Notes from the Back of the Book

2010 Outlook: 10 Ways to Win With Patients and Improve DTC Efforts

[Full article: 2010 Outlook: Doom and Gloom For DTC? 10 Points for Winning with Patients, published in DTC Perspectives, December 2009]

Despite many gloomy predictions for DTC advertising and the pharma industry overall, there's never been a better time for marketers to forward their brands and consumers' lives with new thinking about what constitutes patient marketing in the 21st Century (DTC 21).  Ten prescriptions can help improve focus and strengthen DTC efforts in 2010.  Important media and technology trends are also "musts" to actively consider for those who want to bump impact and value.

1. Adopt an updated definition for DTC that considers the full picture of how consumers will interpret and interact with a brand TODAY. This calls for attention beyond "big bang" marketing spends, and begs for identifying meaningful levers to drive education and growth. DTC is no longer just an awareness or acquisition vehicle to move "eyeballs" through a linear marketing funnel; it's every influence and touch needed to bring new information and education, help convert, instill loyalty and inspire advocacy.
   
2. Consider "long-tail" marketing; don't be afraid to focus on smaller targets that matter. Long tail marketing has the potential to treat consumers as individuals with unique interests and needs.
   
3. Go to your consumer--surround them where they get their facts, learn, and socialize.  Today's consumer is not looking for your marketing messages.  Study after study points to both the growth of the Internet, and the fact that consumers and e-patients get their information from multiple sources. (The Social Life of Health Information - PEW Internet and American Life Project) Depending on your target, this suggests a mix of relevant touches and begs for the right combination of off line and on line media and social media tactics.
   
4. Move beyond selling to engaging and providing meaningful marketing and value. Look for new ways to extend patient value, and support a more positive customer experience along each and every touch point. This also means giving consumers and e-patients what they are looking for and not just your "brand sell". Engagement requires looking at each patient as a unique human being who, by the way, would "rather not e your customer" (After all, who wants to have a chronic condition and take medication for the trust of their life, whether it be your rand or a competitors?). Think hard how you might provide relevant value real-time, every time. To improve engagement, 6 C's are crucial:  1) Content that is based on meaningful insights and provides context; 2) Customization via new ways to personalize treatment, process or support; 3) Conversation is encouraged for better service, learning and sharing: 4) Confidence is built with trust and transparency; 5) Community Connectedness - directly or indirectly- create your own, or better yet, tap into an existing one; and 6) Consistent Commitment is demonstrated to your customer base--no one shot deals here.
5. Consumer power is a fact of life requiring brands and companies to walk and talk "patient-centered" -- consumers are finely tuned to what's valuable and authentic. Ask yourself one simple question over and over:  Will this bring meaningful value to our patients?
   
6. Keep your brand's strategic core strong and grounded, despite the onslaught of messages and tactics, and the speed with which they require action.  A strong core requires a compelling and relevant brand promise that focuses every strategy and tactic so they're synergistic and supportive. The payoff is staying on message by protecting the brand from chasing every new, cool digital and new media tactic coming your way.
   
7. Insist on elegant solutions that do more with less. Smaller budgets don't negate innovation and may have just the opposite effect in spurring new thinking.
8. Don't overlook the details. While they may seem small and trivial, find out which are important to patients and their families.  This can help instill better ROI efficiencies.
9. Refresh brand metrics and measurement to drive current brand objectives and initiatives. Think beyond traditional reach and frequency measures and try to ensure a flow of metrics and measurement from beginning to end of the patient "buying process" for maximum learning.
   
10. Be the best listeners in you category. Listen with vigilance, and act on learning across the organization. Listening, and what you do with your learning, is the responsibility of the entire organization.  Be sure that each 'tweet" or customer learning gets mapped back to a rightful "owner' in the organization.

In 2010, important media, social platforms and technology trends can't be neglected. Below are some helpful questions to ask as media and technology continue to quickly change (yes...an understatement!):

Pharma: Are you ready for 2010?  Despite continued budget tightening and generic growth, and open areas such as health  reform and  FDA social media and web guidelines, it's going to be a big year for those willing to step up and experiment with new ways of marketing and 'not marketing'...What do you think?

