For Genentech, a biotech pioneer at the intersection of science and storytelling, success in media campaigns goes far beyond impressions or clicks.
“Success for us is the incremental revenue and ROI that we can drive with TV ads for the brand,” said Gozde Dinc, director of media, strategic partnerships and innovation in digital marketing at Genentech. “As well as the impact that we create on patients’ lives.”
Speaking with Beet.TV Editorial Director Lisa Granatstein, Dinc said media effectiveness in healthcare must always be tied to patient outcomes. The dual focus on brand performance and real-world health improvement guides how Genentech evaluates its media strategies.
Accounting for longer patient journeys
Unlike consumer categories where conversions can happen in minutes or days, healthcare decisions take time.
“In healthcare, the journey from ad exposure all the way to prescription can take much longer than my Broadway example,” Dinc explained, referencing how immediate audience responses in entertainment campaigns contrast sharply with healthcare’s extended timelines.
Because of this delay, Genentech tracks “signals along the way,” that is, key behavioral and attitudinal indicators that suggest an ad’s effectiveness even before prescriptions are filled.
Using behavioral signals to gauge effectiveness
Understanding what happens after exposure is critical, Dinc said: “You have to look into some of the signals along the way, such as what people do after they get exposed to the ad and where your brand awareness is at along the way too.”
These mid-funnel signals such as online searches, website visits or physician discussions help paint a fuller picture of ad performance in a regulated and data-sensitive industry.
By focusing on measurable impact while maintaining patient empathy, Dinc said, Genentech continues to refine how innovation in media can ultimately translate into meaningful health outcomes.
You’re watching “Omnichannel Starts with TV: The Evolving Role of TV in Healthcare Marketing”, a Beet.TV Leadership Series, presented by Swoop. For more videos from this series, please visit this page.
