Category Archives: Social media and healthcare

Why doesn’t pharma want to be part of the conversation ?

Posted on May 16, 2012 | 3 Comments

According to Pew Internet: The internet has changed people’s relationships with information. Our data consistently show that doctors, nurses, and other health professionals continue to be the first choice for most people with health concerns, but online resources, including advice from peers, are a significant source of health information in the U.S.  So why does pharma continue to ignore the advantage of the Internet to further empower patients ? Continue reading →

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How consumers are using social media for healthcare

Posted on April 18, 2012 | 4 Comments

According to PwC’s consumer survey of 1,060 U.S. adults, about one-third of consumers are using the social space as a natural habitat for health discussions. Social media typically consists of four characteristics that have changed the nature of inter- actions among people and organizations: user generated content, community, rapid distribution, and open, two-way dialogue Continue reading →

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Type 1 Diabetics reach out to each other for support and help

Posted on March 8, 2012 | 9 Comments

Last summer we did some research with both caregivers and people with Type 1 diabetes. The objective, for a biotech company, was to learn where Type 1 diabetics go for help and support and listen to what they want in online/offline information.   While the research is almost a year old it is still relevant today and after participating in an online Twitter discussion last night I just wanted to share some of the top level findings. Continue reading →

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Posted in Health information, Internet, Social media and healthcare

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Developing and marketing new drugs is not a game

Posted on February 9, 2012 | 6 Comments

O M G !  That is what one physician said to me when I asked her to take a look at a new social media game from BI that lets players attack deadly diseases from their own virtual laboratories, discover new drugs, market them, and share and work with friends.  ”Developing new drugs is not a game and this thing trivializes drug development.  Does BI really think this is going to win over American consumers ?” Continue reading →

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Posted in Bad practices, Social media and healthcare

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The risk in social media is in being left behind by pharma

Posted on February 1, 2012 | 4 Comments

The exposure social media provides is potentially priceless – especially when compared to other promotional channels. To stay up-to-date, companies are adapting their communication strategies and embracing these changes. However the risk in the social media field is in being left behind by the prescription drug industry. Continue reading →

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What is the value of social media in DTC marketing ?

Posted on January 11, 2012 | 3 Comments

Now that the FDA is essentially letting drug companies “regulate themselves” when it comes to social media I’m sure there are going to be a lot of meetings to discuss the risks vs. benefits.  The first question DTC marketers should ask is “do consumers want to have a social media relationship around this health condition/product?”   Continue reading →

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DTC Marketers: You can’t measure the ROI of EVERY conversation

Posted on January 5, 2012 | 4 Comments

No doubt that a lot of marketing people within pharma are going to be spending endless hours, meetings and Power Points trying to justify a dip in the social media marketing water.  Well, you can’t put an ROI around EVERY conversation and to try and do so is a huge waste of time driven by people who don’t understand marketing with people instead of selling them. Continue reading →

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Social media is a competitive advantage for drug companies

Posted on January 5, 2012 | 6 Comments

For those of you who are so risk averse that you have decided not to integrate social media into your DTC marketing you are at a competitive disadvantage. Companies that are taking the leap, like Sanofi, are not only learning by doing they are, more importantly, listening via social media and what they hear can lead to a better position with patients in a very competitive marketplace. Continue reading →

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Minimizing social media risks with new (ah-em) FDA guidelines

Posted on January 4, 2012 | 7 Comments

For those of you who were expecting hard FDA guidelines on social media marketing there is a bridge I would like to sell you .   Frankly, what the FDA has said is that social media is evolving too fast for us to issue guidelines and and we don’t really understand how consumers are using it for healthcare decisions and information.  Here are the ways to minimize risk with social media marketing for pharma. Continue reading →

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The FDA gets it right on social media marketing

Posted on January 4, 2012 | 5 Comments

Social media means more than marketing products. It means using this “emerging electronic media” to advance the public health by communicating factual and timely information.  Damn right ! But will pharma marketers get the message ? Continue reading →

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Sanofi continues to embrace social media

Posted on December 5, 2011 | 10 Comments

There are some drug companies that “get it” and understand the need to interact with patients rather than just push information to them.  Sanofi is one of them.  Their latest effort around “Why Insulin” is a great example of an integrated social media strategy to reach diabetics and I believe it raises the bar when it comes to DTC marketing. Continue reading →

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