At AdLab 2025, the opening panel set the tone for a year defined by acceleration and reinvention in healthcare marketing. Moderated by Kinara Co-Editor Larry Dobrow, the discussion featured four senior leaders whose organizations sit at the center of this transformation: Melissa Gordon-Ring, Global President of IPG Mediabrands Health; Matt McNally, Global CEO of Publicis Health; Mark Pappas, EVP of Innovation at CMI Media Group; and Chris Paquette, Founder and CEO of DeepIntent. 

The conversation unpacked how forces like AI, data integration, regulatory pressure, and evolving patient and provider expectations are forcing a fundamental shift in how healthcare brands engage the market. These are the seven most important takeaways.

For years, marketers have looked forward to a time when data, technology, and media would come together into more unified solutions. According to our panelists, that moment is here, but it comes with challenges.

“We’re starting to see convergence between different technologies—audience data, measurement platforms, campaign tools—all coming together into real systems,” said Chris Paquette. What once lived in disconnected channels is now being fused into comprehensive, interoperable workflows.

Matt McNally emphasized that this shift is partly incited by executive-level pressure. “When we talk to the C-suite at pharma, they’re asking: How do we accelerate faster? How do we integrate marketing, market access, and medical affairs to move more cohesively?” The push is no longer just for optimization but also for structural realignment.

This impacts team structures. McNally described a move toward training “cross-athletes”—marketers who can operate across media, technology, and strategy rather than within narrow specializations.

Traditional approaches to DTC and HCP marketing are no longer fit for purpose. Panelists unanimously felt that the old frameworks—especially those built around broadcast TV and one-size-fits-all messaging—have outlived their utility.

“I think the playbook’s been torn up and thrown out,” said Mark Pappas. McNally added, “There used to be [a playbook] five or six years ago. You’d just replace a few slides and rerun the campaign. That doesn’t work today.”

Instead, brands are embracing dynamic, data-informed approaches that can flex across audiences, platforms, and patient populations. This shift is especially important as treatment pipelines diversify. Many new launches target rare or chronic conditions, requiring tailored messaging for small, complex patient populations. The ability to adapt—fast—is now table stakes. 

While AI and personalization are unlocking new capabilities, panelists urged caution in applying them too aggressively, especially in moments when patients are vulnerable or newly diagnosed.

“Just because we can doesn’t mean we should,” said McNally. “Hyper-personalization can backfire if it feels invasive or poorly timed.”

Gordon-Ring called for “human-in-the-loop” models, where automation is paired with human oversight to maintain ethical and emotional sensitivity. She stressed the need to “build in pause points” to assess whether content is appropriate for—and empathetic toward—a given moment in a patient’s journey. This represents a human-centered approach to personalization, blending behavioral data with emotional intelligence.

One of the panel’s more tactical insights was about the need to reunite creative and media strategy, two functions that are often separated within pharma organizations and agencies.

As McNally shared, a media team may come in with 100 audience segments, and the creative team says, “We’re not scoped for 100 pieces of creative.” That disconnect can kill personalization at scale. 

With targeting growing only more precise, creative must evolve in tandem. Panelists discussed approaches like modular content, atomic design, and AI-assisted production as ways to create more flexible, responsive assets. As Mark Pappas said, “The amount of data sources that are out there and how targeted and efficient we can get now is just mind-blowing to me.”

The panel argued that marketers must reimagine how they engage providers—who they target, what they say, and how they deliver the message. Gordon-Ring noted that “the face of HCPs is becoming a lot more female and a lot more diverse.” “It’s more female, more diverse, and more digital-native… So, it’s not even just about the media selection. It’s about how we help guide our patients to find people who they will feel more comfortable with? Because the messaging is one piece, but it’s also about that engagement. It’s that level of comfort.”

Paquette noted that nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants are now writing more prescriptions than doctors. “It’s going to be exciting to see how we adapt a target list targeting, say, oncologists, to include the nurses and other providers working in that office.”

Marketing teams aren’t just adapting their strategies. They’re rebuilding their internal operations to survive in this new environment. The panel discussed how, alongside tools and tactics, talent, culture, and workflow must evolve.

McNally said, “We’re under pressure to deliver financial performance, similar to our clients. So, what keeps me up at night is talent: what is the new operating model and financial model in the current era?”

Gordon-Ring emphasized culture as a key enabler, noting the importance of teaching teams to listen, to empathize, and to raise their hands when something feels off. That culture of openness is what allows organizations to navigate change.

Paquette asked, “How do you make a bridge between technical literacy and knowing healthcare and knowing marketing?” Agencies and vendors are investing heavily in training, development, and knowledge-sharing. DeepIntent has built a centralized learning center to upskill both internal teams and external partners.

The role of data in healthcare marketing has shifted. It’s no longer a layer on top of campaigns—it’s the infrastructure that powers the entire system.

Data informs everything from targeting and creative strategy to optimization and measurement. New data types—like real-time epidemiological data, social signals, and EHR integrations—are enabling more timely, relevant interventions.

Pappas shared a striking example: monitoring wastewater to detect spikes in viral load at the ZIP code level and adjusting media bids accordingly. “It’s a little Black Mirror-esque,” he said, but it “feeds into programmatic and search campaigns and makes them that much more targeted.” 

Chris Paquette emphasized that this shift is also enabling more sophisticated forms of empathy. Combined with speed and personalization, these are “all going to accumulate into a really, really strong offering that’s going to help elevate everybody.”

The insights from AdLab 2025’s opening panel make it clear that, as healthcare marketing evolves rapidly, success will belong to those who can adapt quickly, integrate thoughtfully, and lead with empathy. The convergence of data, technology, and human-centered strategy isn’t just reshaping campaigns—it’s redefining the entire operating model. Marketers who embrace this complexity with agility and intention will be the ones best positioned to drive better engagement and improved health outcomes. 

Curious for more AdLab 2025 insights? Click here.