Our interview in Pixels & Pills

We recently completed an interview on Pixels & Pills!  Take a look

The FDA and Social Media: The Industry Needs Guidelines

If you love irony, you’ll love the following.

Respondents to a Deloitte study said social media likely could improve clinical trial efficacy in two ways: one, by supplying data to quicken reporting results, and two, to determine the correct patient reported outcomes.

But of course, these respondents aren’t likely to investigate whether these presumed efficiencies would actually work, because the FDA has put off, yet again, its guidelines on how industry can use social media.

Social media is already proving some success, says FierceBiotech, in recruiting and retaining clinical trial subjects.

It’s a head-scratcher. Facebook has more than 500 million users; half of them log on every day. The average user has 130 friends. As for Twitter – and these are older stats – it has more than 105 million Tweeters, yours truly included.

Do we need to list the problems that clinical trial researchers have had over the years in conducting quality trials, in trying to meet all the rigorous criteria? Remember the media attention the FDA’s report received last year regarding the lack of monitoring of overseas trial sites? That report showed that “between 40 percent and 65 percent of clinical trials investigating FDA-regulated products are conducted outside the United States.”

We can take an educated guess as to why the agency is putting off publishing its guidelines – the unknowns are enormous. More than half of the 208 Deloitte study respondents say there will be confusion – in interpreting the guidelines, in administering the guidelines -- after the FDA publishes them.

We say, that’s okay. At least we’ll have something on paper and a place to start. The agency can redact as we move forward or modify moving forward. But just like the internet in general, the world is moving to more adaptable, amorphous content built by communities.  The FDA and other regulators around the world need to appreciate that fact.

As things are now, many industry members are willing to take risks, and spend money on social media innovations, but, as Deloitte points out, innovation is developing slowly, as members wait for the agency’s lead. We think there needs to be another approach. Again: The agency should develop regulations that are progressive, adaptable, and modifiable.

But industry members could get restless, and venture into unchartered areas, as Novartis did last year – and got its wrist slapped for it. Is that fair? No, it isn’t. The technology is here, possible solutions to major problems are here, and the agency, in our opinion, should pick up the pace.

The Facebook Audience: Can Pharma Maximize Its Potential?

Like everyone else, we're intrigued about the science of Facebook marketing. Dan Zarella (Dan Zarella.com) suggested in this PowerPoint presentation that pharma Facebook pages are some of the least liked pages. Why is that?






















Source: Hubspot 101 Marketing Charts-Graphs-
Science of Facebook-Slide 61

While this information could be dismissed as ho-hum, we think you should pay attention to the important points about social media. We believe Facebook represents 67% of the "bell curve" that is your market. Our assertion is that if pharma publishes Facebook pages for its products, disease states or its patient tools, the content must meet the needs of this audience -- and currently it doesn't.  But can it really meet those needs?  

Looking at the rest of this presentation, we see that much of the Facebook audience is looking for interaction with others. What facebookers tend to value is more entertainment-oriented sites. So the next question about this social medium is: Should pharma even be in this space?  While many in e-marketing groups want to answer that question, our point of view is yes, but only if they are willing to create an interactive relationship with Facebook "friends" on the "friends' " terms. Building interactive games and apps that help facebookers learn or interact, is the key.  If not, they shouldn't waste their time, because the price of entry is steep.

It is this concept we believe industry marketers need to grasp. For years, the industry has been able to buy a seat at any table it chooses, but the game is changing!  In the past, industry would change the rules and today people are choosing not to let industry play in their game.

So what are we suggesting here?  Industry leaders need to change their expectations and must realize they may not be able to call the shots. But data show, like in Facebook, if you believe this is your target market, there is opportunity to market your products -- just realize the game is not set up to meet industry's needs.

So what is your next step?  Ask us -- we have some ideas.

Patient Bloggers and the "T" Word

What an opportunity for industry to regain the public’s trust – or at least some of it.

We’re talking about industry’s use of social media to promote and market product, an excellent way to bypass mainstream media and hone the message. Even though the FDA is expected this month to present guidelines on how pharma can market medicines on Twitter, Facebook, and the like, the agency really has no say on what individual patient bloggers may say about their relationships with industry members.

To quote Pharma Marketing Blog's John Mack: “FDA cannot enforce transparency -- it has no authority over patients who are free to do and say what they like without mentioning any relationship they may have with pharma companies.”

According to Pew Research, about 61% of adults turn to the web for health information, and no doubt some of those people read those blogs. But do those bloggers disclose their relationship with pharma members, if one exists? We think they should.That is why like Sally Church (@maverickNY) we are going to create a disclosure section of this blog and our web site. Trust can be re-built one brick at a time.

And that goes for industry as well: The pharma member who ensures that the blogger discloses the connection is that much closer to establishing company loyalty among the readership.

It’s the T word, folks.  But stay tuned, because the storm around content creation in the industry is the next chapter in this story.  

Industry and Social Media 101

In November, FedEx and Ketchum released this study that benchmarks the best practices of 60 leading companies who are leveraging social media to drive internal cultural, brand performance, and reputation management. "Companies are using social media to change the way they communicate with their employees and customers, indicating a convergence of external and internal communications." They have set up a website to discuss the survey.

Both organizations suggest in this survey that social media is disrupting the way the world communicates and companies must continue to evolve how they interact with people to remain relevant. In our view, this recognizes the lack of in-depth research regarding how social media impacts the way companies program, budget, and set up their marketing teams.

Ketchum used a standardized interview protocol to guide 30-minute conversations with chief communications officers or their social-media leads at 60 leading companies across most major industries. Interviews occurred between August and October of 2010.

Here are some insights derived from the study:

1. If you’re not open to feedback, you’re not ready to play.
2. Organizations should recognize the rise of citizen journalism and the need to engage bloggers to support brand development and reputation management.
3. Participants conveyed significantly greater focus on external rather than internal social media applications, but expressed strong interest in building up internal capabilities—primarily via enhanced intranets—in 2011 and beyond.
4. Organizations are trending towards more formal collaborative social media oversight models that are inclusive of diverse business units and functions.
5. Most organizations do not have formal internal learning programs established to promote the development of social media expertise.
6. Companies continue to see the value in partnering with third parties to develop and execute social media programming.
7. Participants most frequently estimated spending between 5% and 15% of their overall communications budgets on social media programming in 2010.
8. The pace and scope of change as new tools and technology emerge demands an unparalleled degree of organizational nimbleness.
9. As digital and social tools become the go-to resources for everything from news and information to friendship and love, smart brands will continue to figure out better ways to add value to the online experience—internally and externally.

While these conclusions may not be news to pharma's social media veterans, they are still valuable: They can be used in discussions with senior management about social media trends and to leverage those difficult discussions on social media operations in their companies. For us, these study results demonstrate just how much more work the industry has to accomplish to even be a participant in this growing communications channel.  

But like other business issues, regulated content may inhibit the industry's ability to even participate in the leading edge of social media discussion.  We think it is time for industry to focus on insight #1, "If you're not open to feedback, you're not ready to play."

Our recommendations for anyone in industry in this space:  Use these 9 insights as your strategic building blocks for the next 3 to 5 years.