Columbus, OH —I went to the movies the other day and I was greeted at the ticket counter to discover that I had my own assigned seat. As I sat down, a server asked if I would like anything to eat or drink. The luxury chairs were electronically controlled to recline as I sat back to enjoy the show.

Earlier that week I sat down to a popular, yet considerably average restaurant. I was greeted by my own personal concierge who asked me if they could change any of the channels on the television or if the temperature in the room felt ok.

This is a trend that we call “Luxury Service Down Market”, meaning we are getting unexpected value out of everyday life experiences. Battling a chronic disease is far from a luxurious experience, yet many companies are now looking at the “Pill+” model. This form of treatment goes beyond the pill and aims at the broader patient by providing healthy living tools and educational materials, many times in a digital format such as a website or an app. Many of these programs’ goals are to connect and educate the patient, providing additional value in addition to the drug in order for the patient to self-manage their care.

Digital resources are a great way to provide this informational material. Perhaps you provide a community support portal to cancer patients, or create an educational learning portal for dietary needs of Type 2 diabetics. This additional material for patients can lead to better outcomes, increased patient loyalty and provide useful tools to track their disease.

Posted By: Mike Martins

About the Author:

As Managing Director of Innovation and Insights for Syneos Health Communications, Leigh is responsible for building and scaling a global team of healthcare experts who together help life science leaders better understand the complex lives, influences and expectations of their customers. Specifically, they uncover actionable insights that fuel empathy and creativity; lead co-creation events that let marketers learn from peers, trends, and new possibilities; and help clients identify the most valuable and useful new customer experiences to create.

Leigh has worked with Fortune 1000 companies to craft their digital, mobile, social and CRM strategies for nearly 20 years.She’s worked for category-leading agencies in retail, public affairs, B2B technology, and higher education. Prior to moving to Syneos Health Communications, she held several leadership roles at our largest agency, GSW.  There, she founded an innovation practice fueled by the zeitgeist and spearheaded digital and innovation thinking across the business.

Leigh has taken a special interest in complex healthcare products that can change lives in meaningful ways. She was recently a strategic lead on the 3rd largest launch in pharmaceutical history: Tecfidera. Before that she had keys roles with Eli Lilly Oncology, Abbott Nutrition, Amgen Cardiovascular, and Eli Lilly Diabetes.

A critical part of Leigh’s work is trends and new ideas. Every year, she convenes a group of trend watchers from across our global network to identify the shifts most critical to healthcare marketers. This year, she led over 250 experts to experts to focus on the most important changes in the commercial, consumer, marketing, digital and healthcare landscapes. (See reports at trends.health)

Leigh is a sought-after writer and speaker. Recognized as one of the most inspiring people in the pharmaceutical industry by PharmaVoice and Top 10 Innovation Catalysts of 2017 by MM&M, Leigh also was recognized  as a Rising Star by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) for her overt passion, industry thought leadership and significant contributions in new business, strategy and mentoring.