How iPad change the Pharma Sector

During the iPad2 launch Steve Jobs previewed a video that chronicled the various uses of the iPad- one of which was medicine.

Dr Halamka, who had recently announced that he would step down from his post as chairman of the US government’s Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) spoke on the video about how the iPad could build a relationships between doctor and patient and concluded with a loaded statement of “So I think what is so exciting about the iPad, is it will change the way doctors practice medicine” 

Worldofdtcmarketing.com, however, disagree that it will be the ipad2 which will change the world of medicine but agrees that tablet technology will be involved. They state that by the end of 2011 there will be over 80 tablets on the market to choose from. Jobs in the iPad launch speech claimed that 2011 would be the ‘year of copycats’ and that the competition haven’t even cracked the technology of the iPad 1, however with large capital investments such as ‘The Motorola Zoom’- a multimillion dollar projects to become the Ultimate Tablet ( BrandRepublic.com), there is competition in the market.

The iPad which was host to 65,000 medical apps at the time of launch has been increasing in pharmaceutical favour with the creation of some truly incredible applications (‘Apps’).

One such app is the ‘3d4 Medical app’. The medical pictures app was ranked number 1 in 49countries, and the Heart Pro (Nova Series) was chosen from over 65,000 to be shown on Apple's iPad commercial, currently being shown in the UK, Japan, France and Germany (3d4 Medical.com). It is also listed as one of the best iPad apps by Apple's VP, Michael Tchao (3d4medical.com).The apps, which are medically approved, create realistic images which can be studied, cut, explore etc. and customised by doctor to explain patients their specific injuries, among many other medical uses.

How Pharma Companies Involved in Social Media

With the emergence of the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority Q+A guidelines on digital communications last week, there will be an added push on UK companies to join the social media game, and if the Irish pharmaceuticals aren’t careful they’ll find themselves losing important competitive advantage.

Here’s some tips starting a Pharma social media campaign :

1. Define business objectives

As with any new strategy, defining the objectives should be the first step. Getting 100 friends on Facebook is not an objective - Gaining customer awareness by reaching 100 friends is. Social media needs to be a part of the marketing plan, and the messages should be cohesive. Setting up a Facebook page, no matter how many of your friends ‘Like’ you is not a marketing campaign in itself. 

2. Monitor with intent

It’s socially unacceptable to walk up to a group of people and demand them to change to a topic of your choosing, and the same rules apply online. Someone very wise once said you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. 

There are a number of free ‘listening tools’ online including: 

- Technorati, Google Blog Search, Twingly- Blog Searches

- Twitter Search, Tweetscan- Twitter-Monitoring

- Google insights, Google Trends- Search- Tools

- SocialMention, StepRep, Filtrbox- Aggregator Tools

3. Choose the proper platform

This will be guided by step two, where are people talking about you? And where is your target customer? For example, Pfizer has chosen to be very active on Facebook. To see what others are doing the “Digital Pharma links directory lists every online campaign, Twitter account, pharma blog, YouTube channel and mobile app featured in the blog since its debut in August 2009” (Inpharm.com).

4. Secure and Create profiles

The first part of this step is logging onto social networks to see if your brand’s name is available as a user name- you can also use the site knowem.com which will check for you. They also have a premium services to secure your brand name on over 300 websites. However, there are draw-backs with outsourcing social networks- often your culture is not embedded into the site and therefore customers will know it’s not really you. Yes, social networkers are that savvy!

5. Learn the Lingo/ Get a road map

Social media guidelines are very important to take heed of. For example, you can spend hours editing Wikipedia pages to correct information and it will be deleted by the next day because you haven’t declared a conflict of interest and should have use the discussion pages to add a tag to the page.

A good presentation is found here, which talks about social media with Pharma, taking into account the Nielson report on ‘Adverse Events’ which found only 0.2% of complaints are actually counted as adverse events. 

