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As a market researcher in the biomedical / health care space, my team and I spend much of our time analyzing how key stakeholders—health care providers (HCPs), patients, caregivers, payers, and administrators—engage with information. Recently, I’ve noticed a troubling trend, not just in our research but in my own life: an increasing indifference to the very things designed to capture attention.
Take entertainment, for example. I often sit down, intent to find something new to watch, only to scroll endlessly through an overwhelming selection of movies, shows, and documentaries. Despite the vast options, nothing seems compelling. I hesitate, read descriptions, watch trailers—then, more often than not, give up. It’s not that the content is bad; it all just feels the same. My brain, overloaded before I even start, disengages.
Does this happen to you too?
During a recent conversation with an executive at a health care ad agency, I jokingly referred to this phenomenon as Generalized Indifference Disorder (GID)—a term that feels particularly relevant in the pharmaceutical industry, where effective communication can mean the difference between critical engagement and complete disregard.
Every day, HCPs, patients, and other stakeholders are inundated with drug ads, medical news, clinical updates, EHR prompts, and practice-related guidance. The sheer volume of information leads to a predictable outcome: the brain filters out the noise. Unfortunately, this filter isn’t perfect. It doesn’t just block redundant or irrelevant messages; it can also mute critical information—new treatment options, emerging clinical data, or patient support programs that could improve care.
This creates a major challenge for pharmaceutical marketers and their agency partners. If HCPs tune out before engaging, and patients dismiss a new treatment as just another ad, how can pharmaceutical companies ensure their innovations reach the people who need them most? The answer isn’t more messaging—it’s better messaging. In the sections ahead, we’ll explore how marketing research, behavioral science, and strategic communication can break through the indifference, creating engagement that is both immediate and lasting.
In an age of infinite digital content, perpetual advertising, and endless choices, our brains have adapted—but not always in ways that serve us.
At the heart of this adaptation is attentional filtering. The brain, particularly the prefrontal cortex, allocates attention and prioritizes information. However, it isn’t designed to process unlimited inputs at once. When overloaded—whether by ads, social media, or an endless stream of streaming options—the brain’s reticular activating system (RAS), which filters sensory input, shifts into overdrive. Instead of deeply processing messages, the brain categorizes vast amounts of information as background noise, ignoring anything that doesn’t immediately register as new, urgent, or personally relevant.
This ties closely to habituation—the tendency to tune out repeated stimuli. Previously, encountering a groundbreaking medical innovation or a compelling new program on TV would light up the brain’s reward system, releasing dopamine. But today, over-saturation dulls this response. Functional MRI (fMRI) studies show that when people are repeatedly exposed to similar marketing messages, activity in the ventral striatum (a key area for reward processing) declines. When everything feels the same, nothing stands out.
Cognitive load theory further explains why we disengage. Our working memory—the brain’s temporary storage for processing information—is limited. When bombarded with advertising, purchase options, or, among HCPs, medical news updates, etc., cognitive bandwidth becomes strained. Instead of thoughtful engagement, we experience decision fatigue, leading to avoidance, passive disengagement, or over-reliance on mental shortcuts (habits, heuristics, etc.). For HCPs, whose profession requires that they must constantly process new data and treatment considerations, this is particularly problematic. Likewise, patients and their caregivers overwhelmed by conflicting health information may struggle to act on critical details.
In a world where attention is fragmented and fleeting, the challenge isn’t just making information available—it’s ensuring it’s perceived as relevant, retained in a meaningful way, and acted upon accordingly.
Despite my growing disengagement from media, one recent exception caught my attention: The Night Agent on Netflix. Unlike the countless shows I had scrolled past, this one hooked me immediately. I’ve reflected on why—what made The Night Agent different from the hundreds... thousands...of other options?
The first episode wasted no time. It delivered high-pressure intrigue right away. It didn’t assume I’d stick around for a slow build—it earned my attention from the first scene. The stakes were clear, the urgency was real, and the protagonists and their relationship were immediately compelling. This combination—rapid engagement, emotional investment, and a sense of urgency—successfully overcame my apathy.