 

Other Suggested Reading:

The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson. Wikipedia's summary of long tail here.

Pharma: Are Current DTC Ads Meaningful? The Next Evolution of Marketing My Book review.

The Next Evolution of Marketing: Connect with your Customers by Marketing with Meaning by Bob Gilbreath, Bridge Worldwide

Susannah Fox, PEW Research Center: The Social Life off Health Information, Twitter and Status Updated, Fall 2009

Pharma: Is Your Brand Patient Centered? 5 Critical Success Factors by Ellen Hoenig, MedAd News, November, 2009

I love You More Than My Dog: 5 Decisions that Drive Extreme Customer Loyalty In Good Times and Bad  by J. Bliss

Strong Brand Core: More Core Than Ever? 

Pharma: Is Your Marketing Designed to Engage and Educate or Sell? My book review of Listen First Sell Later by Bob Poole

Pharma: Do You Elegantly Use What You Have? My book review of In Pursuit of Elegance by Matthew E May

Photo Credit:  Courtney Justice/The Cournell Group

Pharma Marketers: No Product Is An Island

Recently, I spent a productive day working with a smart group of consumer agency partners to integrate and finalize 2010 Marketing Plans for a Pharma brand we all support. 

Our conversation centered around the brand promise and the patient experience throughout the decision and treatment journey: from awareness and consideration, through conversion, adherence and advocacy or brand champion. We discussed the impact of different triggers and barriers, or where we might lose consumers (leaky buckets), which targets should be high priorities and why, and how the patient journey is no longer linear. (You may also want to read The New Marketing Funnel by Adam Cohen at A Thousand Cuts.) 

All the stuff you might expect a consumer team to collaborate and consider...Sounds good... EXCEPT... the work represented only the consumer team-- or one of the brand's customers.

No Product is an Island...

If a product is more than the product-- the cohesive, integrated set of experiences along the 'buying process' or 'treatment pathway', how do we make all of our core strategies and tactics work together seamlessly?

It takes some systems thinking.

Systems thinking was the first of the five key disciplines that Peter Senge outlined in The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization (1990), and often referred to as the 'Cornerstone' of the Learning Organization. Systems thinking is a framework that is based on the belief that the component parts of a system can best be understood in the context of relationships with each other and with other systems, rather than in isolation. The only way to fully understand why a problem or element occurs and persists is to understand the part in relation to the whole. Systems thinking includes the expected things like recognizing patterns, connections, leverage points, feedback loops, but also the human qualities of judgment, foresight, and kindness.

Net, a systems approach focuses on interactions and transactions within and between systems, and is especially concerned with the way the functioning of the ecosystem can be influenced by human interventions.
 

Systems thinking is a huge 'opportunity' for many Pharma brands.

Typical of most pharma planning, brand marketing plans are done largely in customer silos (i.e. physician vs consumer vs managed markets) with little 'real' integration and collaboration. Often agency partners (or dare I use the ugly word vendors) are handed objectives and strategies and asked to provide tactics. Largely in isolation. The different tacts are submitted to the customer brand lead who pulls them together into 'one' customer presentation, which is then fed to the overall brand lead who pulls everything into 'one' brand presentation.  Often, even partners within the same customer discipline don't have the opportunity to collaborate and integrate with each other from the bottom up. Agency partners may also not learn about other tactics or initiatives that could have an impact on their program until well after they've submitted their own plans.  They may hear about the different initiatives in a Marketing Plan Presentation, but this is usually 'not the place' to raise questions or concerns...

This means that the ecology and interdependencies of the patient treatment pathway are not really planned holistically, but independently. Intellectually, of course, everyone knows that the parts must be integrated, but due to time or workload, it's rarely a focus or accomplished...

What would it take for brands to be so well integrated--within and across each customer silo-- that everything works together seamlessly?

Marketers should pay more attention to the concept of Holism: the concept that the whole has a reality independent and greater than the sum of its parts. The holistic marketing concept is based on development, design, and implementation of marketing programs, processes, and activities that recognize their breadth and interdependencies.

