Announcing a new capability-Text analytics

We are pleased to announce our latest capability! Text, Voice and Data Analytics.  We have recently partnered with the Thoughtware Group to offer clients in our life science practice an advanced suite of tools to analyze large amounts of data in a quick and economical manner.  

"Big Data" is a term used by many in the industry today.  However, many in the space have failed to acheive an understanding of who says what and why.  For example, whenever marketers observe online digital communication, it remains unclear to them who the person is (interacting with their brand).  Secondly, these insights often remain largely disconnected from the "offline" understanding gained in consumer research. 

We aim to change this proposition by bridging the gap between what online digital communication promises to deliver and what it actually delivers.  With our unique "Thinking Insight" technology we can build segment specific analyses from any type of data feed (Text/Image/Voice) to evolve insights that connect the online and offline worlds.  This will help companies gain insight to the market faster, understand consumer reactions to their brand messages as well as identify new key opinion leaders for their company.

  
Advances in online and social media marketing are mainly focused today on data gathering, targeted advertising and general sentiment monitoring. This new partnership allows us to not only do these things, but when combined with our industry experts, the final product helps clients understand what they should do next with the information.  

Prescription Smartphone Apps for Medication Adherence

When it comes to embracing new technology, we like to think that we are ahead of the curve.  However, our approval is only bestowed upon technology that provides a substantial benefit, especially given costs or numerous unavoidable advertisements. As illustrated in a recent article by Pamela Lewis Dolan at American Medical News, a new wave of technology will become the norm in healthcare by way of smartphone and tablet apps that will allow physicians to closely monitor many aspects of patient compliance. 

There are a few questions however for the future implementation of these “prescribed apps”:

1. Does the app serve a utility that is worth the cost/adherence?
2. How much data will the app produce for the patients?  
3. Will the physician have the time/man power to properly utilize the data?
4. How will physicians monetize the use of the apps?
5. With data being retrieved without office visits, will this mean decreased revenue?
6. As with any prescribed therapy, how does a physician ensure patient compliance?
7. Will health-related apps be regulated by the FDA?

Physician-patient communication desperately needs creative improvements to ensure therapy compliance and persistence.  With the growing use of smartphones, using healthcare apps and the field of mobile health is only expanding in the coming years. The FDA has already approved a select number of apps to deal with clinical care and bills are currently in place to create an FDA Office of Mobile Health.  For a fraction of the cost for an office visit, patients can purchase an app that allows them and their physician to monitor health progression, collect critical health outcome data between office visits that may reduce visits to the office.  

We know medication adherence and health outcomes can be improved by allowing healthcare professionals to track metrics that normally are not monitored, such as heart rate, glucose levels, and calorie count.  This is not driving the conversation out of the exam room, but extending the reach of the physicians diagnostic and treatment capabilities.  With 10% of smartphone users having downloaded health-related apps, the practice of “Prescribing an app” will continue to catch on.  Generating a large market from the almost 1 billion smartphone user base will be as easy as posting that picture of dinner to Instagram. 

Localizing Customer Centric Marketing

In today’s world of continual globalization and the prominence of national and international brands, it is easy for a consumer to have little connection to a brand other than store exposure or a television ad.  This fact begs the question, how do national brands develop customer centric strategies that narrow this disconnect?  A recent post by eMarketer regarding national brands’ local marketing techniques shows that, in order to boost brand recognition and to repair this disconnect, national brands intend to spend more money in 2013 on local digital media.

Image Courtesy eMarketer.com

Attracting customers on a local basis is a key marketing strategy across all industries and is important in building quality customer relationships.  However, in many cases building a customer base on the local level is out of the hands of the national brand.  When this is the case, the national brand must rely on the ability of the local affiliate or distributor to market their products in an effective manner.  Recent surveys show national brands transitioning to local marketing strategies that incorporate mobile marketing, local blogs, and online customer reviews; however, many feel that local affiliates lack the expertise to execute these strategies effectively. 