Neuroscience backs this up. The amygdala, responsible for processing emotions and detecting threats, is highly attuned to urgency. When something signals importance—whether real or perceived—it triggers dopamine release, heightening focus and engagement. Studies on attention show that people retain information better when it’s tied to strong emotions, particularly suspense, novelty, or personal relevance.
This same principle applies to health care communication. If a message is framed with immediacy, personal relevance, and emotional weight, it has a significantly higher chance of breaking through cognitive barriers.
Another factor is pattern interruption—a psychological phenomenon where disrupting expectations forces the brain to pay attention. The Night Agent avoided the slow burn typical of many thrillers and instead delivered an instantaneous jolt of intrigue, breaking my passive consumption cycle. In health care, the same applies: if an HCP or patient sees yet another pharma ad, their brain filters it out—unless something disrupts the expected pattern. This could be a counterintuitive insight, an unexpected data visualization, or a provocative question. The goal isn’t just to inform but to demand attention.
Overcoming GID requires a shift in how pharmaceutical messaging is structured, delivered, and reinforced. Traditional strategies—frequency, repetition, wide audience reach—are less likely to work. Instead, brands must leverage a disruptive engagement framework that combines novelty, cognitive pattern interruption, and emotionally resonant storytelling.
This isn’t just about messaging—it’s about creating an experience that forces HCPs, patients, and other stakeholders to stop, process, and engage. The framework can be broken down into four key steps:
This framework must be woven into every stage of commercialization, from disease awareness education to branded campaigns.
In a world where even groundbreaking innovations risk fading into the background, the brands that earn attention will be the ones that succeed.
In its 2025 Super Bowl commercial titled "Knock Out," Pfizer delivered a poignant narrative that effectively broke through audience indifference by intertwining emotional storytelling with a powerful and touching message of hope. The ad catches you immediately. A young boy wearing boxing gloves, recently victorious in his battle against cancer, transitioning from his hospital bed to the vibrant streets outside, symbolizing his triumphant return to life. Set to LL Cool J's iconic track "Mama Said Knock You Out," the boy's journey is portrayed as a victorious march, all the way back home.
This campaign exemplifies how pharmaceutical marketing can broadly transcend traditional boundaries by elevating human resilience and hope. By aligning the boy's personal victory over cancer with Pfizer's commitment to achieving eight cancer breakthroughs by 2030, the ad informs and inspires. The strategic use of a widely watched event like the Super Bowl ensured maximum visibility, while the emotional narrative the child fostered a personal connection with the audience. This approach demonstrates the effectiveness of blending storytelling with strategic messaging to engage both consumers - and HCPs - in a meaningful way. Oh, and Go Birds!
Overcoming GID isn’t about adding to the noise—it’s about rewiring how information is received and retained. As we’ve discussed, the human brain is built to filter out excess stimuli, but it also craves novelty, emotional resonance, and cognitive efficiency. The most effective pharma marketing doesn’t just inform; it captivates. Whether through storytelling that sparks an emotional response, pattern interruption that forces the brain to take notice, or strategic framing that makes information feel urgent and personally relevant, the science of engagement is clear—and ready for application. These aren’t abstract theories; they are practical, neuroscience-backed tools that can be embedded into brand strategy, HCP engagement, and patient education right away.
The question now is how to apply them. Take a hard, critical look at your current communication efforts. Are they structured to make an impact, or are they relying on repetition and volume? Every campaign, message, and touchpoint is an opportunity to achieve break through - to evade this natural cognitive force of GID and to transform inertia into action. The industry has the science to save lives, but in an era of constant overload, even the most groundbreaking innovations risk being ignored. The brands that will lead are not just those with the best products, but those that understand how the human brain works—and use that knowledge to make people stop, feel, and engage.