Holistic Marketing is marketing strategy which is developed by thinking about the business as a whole. When using a holistic marketing strategy, every aspect of the business must be carefully considered. The company must think about how a consumer will interact with its product, its website, its advertising materials; a Pharma company must think about all of the above as well as how the consumer will interact with their doctor, pharmacist, payor, and friends and family... How KOL's will interact with local doctors, how doctors and their patients will interact and so on....

Seven tenets to a Holistic Marketing and a Systems Ecology approach:

1. Look at the Big Picture and not just the details or the tactic that you are responsible for. This requires setting aside the time and openness to new ways of planning.

2. Everything is interconnected. When you make a change in one area, you also affect many other areas. Or if you're expecting one area to perform, what interdependencies can effect the success or not? In pharma, these interdependencies can span across media, tactics or customers. E.G., if you're expecting a web DTC program to generate additional NRx's, what is the interdependence on formulary? If formulary is an issue, what other customer initiatives can help apply positive pressure on formulary acceptance?

3. Every single product introduction or major tactic has "unintended consequences." Have you anticipated what these might be?

4. Systems thinking is vital to customer experience business results. Each touch is a customer marketing moment.

5. Consumers are often more holistic than brand managers; doctors more holistic than sales representatives. Managed Care companies more holistic than company representatives. Customers don't think in silos; they think about things from their own perspective and needs-- which may not always get down to a specific product or company...Consumers care about their health--not your facebook page or conversion email...

6. Holistic marketing considers four major components: relationship marketing - integrated marketing - internal marketing - and socially responsible marketing. These go beyond internal or customer silos.

7. Make the time and effort to map out or diagram your marketing eco-system with all key stakeholders. In any study of a marketing ecological system, an essential early procedure is to draw a diagram of the system of interest...diagrams can further the group's thinking and indicate system boundaries. Within these boundaries, series of components are isolated to represent the portion of the world in which the systems marketer is interested...If there are 'no connections across the system' boundaries with the surrounding systems environments, the systems are described as closed. Most marketing work, however, deals almost exclusively with opensystems. There are many different types of diagrams that can help marketers better understand the issues and opportunities from a big picture, holistic view. (Some examples of system dynamics)

How can we take a more holistic and interactive approach to planning so that the marketing system truly fits and supports the customer?... The customer experience is improved?...The customer interactions result in greater value and sales? While these concepts may not be new, how do we start looking holistically at the bigger picture and really working through the interconnections? Thoughts?

 

Also thanks to Nicole Johnson for introducing me to www.inspireux.com

Other blogs and books that may be of interest:

Holistic Marketing Explored

Systems Thinking is Vital to Customer Experience

Applying Systems Thinking to Six Sigma

Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella Meadows 

The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice Of The Learning Organization by Peter Senge

Pharma: Dip Your Toes and Other Tips From DTC Perspectives Conference

We're in the midst of conference-frenzy.  Last week I was able to attend day two of DTC Perspective's Fall Conference: Reform & Refocus  (For twitter followers: #dtcfall). Here are some of the key themes that I picked up:

• Dip-your-toes approach. This was said over and over about social media. Get started, and evolve as you learn and your company becomes more comfortable with the effort. (This is also a common theme in Digital Pharma's conference taking place this week. #digpharm)
• Remember your overall marketing strategy--Before you clarify objectives  for social media and start running with tactics...
• Give the team TIME. Initiating new social media programs took many more hours and resources than originally planned. And there is always the unexpected...
• The Internet is for marketing-not just advertising. This also requires a shift in mindset. (Bill Drummy of Heartbeat Digital)
• Technology is moving oh soooo fast-Mobile, video, ‘smart' advertising using behavioral data, gaming and of course social media are musts to be more than experimenting with in 2010.

During day two, two presentations stood out to me:

Hologic and Greater Than One: How Social Media Can Become Real in Healthcare.  Marnie Rosenberg, Partner, Greater Than One and Mary Pietrowski Director of Consumer and eMarketing of Hologic did a great job presenting four case studies, including a branded YouTube video. This is also where the infamous twitter tweet: "60% consumers don't care who sponsors health info- just want good info, community-value". (Turns out it's based on Infomedics Survey.) They also presented iCrossing data showing that of the online tools and websites, social media is used by 34% to locate healthcare information.

