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Pharma's business model is in the midst of seismic shift. Everyone I talk to up and down the East Coast has the consumer on their minds. Whereas yesterday's industry focus was the health care provider, the payer and other intermediaries, the customer of tomorrow is the patient and the ecosystem surrounding the patient: caregivers, influencers, etc.
This is a massive cultural shift for our industry. Yes, we've been doing DTC advertising for years. Yes, we've been 'targeting' patients and caregivers in other ways for years. Companies in the rare diseases space understand this better than anyone.
Several factors are accelerating this shift at the present time. First of all is that patients are more informed about and influential when it comes to driving their own health care choices. Grant rates - the % of situations where an HCP will write for what the patient requests - are higher than ever. HCPs are busy, burned out, and increasingly embracing shared decision-making processes across the board. Patients are more informed than ever, especially as Dr. Google gives way to Dr. ChatGPT.
Secondly, urgency to contain costs is being driven heavily by the current Administration, contributing as well to explosion in DTC engagement and distribution initiatives. If you read the headlines, you'll notice that virtually all of the major pharma companies have developed or announced their intent to develop DTC platforms, with Pfizer and Lilly being leaders in this regard.
One of things I've been trying to do in my writings is to identify best-of-breed examples outside of pharma, examples for pharma to emulate as it drives towards building brands and experiences that patients actually want to engage. I would argue that pharma cannot succeed in this new landscape by focusing only on functional attributes, like convenience and efficiency.
I've talked previously about BMW, Rolex, McDonalds...even Black Rifle Coffee. I've encouraged everyone to read Will Guidara's Unreasonable Hospitality. And today I would like to bring the icon of American style, Ralph Lauren, into the conversation.
This realization came into sharper focus for me just this past weekend. My wife and I joined our dear friends, Amy West and her husband Reaves, for a Broadway evening in New York City. We saw The Great Gatsby and followed it with dinner at Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bar, located on 55th St. in Midtown.
Prior to this weekend, I under-appreciated just how difficult it is to secure a reservation at the Polo Bar. When I shared the news that we'd be going to the Polo Bar, friends and colleagues lit up, many telling me -- sometimes wistfully -- how much they longed to go. "How did we get a reservation," was asked more than once. I would point to my wife.
And once we were inside on Saturday evening, I understood the mystique.
The Polo Bar isn’t simply a restaurant. It’s a bespoke, immersive brand experience. From the framed equestrian portraits to the warm saddle-leather banquettes, every detail has been carefully curated to reflect Ralph Lauren’s timeless, aspirational ethos. For me, it was also personal: I’ve been wearing Ralph Lauren since my mother bought me my first blazer at 13 for my Bar Mitzvah. My entire closet is probably 75% RL.
But sentiment aside, the night left me wondering -- what lessons can I bring back to the conference rooms of pharma from a master brand-builder like Ralph Lauren?
If Ralph Lauren were in one of our brand meetings, what is the first thing he might say? I would imagine that he's say that he never sold only clothing. He's not a fashion designer in the traditional sense. He broke the mold because he sells aspiration: an imagined lifestyle of elegance, belonging, and timelessness. His boutiques, home collections, and restaurants are all part of a carefully designed ecosystem, each reinforcing the same vision.
This is where pharma often falls short. We are experts in delivering function -- therapies that work supported by data, programs, etc. But patients don’t dream of “taking a pill” or “injecting a biologic.” They dream of getting back to milestones, celebrations, careers, capabilities, and family moments that illness once took away. One thing I would imagine that Mr. Lauren would advise, similarly, is that our industry effectively - or more effectively - help patients (and their families, caregivers, etc.) envision their future selves. Not just healthier, but freer, more confident, more able to participate fully in the life they aspire to.
1. Create Warmth and Belonging: The Polo Bar makes guests feel instantly welcomed into something larger than themselves. For pharma, that means designing DTC portals, patient apps, and support programs that reduce friction and build reassurance. Navigation should feel as intuitive and curated as a favorite boutique, not as overwhelming as a claims form. Even further than that, is it possible to project the level of effort, the small details, that went into elevating a patient's experience - like you feel when you're in an RL boutique?
2. Crafting a Consistent "World" Across Touchpoints: Lauren’s brand DNA is evident whether you’re buying a polo shirt, walking into a boutique, or dining at his restaurant. Even in airports where he has a boutique you're instantly in his world of preppy, collegiate style. In contrast, pharma often delivers disjointed experiences -- one voice from sales reps, another from call centers, another from websites. In the consumer era, consistency isn’t optional. It’s the bedrock of trust.
3. Elevate Beyond Function Ralph Lauren transformed clothing into aspiration. Pharma must transform treatment into possibility. A DTC platform should show patients not just refill options but stories, imagery, and tools that help them imagine what’s possible when their condition is under control.
4. Prioritize Inclusivity Over Exclusivity Exclusivity fuels Ralph Lauren’s brand mystique. Pharma’s power, by contrast, lies in inclusivity. Experiences must be accessible to all, regardless of background or means. Aspiration in healthcare should never be about who gets in -- it should be about making every patient feel seen, supported, and valued.
Pharma is moving into a world where consumer engagement is central to competitive advantage. Direct-to-consumer distribution is not just about convenience, efficiency and cost-effectiveness -- it’s about building trust, equity, and loyalty with patients who now expect to be treated as full participants in their care.
Ralph Lauren shows us that brands thrive when they extend beyond products into experiences that resonate emotionally. The question for pharma is whether we will rise to this moment. Can we create DTC platforms that patients don’t just tolerate, but embrace? Can we build not just therapies, but an ecosystem of care that feels as thoughtfully - dare I say elegantly - designed as the Polo Bar?
The opportunity is here. The mandate is clear. And if we succeed, pharma’s future won’t only be defined by the medicines we make, but by the meaningful journeys we create for the people we serve.