We decided to add on the road map part to this step because if you don’t know you’re way around social media you’ll be shunned in the community for making ‘Rookie Mistakes’- You’ll be in the middle of the desert with no one listening and someone telling you ‘you should have asked for directions’.

6. Dive in 

Have you ever heard the Phrase ‘Dance like no-one’s watching?’- that does NOT apply to social media. Everyone’s watching! Your posts or tweets need to have a personal element- one of the best examples I can think of is the RTE Live update blogger during the snow period. During the bad weather in Ireland, an RTE employee posted throughout the day on what was happening, pictures people were sending in etc. This would not be typical reporting behavior of the RTE website but it was hugely popular with people checking it throughout the day. And most important of all, people were not just listening but responding even just to say how much they loved the blog!

7. Track your progress

There is a huge range of professional tools which can be utilized in measurement including; Radian6, Social Radar and Buzzlogic.

Tips on Social Media for Pharma Marketing

Educate everyone involved on the importance of social media for the company

– Begin the process by highlighting the need to be present in the social media world. The pharmaceutical industry has been hesitant about social for years. However, consumers will be talking about you whether you are there or not.

Stay in close contact with your legal team 

– Often times marketers and attorneys approach risk-reward scenarios with differing perspectives, working with your counsel is essential in social media marketing. Think creatively on how to advance your brand goals and provide your legal team with multiple campaigns. Find ways to problem solve with your counsel.

Stay on label and create options for sharing risk information in multiple formats

– Because the channels for sharing have changed, it doesn’t mean that pharmaceutical companies can omit risk information.

Create strong internal guidelines for social media objectives

– Prior to beginning any social media program, establish controls and expectations of staff that would be involved in public engagement. Much like our social media checklist, create a list of regulatory boundaries and potential scenarios where legal counsel would be notified of consumer concerns. Once approved, set frequent reviews of the social media program to identify potential pitfalls around key regulations like patient privacy or adverse events.

Tell human stories

– The importance of health is a universally shared value. Social media is driven by the inherent desire in people to seek connections. Identify compelling stories that highlight benefits of the medication. Success stories like these should be reviewed and submitted in compliance with established DDMAC process but, once approved, can be shared through social channels to demonstrate real impact in the lives of consumers and enhance public goodwill toward the company.

Why Social Media Must in Pharma Marketing

Social media marketing presents challenges for every company in defining the appropriate voice for the brand and how to engage. However, some companies are forced to work within much stricter guidelines such as those in heavily regulated industries. Does that mean social media shouldn’t be part of the marketing and communications mix? No.

  

Companies that are using fear of regulations or lack of guidance as an excuse to sit on the social media sidelines are missing out on important opportunities to enhance their online presence and connect with their customers. Fear should never be the driving factor for a business.Pharmaceutical marketing is highly regulated by the FDA and the Division of Drug Marketing and Communications (DDMAC).

  

Pharma marketing is extremely competitive and lacking in clear social media boundaries based on current regulatory guidance.

Yet some healthcare and pharma companies are doing good work in the space, finding ways to connect physicians via secure social networks to improve information sharing for example. In absence of definitive social media policy from the FDA, pharmaceutical companies need to work closely with their legal team along with marketing professionals (whether internal or external) with a strong understanding of social media engagement to ensure that the spirit of the laws are being followed despite a gray area until formal social media guidance is released.

  

Despite many of the logical concerns about discussing health issues in such a public forum, companies working within guidelines that have long applied to Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) advertising and patient communications can operate effectively. In 2010, of 52 warning and notice of violation letters sent from DDMAC to companies only one was issued in the social media space. Clearly if pharmaceutical companies follow existing marketing guidelines the risks aren’t off the charts.

  

Pharma companies need to think beyond direct product promotion when using social tools. Johnson & Johnson has created an active social presence that utilizes a blog focused on stories of employees, wellness information, and corporate content. The blog contains robust content and is supplemented with YouTube and Facebook pages. J&J also connects with with community members via communications staffer Marc Monseau who tweets on behalf of the brand in a more personal voice.