The On Demand Brand (book due out spring, 2010) by Rick Mathieson: Digital to Consumer-- The 5 Top Trends in 2010

1. Social Networking of course...Regarding video, Rick presented data saying that nearly 50% of US adults say online video is a key way they research DTC drugs. His suggestions for pharma: use Social Media more for event based marketing, keep it social and targeted.
2. Smart Advertising using behavioral data, but being careful not to target too well or to become invasive
3. Mobile, especially texting, apps and use of QR codes
4. Video Games For Health and Advergaming (See my blog covering 2009 Games For Health Conference and PharmExec article Video Games: Key To The Future of Healthcare?)
5. Augmented Reality. The rules: Entertain, Educate and Engage

Wrapping up the conference, there was a good panel discussion with Pharma Marketers and Industry experts on The Use of Online Video in DTC Marketing led by Raj Amin, CEO, HealthiNation. Monique Levy @monasante also reviewed some recent Manhattan Research data. One of the points she made was that 25% of consumers view video on product.com sites.

Overall, the discussion centered around the big opportunity of video and suggestions to optimize its use e.g.: keep it moving (no more than 2-3 minutes) and tell an interesting story with great content.  Saatchi Wellness talked to their successful rooster campaign and the move from unbranded to branded. Nike was also discussed as a great example of parceling out video info depending on a consumer's interest. They keep initial video short, but enable additional video watching for those who want more info etc.

Any other thoughts?  Overall, day two was a good day!

 

Pharma Marketers: A Few Takeaways From The PharmaMed Conference

Here a few of the nuggets that I took away from this week's MedAdNews PharmaMed conference in Princeton, NJ. (Twitter stream available at #pharmamed hashtag or via coveritlive).  The promise for this year's conference -Connect. Communicate. Collaborate.-With a focus behind gaining insight into patient-centered communications, social networking and new technologies, and ROI optimization. (Can't resist linking back to my 6 C's for Better Consumer Engagement:  Consumer-first Content, Conversation, Customization, Community, Confidence, and Consistent Commitment.)

Social Media Planning and Optimization

Two key presentations from fellow bloggers:

Jonathan Richman (Dose of Digital)--Just How Digitally Savvy Are Your Patients?

Steve Woodruff (Impactiviti)-Social Media: Where's the Low Hanging Fruit?

Digital Savviness?                                                                   

A new marketing term to consider? Jonathan's new tool (which will be ready in January) will help characterize and rate consumers and their social media habits by four areas: productivity (e.g., shopping, paying bills), entertainment (e.g., watching videos, itunes), navigation (e.g., preferred browser, search engine) and social (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, IM).  This will provide a mechanism to help Marketers insure- that once objectives are set- that social media tactics match the person and their behavior-not their demographics. It will also encourage Marketers to think 'forward' to get ahead of competition: "What new social media tactics might appeal to this patient with their current social media characterization and use? What else might they be willing to try?"

Where's The Low Hanging Fruit?

Steve has a great way of talking about social media- or "social networking" as he prefers to call it- that makes it easy to understand and think about. His presentation went through some of the do's and don'ts for Marketers, and ended with this slide to capture the questions Marketers can ask to determine what activities and tactics might make the most sense from a community building, business upside and risk profile. He also referenced a great interview with Marc Monseau who leads Johnson & Johnson's blog and twitter efforts that's worth the read.

Other interesting speakers and their thoughts?

Monique Levy, Senior Director of Research, Manhattan Research spoke about Innovative and Effective Patient Adherence Programs. While she provided some good examples of Pharma adherence programs, her main point-which I whole heartedly agree with- is the need to recognize the complexity of adherence, and how much work it requires to really understand what's limiting a particular set of patients from being adherent...

Kip Creel of StandPoint Market Research presented findings from a unique study they designed to better understand what content physicians prefer to improve patient education, how much branding is permissible etc.

