Flow of marketing

Drug Store News recently caught up with Adflow Health Networks CEO Melvin Stein to talk about shopper marketing and consumer engagement near the backbench.

DSN: There is a lot of focus today on shopper marketing. How does Adflow Health Networks fit into this trend?

Melvin Stein: For the past 10 years, Adflow’s patented technology platform has powered more than 60 interactive and digital content management networks throughout North America in a variety of consumer-facing settings. We are a leader in digital out-of-home consumer engagement.

Adflow Health’s technology allows the retailer to enhance the shopper experience by connecting with consumers during health assessments at Adflow’s Personal Health Center. Incentive-based health care requires that individuals be more proactive with their health. The PHC enables a one-to-one relationship with the shopper and creates an important moment of truth for a brand because consumers are looking for guidance in managing their personal health. By providing targeted messaging and user-specific “Calls to Action” at the PHC, Adflow Health Networks delivers that support to the consumer and drives positive results for the retailer.

DSN: How does Adflow Health Networks provide a solution to consumer-driven healthcare decisions?

Stein: Consumer-driven healthcare decisions are all about access and engagement.   Our PHCs provide consumers with access to trusted healthcare content, providers and the ability to perform a wide range of [Food and Drug Administration]-approved screenings that facilitate an unprecedented level of engagement in self-managing their health care. Most importantly, our high-tech platform accelerates the use of care coordination solutions in settings that are part of everyday life — retail locations, worksites and high-traffic areas — bringing a new meaning to patient-centered convenience and care. 

DSN: What role does Adflow Health Networks provide in enabling disease management solutions?

Stein: By alerting consumers about health-coaching services available through their health insurance provider, inbound engagement is promoted and encouraged. This allows consumers who have chronic diseases to enter their preferred communication vehicle — mobile, Web or telephonic — right at the PHC, as well as the date and time they are best available. We are making it easy for consumers to get the assistance they need right at the point of decision and maximizing the benefits for which they are paying. An additional bonus for the consumer is the card reader at the PHC that links their self-monitoring event to coupons and incentive programs.

DSN: How do chain pharmacy retailers benefit from AHN?

Stein: Our digital PHC is designed to look like a health-and-wellness destination. Adflow Health’s patented technology allows for a one-to-one engagement with the consumer. The platform allows a retailer to manage and control the content or message down to the specific user at a specific location. This technology allows pharmacy retailers to speak to consumers in a manner that has not been available until now. Our Dynamic Messaging System empowers the retailer’s marketing/category management departments to efficiently and economically manage the marketing supply chain.

While engaged at the PHC, consumers are encouraged to consult with the pharmacist, can obtain coupons and prescription vouchers printed at the PHC, can be alerted to their eligibility for immunizations provided in the pharmacy and are introduced to other in-store programs, such as nutritional counseling, diabetic management programs and special promotions. The net benefits for the chain pharmacy are increased consumer visits and loyalty, enhanced customer experience, increased shopping basket and better compliance.

Incremental sales, pull-through data, even advertising, … on existing analog blood-pressure machines have demonstrated positive results for pharma brands, [consumer packaged goods] and [over-the-counter] products. AHN’s platform captures every consumer interaction while ensuring complete privacy and full HIPAA compliance. These unprecedented consumer analytics deliver clear and measurable marketing results to retailers, brands and all other stakeholders. We believe that targeted marketing delivered through Adflow’s Dynamic Messaging System, together with the coupons and vouchers printed at the PHC, will accelerate sales well over the analog data baseline.

In addition, every chain pharmacy is also a large employer, and our PHC provides their own employees with the personal health management access they need to help identify employees and dependents at risk early on, as well as to promote wellness and healthy lifestyles.

DSN: Can you provide some metrics regarding patient/shopper engagement with in-store biometric screening machines?

Stein: The industry statistics that exist today are based on analog blood-pressure machines. ... Experience with this status quo indicates that 140 million adult Americans use these machines annually. Imagine the potential of state-of-the-art digital biometric screening machines that are more attractive, engaging, intuitive, deliver more value to the consumer and include marketing that directs consumers to the free in-store biometric screenings. That’s exactly where we are with our Personal Health Centers. We have reached an inflection point in the personal health management market, and it is time for innovative technology to bring the consumer, caregivers, commerce and content together in convenient locations across the country.