Category Archives: Social media and healthcare

STOP ! Social media is not the answer

Posted on September 8, 2011 | 5 Comments

In an era where most consumers do not want to connect with drug companies on social media and where most drug companies don’t have the resources to talk to people via social media I am amazed at how people within the drug industry continue to trumpet social media marketing. Social media is not the answer because that is not the question that consumers and customers are asking. Continue reading →

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Posted in Social media and healthcare

Tagged Business, Facebook, Internet marketing, Marketing, Marketing and Advertising, Social media, Social media marketing, Twitter

Pharma & Social Media: Who is the voice of the brand ?

Posted on August 18, 2011 | 2 Comments

While we continue to count the number or pages that have been removed from Facebook by pharma companies we seem to overlooking another key question: “Who, within the pharma organization, has the skills and knowledge to talk to consumers and be the voice of the brand on social media ?” Is it PR ? Is it marketing ? Is it someone within medical ? Probably a little bit of everything which is why the biopharma organizations needs a new position created to communicate with consumers via social media. Continue reading →

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Posted in Social media and healthcare

Tagged Company, Consumer, Facebook, Health, Health care provider, Jonathan Richman, Marketing, Social media

Saluting the pharma social media pioneers

Posted on August 16, 2011 | 2 Comments

While some people, mostly agency people, have been playing tapps for the removal of Facebook branded pages there are still some pharma pioneers (thank you John Mack) who are moving forward with social network marketing. The folks at Sanofi and AZ to name a few continue to experiment with social media and they should be featured at the next social media conference, not for what they did, but to share how they won over legal,regulatory and management. Continue reading →

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Posted in Social media and healthcare

Tagged Facebook, Internet marketing, Marketing, Pharmaceutical lobby, Rate of return, Sanofi-Aventis, Social media, Social media marketing

Quick survey: Why are you deleting your Facebook page

Posted on August 15, 2011 | 2 Comments

I contacted 5 brands that took down their Facebook pages today for a quick survey and found that the number one reason they were taking their pages down was “too much risk”. When I inquired whether they had heard about some new tools that allowed them to manage risk the answers were “no”. However what I also heard was “it’s just not worth the investment right now in people and other resources”. Continue reading →

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Posted in Social media and healthcare

Tagged Consumer, Facebook, Food and Drug Administration, Internet marketing, Marketing, Rate of return, Social media, Social media marketing

Pharma leaving Facebook, the bigger issue

Posted on August 15, 2011 | 2 Comments

The news today that many pharma companies are deciding to pull their Facebook branded pages misses a telling point. It tells me that either many pharma companies can’t see beyond push marketing or that their legal and regulatory groups have way too much power and are really limiting the effectiveness of DTC marketing. Continue reading →

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Posted in Social media and healthcare

Tagged Company, Facebook, Food and Drug Administration, Marketing, Marketing strategy, Patient, Social media, Social media marketing

Pharma abandoning Facebook as engagement is being forced

Posted on August 10, 2011 | 5 Comments

Light the candles, the relationship between pharma and Facebook is nearing an all time low. As Facebook requires brand to engage vistors pharma is saying “NO” and making the decision to leave Facebook. Jonathan Richman is going to be keeping a list of brands that are leaving Facebook and I’m afraid it’s going to be majority rather than a minority. Is there anymore clear indication that pharma marketers don’t see the value in social media marketing and that legal and regulatory people are not ready to assume ANY risk ? Continue reading →

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Posted in Social media and healthcare

Tagged Facebook, Jonathan Richman, Marketing, Rate of return, Social media, Social media marketing, Television, Web 2.0

Sure consumers are using social media for health but…

Posted on August 3, 2011 | 3 Comments

According to a post in this mornings eMarketer “In its April 2011 survey, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions found that 11% of US healthcare consumers use social networks to find or share health information and 8% use blogs. The respondents who use blogs and social networks for health purposes do so to comment about the healthcare system, to comment about doctors and hospitals and to share personal healthcare experiences with others.” The question then becomes who do they want in the “health conversation“? Continue reading →

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Posted in Social media and healthcare

Tagged Brand, emarketer, Facebook, Food and Drug Administration, Health care, Marketing, Social media, Social network

Are DTC marketers ready for the “general” rules of social media use ?

Posted on July 21, 2011 | 1 Comment

Before you invite people to “have at it” with Twitter and Facebook, it might be well advised to create and distribute a set of organizational guidelines that direct your employees on how to engage consumers via social platforms. Since the FDA is moving slower than frozen water in mid winter this means that DTC marketers have a chance NOW to start the wheels of social media marketing moving forward with processes and procedures in place so that it can be social network marketing can be used as a viable channel to help consumers make good healthcare choices. Continue reading →

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Posted in Social media and healthcare

Tagged Consumer, emarketer, Facebook, Food and Drug Administration, Internet marketing, Marketing, Social media, Social media marketing