Getting the Most Out Of Your Agency was a lively discussion moderated by Chris Truelove, Editor of Med Ad News, with Joe Shields from Enbrel/Wyeth and Dave Paragamian from Euro. Lot's of good dialog on how to keep agency-client teams productive and fresh...

Sander Flaum moderated a lively panel speaking to the Future for Pharmaceutical Promotions.

IMSHealth's John Moran gave an insightful presentation on Achieving Sales, Brand and Managed Markets Alignment. John stressed the increasing opportunities to use patient level data (APLD) to better understand and match new patients using a new drug and the types of physicians with these patient populations. He also urged marketers to focus on the scripts that are up for play-the dynamic scripts- as opposed to those scripts being written for treatment maintenance... 

Raj Amin of HealthiNation closed the conference with thoughts on how to best use video in Pharma 2010 marketing plans. He suggests that Marketers not just re-purpose other TV and creative elements, but to think about how to use the video medium to best engage  the particular patient target. Also he believes that video creative and distribution go hand and hand, and videos should be no longer than 2-3 minutes, including fair balance. 

While this doesn't capture every presentation, hopefully it gives you a flavor for the general learnings and discussions...

Pharma: Should DTC TV Have A Place In Your 2010 Budget?

Everyday it seems that someone is reminding us of the demise 
of traditional DTC TV and broad based media in favor of the web and social media.

While web 2.0 continues to power health care today--critical to consumer health care information learning and sharing (How Social Are HC Consumers with their Info)--there are many who believe that traditional TV (when creatively executed) can still play a vital role, as part of the media mix, to help 'surround the consumer' and drive awareness, education and action, including engagement online and off. ( Trend Report 2009, MedAd News DTC Alive and Well,  May 2009, Magna Forecast, 2009) 

• Interestingly, the recent debut and success of Hulu.com's traditional TV advertising on this year's Super Bowl has many online leaders, including Amazon, Zappos and Kayak, reconsidering traditional agencies and offline tactics to help create 'fast' awareness and define more broadly what they do (Adweek: Online Brands Turn to Traditional Ads)..."What we've found is that if we layer in a little bit of off line brand advertising, it improves  the ROI of our online direct response campaigns," Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh said. (Many Pharma brands have also found this to be true; TV helps drive web efficiencies in addition to generating quick awareness and MD requests...)
• With the economic woes, it seems that more people are actually staying home and spending time in front of the tube--According to Nielsen, the average American watches 151 hours of TV in a month, an all time high (Daily Orange News).
• TV advertising continues to illicit a high degree of take action and trust. The 2009 Rodale Prevention Study reports that on average 33% of people who see any DTC ads talk about the specific medicine with their doctor that hey saw or heard advertised. (The eight year average is 33%, though the last four years have seen more year-to-year volatility. BTW, the study also shows continued growth of web use: 37% report discussing medical information they found online with their doctor.) Further, according to the latest Nielsen Global Consumer Survey: 62% of consumers said they trust TV advertising, equal to or better than all other forms of advertising, including print, radio, online banners etc. (but not equal to recommendations from people they know or from virtual friends)
• Over the last few years, the TV industry continues to experiment with some very interesting and creative formats to drive impact and engagement. (Adweek: Networks Try New Ways of Getting Viewers to Watch Ads; TV Ads are Less Effective) 

Last week, I stumbled upon Wayne Attwell's blog Integrating TV with Online Marketing where he was talking about how traditional media advertising (in this case TV), with it's diminishing efficacy and relevance, could be integrated into the new online marketing model.  He was proposing that marketers forgo the traditional 'reach and frequency' model in lieu of using the medium to introduce consumers to the online information pathway.  And then let the online 'word of mouse' take over assuming a quality product etc.

All this got me thinking about the use of TV in Pharma and whether it still offers an opportunity especially as DTC budgets shrink and there seems to be less and less mega brands and their corresponding 'mega' budgets.  Additionally, the increasing economic and generic pressures for branded pharma overall, are negatively impacting ROIs across the board, and expected to continue.

