What’s the first thing you do when you feel the symptoms of some kind of health concern coming on?
Most chances, you grab your phone and start looking for reliable information that meets your particular need. Simply put: You seek out a personalized health solution. And you’re not alone. An analysis conducted for Bayer found over 80% of consumers globally already demand greater healthcare personalization.
Self-care today goes far beyond traditional products like pills or creams. Digital technology is accelerating self-care, allowing consumers to access relevant and personalized, science-based information more easily, while delivering that information with greater compassion. That’s why Bayer has leveraged advanced technologies like AI, a key part of its drive to create even more personalized solutions.
Today, the use of AI is accelerating business across all the company’s operational areas, including innovation, production, marketing, and sales. This data- and technology-driven evolution has resulted in stronger engagement with consumers and healthcare professionals, and has energized marketing campaigns to draw even more consumers to Bayer brands.
This digital transformation could not be timelier. Rising healthcare costs, changing demographics, and increasing health awareness are driving consumers to focus on self-care, prevention and convenience. For the Consumer Health division of Bayer, we’re responding as we have throughout the company’s 160-year history with innovation that is science-based, safe and sustainable to serve our mission “Health for all, hunger for none.”
Partnerships re-shaping the future of self-care
Using science to improve everyday health for everyone is an ambitious goal, and we can’t do it alone. We bring in the most innovative and driven partners to double our impact and create solutions faster.
Working with health tech leader HUMA, we developed the Bayer Aspirin Heart Risk Assessment, an online tool that gives consumers a highly accurate personal risk assessment of developing cardiovascular disease without blood tests or physical examination. The 10-minute assessment looks at an individual’s risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years.
Using search information, Bayer is working with Google to predict cold and flu trends. These data-driven marketing triggers can help ensure that people showing symptoms get access to reliable information. As Leonie Ameringer, global client lead director at Google, explained, “Together, Consumer Health’s Division of Bayer and Google have an opportunity to use technology and insights to address health priorities and help people make informed decisions to improve their everyday lives.”
This kind of predictive analysis is important for the future of health care. That’s why we have also piloted projects with partner Ada Health to embed its AI-based symptom assessment into several brands’s websites to help customers better understand their symptoms and how they could be treated.
Beyond marketing
Internally, AI is revolutionizing how Bayer approaches a wide range of processes and functions. In marketing, generative AI is increasing efficiency in production that fuels our integrated full-funnel marketing strategy to create a more personalized experience, build brand affinity and drive trial.
For sales, AI is enabling us to transform doctor and pharmacist engagement. Working with Salesforce, Bayer is using data-powered sales to create highly personalized digital touchpoints that build stronger relationships with these healthcare practitioners. The goal: use the personalized content to lead to recommendations for Bayer brands.
Bayer is also turning to advanced technology to create a resilient end-to-end product supply system with accurate forecasting by AI and machine learning. Effective output in a smart factory can save tens of thousands of production hours and help us serve our customers better and faster.
Across the Consumer Health division, our teams are continually upskilling their digital capability. That’s necessary to run this transformational journey and keep responding to growing needs with accessible, inclusive, scientific self-care brands and personalized solutions to empower consumers to improve their everyday health.
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Patricia Corsi joined Bayer as global chief marketing and digital officer in 2019 and recently was named IT officer for the Consumer Health division. With over 20 years of experience in CPG, she is also a non-executive director of Tate and Lyle.
