Pharma Social Media: A New Age Dawning?

Given recent economic conditions, companies have had to do more with less… Less people… Less dollars in the marketing budget and so on. The pharma industry has been no exception and the industry has eliminated tens of thousands of jobs in the recent past. Of course, with a reduction in sales reps – bag carriers, if you will – the industry has had to adjust the ways in which it markets its products, leading to what believe is the “New Age in Pharma Social Media.” By now, we all recognize the power of social media… Consider the explosive growth of apps for smart phones – consider, if you will, the growth of apps dedicated to health issues… Which will be a key driver in the coming boom for pharma social media. A number of factors need to be taken into account in terms of pharma social media. Chief among these is the fact that the future of the mobile pharma social media will depend on how people use the applications, the quality and reliability of the information and its source. Partnerships and collaborations with both private and governmental organizations will spur innovation and lead to wider deployment of pharma social media activities. While these advances in social media have come at a rapid pace, some in the industry have been slow in adopting pharma social media programs. Many have taken baby steps in advancing their pharma social media strategies; these include the obvious social networking choices – Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and so on. Some have made blogs a part of their pharma social media activities. Also, in recognizing that a “one size fits all” approach is not going to work, a number of companies have recognized the need to have multiple presences online as part of their pharma social media arsenals to enhance the delivery of key messages as well as to foster a sense of patient communities. Clearly, the regulations governing communications in the industry have hampered the deployment of pharma social media marketing activities. However, that is changing – and it must – as the world in which live has changed dramatically in terms of the way we receive information. Our highly mobile society – increasing by the minute given the explosive sales of smart phones, tablets and the like – will usher in a new era and lead to a boom in the deployment of pharma social media strategies.