This all suggests that any use of TV needs to be effective and efficient.  Thinking about Pharma and Healthcare marketing, and the recent changes brewing in TV advertising, there now seem to be at least six different ways of executing TV:

1. Traditional Branded TV ads to drive awareness and MD requests. Branded TV planning is executed against the standard 'reach and frequency' models, and read with continuous tracking studies measuring brand and advertising awareness, and importantly, take action and change in brand sentiment etc...Likely, the branded TV campaign is part of branded print (beyond fulfillment of DDMAC regulations) and web banner ads, sponsorships, SEM etc.  This is the most expensive use of TV advertising and requires the largest media commitment.  But despite all the noise, TV can be very effective in driving brand awareness and action for the right target audience and product.
2. Unbranded Direct Response TV ads to drive response via a free informational offer or incentive. DRTV is generally bought on a cost per lead (CPL) and cost per qualified lead (QPQL) basis. Once consumers respond via phone or web, they can opt-in to further branded and educational relationship marketing streams. Since the only focus of these ads is to educate, communicate and romance an offer, they are generally the most efficient from a lead generation perspective and ensure motivated 'hand raisers' (much like the concept of web search...reaching a prospective patient who is interested enough to take action).  Unbranded ads can also appeal to a different segment of consumers who prefer to educate themselves and experience less "advertising sell" than those motivated by branded 'sell' ads. 

Another positive of DRTV is that it can generally be purchased with less lead time than print or network TV buys, and can be quickly 'turned off' if lead generation objectives aren't met.  Because lead gen is the primary objective, media budgets can be effective with a few million dollars or scale to larger dollars, but DRTV ads aren't competing to break through the clutter the same way that traditional branded ads have to. On the negative side, DRTV inventory can be an issue during certain times of the year or events, making it difficult to clear the number of ads that a brand may want to run to reach its lead gen goals. Further, because of the multi-step approach involved in opting-in to RM materials, time to action is generally less immediate than for a branded TV ad.

3. Direct Response Hybrid Branded TV ads to drive awareness, MD requests, but also some response to an informational or monetary offer. This type of ad may also be bought with a combination of traditional Reach and Frequency and/or Direct Response.  From my experience, the hybrid is just that, and will generally not achieve as efficient CPLs because there is less time dedicated to romancing the offer due to DTC fair balance. So it comes down to the particular brand's objectives (and in pharma's case often how much fair balance) whether this type of hybrid TV ad is viable or preferred vs. branded alone or offer only.
4. Branded Entertainment and Promotional TV adsto generate explosive awareness and drive online marketing and engagement. Here the goal isn't the standard reach and frequency, but to incite the target's attention and drive them to the web and/or social platforms for further dialog and relationship building. Often controversial in nature, these ads are developed, less for continuous and multiple exposures, and more for immediate impact and shorter runs. The difficulty here is that it can be hard to predict whether a particular campaign will generate the WOM or 'word of mouse' needed to pull off this kind of strategy, not to mention the production cost of TV ads these days...

Marketers outside pharma are aggressively experimenting with branded entertainment, including new ad formats in online TV shows, ads embedded in VOD, interactive TV ads and more...Assuming an excellent product/service, if a brand can produce a truly entertaining TV ad that ignites buzz and swift response of target consumers to continue the conversation off line, then Pharma can reduce overall TV media spending while still using TV for strategic advantages: immediate broad reach and bang...

5. Advertainment TV ads to encourage greater consumer interaction with TV content. The essence of Advertainment is the last minute addition of information to a TV ad in order to increase the topicality of the ad and to create an "as live" feel to communications. A major benefit is that it creates additional reward for the viewer, which can be either information-led or prize-led. Advertainment also allows an interaction with customers by using technology that updates the message on the ad throughout a program. Alternatively, advertisers can run a series of live interactive promotions during the ad breaks where viewers can vote via TXT, SMS, online or telephone. EG. Fuller's London Pride (beer) used advertainment TV to break through during the Rugby World Cup. The advertainment technology allowed Fuller's to incorporate the latest match scores within their ads during half-time and full-time- giving viewers communication with real currency. By the end of the campaign the brand had achieved its highest sales and brand share.Other E.G., Ford Focus, Action-ManAction Figures.This kind of advertising also has the potential to add value to an existing communications strategy and make the TV experience, and the brand, more exciting and surprising for the viewer, creating impact and WOM/PR opportunities. (Source: UK TV Toolbox, Thinkbox.tv

