planning requires sufficient time and investment. Our analysis identified 30 days as the minimum recommended campaign flight, with campaigns running 30 days or longer demonstrating stronger performance patterns. 

This is particularly relevant within pharma where advertisers often communicate detailed information about health conditions, treatments, and patient outcomes. Building awareness and understanding frequently requires multiple exposures and sufficient time in market for messages to resonate. 

Investment showed a similar pattern. Campaigns with higher levels of support generally showed more consistent performance, reinforcing the importance of aligning budget, channel mix, and campaign duration rather than treating them as independent decisions. 

What this means for future planning 

Our findings suggest that media channel mix, campaign flight duration, and level of investment should be considered as interconnected planning decisions rather than independent variables. Campaigns that combined multiple channels with sufficient time in market and supporting investment were more likely to achieve stronger measured outcomes. 

For pharma marketers, these benchmarks can serve as practical guidelines when designing future direct-to-consumer campaigns: 

• Activate across at least two channels, with five to six associated with the strongest measured audience-quality improvements. 

• Incorporate CTV and digital audio as complementary channels within broader omnichannel campaigns. 

• Plan for campaigns to remain in market for at least 30 days. 

• Ensure investment is sufficient to support consistent omnichannel activation. 

As pharma media strategies evolve, benchmarks like these, combined with in-platform healthcare measurement capabilities, can help marketers make more informed decisions about where, how, and for how long to advertise. 

Ready to build stronger pharma campaigns with an omnichannel strategy informed by category-wide performance benchmarks? Contact The Trade Desk or reach out to your account manager today. 

This information is provided solely for background and is not a representation or guarantee of any future performance. Any timelines and information included are not guaranteed and are subject to change. 

<sub>Source: 
1. The Trade Desk Platform and IQVIA Data, N = 290 U.S. based campaigns, Jan 2025 — May 2026</sub>