Biotech Public Relations: How Will Social Media Be Used?

Those of us in the field of public relations easily appreciate the power of social media. Our brethren in biotech public relations probably appreciate social media as well but have to be guarded in its use. Social media has become one of the most expedient ways for getting your company’s message across and helping to market your products; however, biotech public relations practitioners know that there are limitations on what you say and how you say it. This is most evident when you consider how closely the FDA regulates advertising for drugs. Those in the biotech public relations discipline are eagerly waiting to learn of the FDA’s guidelines on the the use of social media vehicles such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Originally, the regulatory agency planned to release guidance by the end of 2010, but the FDA missed its target date and moved it to the end of March 2011. That target date came and went and still no word on when the industry can expect the guidelines for social media do’s and don’ts. As biotech public relations execs wait with baited breath for the FDA’s official pronouncement on the use of social media, there are a few guidelines that companies and practitioners should observe: - Transparency is critical. Sponsored messages should be indicated as such. If a company gives bloggers a product or any kind of compensation for a mention or review, bloggers should be advised of their responsibility to disclose that information. - Companies are responsible for the content on their sponsored sites or comments made on other sites by their staff or paid endorsers. If they allow comments from third parties on their sites, they should consider moderating them before allowing them to be posted. - Companies probably are not responsible for comments made on third-party sites as long as those comments are not made by company officials or compensated individuals. However, if a company corrects something on another site, it may have to continue doing so. - Biotech public relations execs are advised to establish policies for dealing with crisis situations that may be discovered and propagated via social media outlets. - When communicating or marketing through social media, biotech public relations execs are advised to vet matters through the company’s legal counsel to insure compliance with applicable regulations.