6. Reality TV ads seek their inspiration from documentary and reality TV techniques for innovative ways to emotionally engage consumers. E.G. For smokers trying to quit, a major comfort factor and motivator is knowing that others are having similar experiences. In Europe, Nicoquitin found a real-life quitter and aired her video diary in real time on TV, from her decision to quit onwards. These reality TV ads were broadcast in spots where the message would be most pertinent. People were engaged by the woman's journey; the brand achieved cut through in a cluttered market. Results:173k people pressed red to find out more, sales increased by 40% and tracking showed that the ad succeeded in maintaining peak season awareness levels out of season (Source: UK Innovative TV ad formats thinkbox.tv)

Building on existing local events and targeted marketing, Verizon FiOS took reality advertising one step further, creating My Home2.0 makeover/reality show that documents tech-challenged families learning to use the screens, gadgets, and tools that FiOS enables. The show provided a platform to unite previously disparate efforts, and to provide communications stream reflecting the family's stories-on line, on TV and in person-with FiOS as a subtle superhero. A third example: MTV partnered with Dove and Alicia Keys on a five-part micro-series that aired during breaks in The Hills and followed the lives of three young roommates in New York. (Source: Adweek Don't Touch That Dial. Networks Try New Ways)

2010 Planning:  While web and social media budgets will undoubtedly increase, and should, TV's proven effectiveness for certain targets shouldn't be overlooked.  What role should TV play:  awareness, response, entertainment, story-telling, engagement? Which of the above type(s) of TV ads make the most sense to help a brand achieve its objectives?

I've been part of many successful integrated TV campaigns. Recently, I was part of a new marketing effort for a small brand that stopping direct response TV in favor of a web and in-office marketing program... only to be disappointed with prescription sales...so it suggests to me that a well executed TV campaign can still be a viable element in the media mix.  The question is how to drive maximum effectiveness and efficiency...how for TV companies, clients and agencies to work together to create new ways to engage today's healthcare consumers...and how to continue the conversation online and in Social Media platforms.

Thoughts or considerations?

DTC 21: Navigating the Uncertainties of Social Media in Pharma

Admittedly a little self promotion, my new article "DTC 21: was just published in June's DTC Perspectives Magazine. The crux of the article:

As social media overhauls the consumer mindset, it's important to keep in mind that the principles of sound marketing still apply. Any forays into social media must fit with overall brand strategy, leverage consumer insights, and be executed with consistent creativity and authenticity. The article speaks to five phases of successful social media planning and some of the potential opportunities brands and companies can realize with good planning and focus on the 6 C's of Engagement.

While its only been two short months since the article went to print, Pharma's use of social media continues to steadily evolve, with a number of new forays into social media:

Blogs: GSK's  "More than Medicine" launched to the public in May, and speaks to a variety of issues across the healthcare spectrum. They've done an impressive job finding a credible voice so quickly out of the gate.

Facebook: J&J launched ADHDAllies for adults with ADHD as a complement to its pediatric ADHD for Moms launched last year. Also Marcia Strassman as Patient Advocate  for Zometa.

Brand Sponsored Communities: CML Earth- Created by Novartis Oncology, CML Earth is a global, interactive social network dedicated to connecting the CML community from around the world.

Moderated Chat: Though some might disagree, P&G's Asacol has initiated what I would say is  the beginning of moderated chat on their website for patients to ask questions and/or share their stories managing UC --but with no specific medication mentions. I like the idea of consumers having an opportunity to ask questions; hope they can quickly fix the kinks and expand the community aspects and depth of engagement...

Twitter: Novo Nordisk  with Race With Insulin, and Sanofi Pasteur, from the vaccines division of Sanofi-Aventis Group.

Games for Health: Having just recently attended the Games For Health Conference in June (PharmExec Blogs Next Frontier and Game Changing Implications), this is an area bursting with new products and opportunities, E.G., Hope Labs and Virtual Heroes  announced they will team up to create the next version of the Re-Mission Video Game for teens with cancer; plus many new excergames, braingames, health education games, rehab games, simulation training games, advergames...