Going forward, what will be big pharma’s solution to effectively market brands on a local level?  An emerging narrative in pharma is the coordination of national brand advertising  and local affiliate advertising.  The big "media buying" agencies do not know local affiliate marketing.  The need to develop cohesive strategies between these advertising channels focusing on a customer centric experience might be something industry wants to consider producing in 2013.  There is not a single brand director on the planet that does not want to build brand recognition. It is important to recognize ever-changing demographics and geographies that require attention in relation to current sales to ensure ensure companies are reaching their desired consumer. Let us help you determine your best channel mix and local versus national media spend. Let us give you some of our thoughts by sending us your media plan or having your media agency contact us.  

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.

Medication Adherence: A Glance At PubMed

Do you need proof that certain treatment adherence programs can work?

Just plug in “patient adherence” and “cell phones” into PubMed. You'll likely see two Lancet articles on mobile phone use and HIV treatment adherence.  In the Chi and Stringer article, these researchers found that weekly text messages sent to HIV patients in sub-Saharan Africa improved adherence -- 62% versus 50% for the control group – and allowed for better rates of virological suppression (57% vs 48%). Patients who didn’t respond to the text message within 48 hours received a follow-up phone call.

Chi and Stringer raise interesting points in their article. They recognized that the calls were too spread out to actually remind patients to take their antiretrovirals; they speculated that “[p]ossibly the SMS [short message service] intervention worked by improving communication and rapport between health providers and patients.”

Two other points of discussion:  One, the cost. Chi and Stringer write that SMS costs less than $8 per patient.  “This intervention might prove cost effective, particularly when one considers the cost and complexity of second-line therapy. However, this aspect still requires formal analyses.”

The second point the researchers raise: Can cell phones be used to help other patients with other types of chronic diseases?  Chi and Stringer might find the answer to that question in other PubMed articles. In India, at the L.K. Diabetes Centre in Lucknow, diabetes specialists use videos made with mobile phones for diabetes education. They call them “mobi-films.” These mobi-films are used in multiple ways: patient to patient communication, doctor to doctor communication, doctor to patient communication, and patient to doctor communication. As to whether these films have helped improve patient care, the authors write, “Over the years, we have seen a sea change in the knowledge and day-to-day diabetes care skills of people visiting our center and benefiting from our diabetes education films.”

Some physicians are experimenting with cell phones for patients with hypertension; other researchers have seen success with patients with malaria.

And, by the way, Chi and Stringer aren't the only researchers who found that HIV patients are adherent when prompted with cell phone messages; a literature review by other researchers found similar findings.

To us, the travesty of patient non-adherence is that solutions to the problem exist and that people in this country are not adhering to physician recommendations. What is reassuring: That studies are suggesting that innovation can occur anywhere.

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. 

Pharma and the Travails of Social Media

What a world. One of the most regulated industries on earth – pharma – is trying to learn how to communicate with its “new” customers – patients – on the anything-goes media, the Web. According to a PharmExec blog, industry is hiring all kinds of Web gurus to teach them about the “minefields” of YouTube and Facebook.

One – Novartis – already has gotten burned. The FDA said the company permitted conversation to occur about its leukemia drug, Tasigna, on Facebook and sent Novartis a warning letter about it. Jonathan Richman, founder of Dose of Digital, said in response to the PharmExec blog that Novartis was encouraging people to comment about content that it knew wasn’t compliant and to share it. According to Dose of Digital, industry has 50 sponsored pages on Facebook.

It begs the question: In a business as heavily regulated as this one, in which the DOJ publicly announced its attentions to investigate it for alleged off-label violations – and then did so – would industry be more cautious about inviting more trouble?


Maybe because it has no choice. Pharma’s customers are interacting in this world in the ways the FDA did not even think possible.  Is this foray into the cyber communications minefield an unintended consequence of the heavily regulated world of medical communications? We think so.

Next question: How does this impact public safety? More to follow.