Healthcare

Introduction

Programmatic advertising is the automated method of buying and selling digital inventory. Deals are made in real-time based on data and algorithms, allowing us to reach highly targeted audiences across channels like display, full-episodic player, and connected TV. In the digital age of knowledge, patients demand more control over their healthcare, and programmatic can bridge that gap from healthcare provider to patient. Given the advanced targeting capabilities through programmatic, it’s never been easier to reach your target audience; however, privacy regulations like HIPAA present challenges in creating the perfect campaign. At The Moran Group, we can help you navigate these restrictions and leverage precise targeting to create effective campaigns.

Why Programmatic is a Game-Changer for Healthcare Marketing

Precision targeting is a stand-out benefit of programmatic advertising. Not only can we create audiences to target based on standard demographic information, but we have partnered with many HIPAA-compliant data providers to create custom audiences based on your goals. Whether you are looking to gain more cardiology patients or perform more orthopedic procedures, we have the means to safely reach those prospective patients.

Programmatic is also a master of machine learning. By reviewing performance and engagement metrics, the AI interface of programmatic can make campaign adjustments in real time. This means an overall improvement in campaign performance, and specialists have more time to create long-term strategies to meet your goals. This automation also creates cost savings for you as the ad is optimized to reach the right audience, at the right time, with the right message.

Real-World Applications of Programmatic in Healthcare

Programmatic is the perfect solution for a full-funnel approach for major announcements. We have a healthcare client who recently cemented a national partnership and wanted to get the word out. We recommended audio, video, and display tactics to reach as many people as possible.

Audio is a tactic that allows us to reach an actively engaged audience while they are streaming their favorite podcast or artist. We have curated deals with platforms such as Spotify, iHeart, and Pandora, giving us access to premium content without long-term contracts or premium CPMs.

Now, let’s take a look at programmatic video. Think of it as traditional TV's tech-savvy younger sibling. Rather than submitting buys through traditional avails, we can keep all of our targeting parameters in place and let the automation do its work of finding the right people and during the right programs to play our videos. Connected TV is seeing exponential growth, and streaming services are adding more tiered packages. Even better, we are seeing many users opting for the commercial-enabled streaming tiers to save money. Overlooking programmatic video because of the thought that television is expensive is a mistake when it comes to engaging patients on their own terms.

The last tactic we have to review in this campaign is Display. Programmatic Display is a wonderful tool to use to create meaningful engagement. These display ads can appear across national and local news sites, entertainment sites, and even on custom site lists to align contextually with your campaign—the placements are truly endless. What is the best tip when it comes to running a successful display campaign? Make sure your ads reflect your target audience, and this is true for all tactics. Also, HTML5 and GIFs, or display ads that feature movement, are more eye-catching and result in better engagement than static images.

The result of these efforts? An outpouring of support and excitement from the community regarding this partnership. Many patients were excited they no longer had to travel 6+ hours to receive life-saving treatment, and the response had an extremely positive impact on their brand.

Navigating Compliance and Ethical Challenges

Above all else, maintaining patient privacy and HIPAA compliance is of utmost importance. With all this talk of highly targeted audience curation, how can we honor privacy regulations as well? It’s all about the partners we choose to work with. Our partners are certified HIPAA-compliant and offer some of the most robust protections to keep personally identifiable information anonymous.

Privacy concerns in healthcare marketing have also led to some reliance on dated vanity metrics, such as CTR, but in 2025 we are changing that. We now have a relationship with a HIPAA-compliant conversion tracking partner. This partnership allows us the transparency to see how effective we are by attributing website form fills to our campaigns. If this piques your interest and you’re ready to start presenting meaningful campaign reports to your VPs, contact us to schedule a call.

Future Trends in Programmatic Healthcare Marketing

The future of healthcare marketing will likely involve predictive health insights directed by artificial intelligence, where AI anticipates health trends within specific demographics and helps tailor marketing efforts accordingly. One of the biggest drivers of this real-time refinement is the integration of wearable health data, such as Apple Watches, into AI-driven programmatic campaign optimization.

Another trend we expect to see growth in is CTV for healthcare marketing. Through AI and machine learning, this tactic is set to become smarter, more interactive, and hyper-personalized. CTV excels at reaching engaged audiences in long-form, high-quality content environments, making it a game-changer for healthcare brands looking to drive awareness, education, and ultimately, conversions.

Healthcare marketing in programmatic advertising is expanding beyond traditional digital channels and reshaping how healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and digital health companies connect with patients. This expansion is being driven by AI, automation, and the growing demand for data-driven, personalized patient engagement and will define the next decade of programmatic marketing for the healthcare industry.

As with most things in emerging trends, if you’re not ahead, you’re behind. Don’t fall behind when it comes to these exciting opportunities to reach your patient populations in real-time, where they are, and when they need to hear your message. Connect with us at The Moran Group to see how we can help take your healthcare marketing to the next level.

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