  

 Other recent summaries providing helpful perspectives on Pharma and Healthcare Social Media include:

• The Washington's Post "Drug Firms Jockey For Space Online",
• Dose of Digital's Pharma and Healthcare Social Media Principles ,and Jonathan's Wiki which continues to expand, what seems like daily, and 
• Steve Woodruff's e-book Getting Started in Social Networking.

The numbers continue to demonstrate  how social consumers are with their healthcare information--but they're hardly relying on one particular media or platform, but a MIX of reliable sources...

Despite the regulatory challenges Pharma faces (latest DDMAC proposed regulations),  depending on your brand's target, Social Media pilots and programs should be part of your 2010 planning and marketing mix. It's not a matter of "if", but "who", "what", "when", "where", "why" and "how"...

While Social Media requires some "letting go", it is fast changing the game of  healthcare marketing and education.  How are you incorporating social media into your company/brand planning? Any successes you'd like to share?

 

Pharma Marketers: Think You Can't Do Moderated Chat?

Is your brand actively engaging its customers, enabling them to share their stories and opinions, and hear from "other consumers like them"? (In the latest PEW Internet and California Healthcare Foundation study, 68% of all adults ask a friend or family member for healthcare information-second only to asking a healthcare professional at 86%, and 57% of all adults use the internet.) Or are regulatory and AE concerns keeping you from considering moderated chat, even though it could strengthen two-way conversations  and help move your brand closer to building a genuine community?

Asacol, P&G's prescription treatment for Ulcerative Colitis has recently launched a new Community for UC patients to share stories-and share advice.  Asacol created a moderated chat where consumers can share their stories -if they keep it focused on their experience managing UC - diet, travel, telling others, etc. - and do not mention "Asacol" or other drug treatment options by name. (See their Guidelines for submitting stories.)

In the Asacol Community, consumers are encouraged to provide stories or to ask questions.  Content is carefully moderated per the guidelines, but consumers can rate and vote on story content and answers.

To help implement their program, Asacol partnered with Bazaarvoice, a company who provides a framework for capturing, managing, marketing and leveraging authentic user-generated content so that brands can capture and leverage their customer 'word of mouth' asset.  Bazaarvoice offers fully supported, hosted technologies that provide multiple levels of careful moderation. While new to the pharmaceutical industry, Bazaarvoice has provided their products across many other markets and for such key clients such as Walmart and Disney. 

Some of the products they offer within their platform:

The Ratings & Reviews^TMsolution combines technology, services, and expertise to harness customer opinions and help you build a dialog with your customers. (Ratings and reviews have also been shown to have a huge impact on organic search listings.)

Bazaarvoice Stories^TM offers a new way for your brand advocates to share their experiences on your site. This functionality allows visitors to talk about their experiences  without having to assign a rating. It's a great place to build a community for people with similar interests while making your site - or brand - the "destination."

The Ask & Answer ^TMsolution taps the power of online communities to address consumers' unanswered questions. This direct customer education can increase brand engagement and loyalty. (For addtional learning on the use of Bazaarvoice products, read Lessons from the Bazaarvoice Conference- ClickZ)

Another Pharma company building a two-way community is UCB. Recently, they announced a partnership with Patients Like Me to launch an epilepsy-focused patient community, and will report adverse events to the FDA through round-the-clock surveillance. The biopharma said in a release that the partnership will create "an online, open epilepsy community" in order to "collect, analyze and reflect information received from people with epilepsy, regardless of their diagnosis, prognosis or treatment regimen." The online community is expected to lunch in early 2010. (Medical Marketing & Media)

So it seems that Phrama companies and brands are beginning to move into greater two-way conversations and community-building. As companies and brands become more comfortable with these new platforms, hopefully they can further evolve to giving consumers more freedom to speak about their brands and treatments too... And pharma will see that the number of AE's is small and manageable...(The Myth of Adverse Event Reporting, Dose of Digital)

Hats off to Asacol for launching a community building effort on their branded site! (though the site itself could use some improvement with regard to user experience and graphics)

Other thoughts?