Beyond Digital: Building Connection, Loyalty, and Advocacy in Rare Disease

Gene Zlotniko, Senior Director, Consumer Marketing, Rare Disease, Amgen

Courtney Seal, Director, Senior Product Manager, HCP Digital Marketing, Amgen

In rare disease, digital innovation and data can raise awareness — but real impact happens when we move beyond that. Patients often face years of uncertainty, becoming their own advocates and even educating their doctors, especially in rural or underserved areas. This session explores how empathy, collaboration, and authentic engagement can transform patient journeys, strengthening trust and driving lasting advocacy.

• How media and data can accelerate awareness — but why empathy and accessibility ultimately shorten the path to diagnosis

• Empowering shared decision-making by aligning messaging across patients, caregivers, and HCPs

• Engaging directly with patients through market research and insight gathering to listen, learn, and lead — identifying how to best support them with the right resources

• Partnering with advocacy groups to create authentic patient stories and community-driven content

• Balancing technology with humanity: blending digital innovation with emotional connection to drive loyalty and advocacy

Pharma’s omnichannel efforts have too often been piecemeal, producing short-term wins but limited long-term impact. To truly reach omnichannel maturity, commercial leaders must prove ROI, avoid fragmented investments, and make the case for sustained infrastructure that drives measurable business value. This panel explores how to move from campaigns to scalable platforms that deliver real returns.

• Building financial models that connect omnichannel investments directly to revenue growth and efficiency gains
• Investing in infrastructure and shifting funding from one-off initiatives toward scalable platforms that deliver long-term value
• Breaking down silos to prioritize investments that support both patient engagement and sustainable business outcomes
• Analyzing fragmented omni investments to identify what to stop doing and how to reinvest smarter