Data is the life blood for market researchers so the data from social media is effectively “free” and passive listening can give some important early warning signs. However the downside to using data from social media is the fact that your competitors will also be able to get access to the same data. In my opinion it is the people that can collect the information and turn it into useable data the most efficiently that will prosper.

Doctor’s lack of trust in pharma was being fed by negative media stories and scepticism about the information received from the industry. Alarmingly and despite all the online activity from pharma, 40% of doctors have never visited a pharma company website for product information, preferring to go to online physician communities.

It seems to me that a lot of work still needs to be done in influencing doctor engagement. The survey cited some of the more innovative approaches, including the use of 3^rd party platforms (e.g., Boehringer Ingelheim Asasantin) and supporting patients and HCP (such as Janssen’s ADHD).

All food for thought and it does seem that industry is recognising and responding to some of the challenges. I am looking forward to hearing from Jutta Klauer from Pfizer and Claire Payne at Merck Serono at DigiPharm Europe 2012; both of have some interesting stories to tell on customer and stakeholder engagement.…

Float’s recent report shows a trend towards do-it-yourself medicine examples of which are:

- The Instant Response iPhone app which monitors a person’s health and sends signals to a response team in an event of an emergency

-The Macaw app which collects information on weight tracking, sleep management, glucose monitoring and more

- Calorie Counter app

There has been a significant shift towards an emphasis on wellness, prevention, self-care and home care which can only be a good thing. With the baby boomer generation entering old age encouraging them to use these kind of apps will hopefully reduce the number of people needing hospitalisation and reduce the stress on the NHS/Medicaid etc.

As someone who does have issues with sleep management I am off to download the Macaw app and check it out- will let you know how I get on!

I’ve spent the last few months buried in the pharmaceutical marketing world, working hard on producing the Pharma Marketing Show, which will run alongside DigiPharm this September. I thought it was important to give a bit of background as to what we are hearing from the industry about the topic and why we are launching a new pharmaceutical marketing event.

Its easy to get swept away with the opportunities and innovative strategies that digital and mobile technologies can offer pharma marketing. I’ve had a sneak peak at the DigiPharm agenda this year and there are loads of exciting examples of companies who are really standing out in this field in their approach to digital technologies.

So while DigiPharm looks at who is doing what in digital, and who is doing it well and really driving growth and innovation in this field, I think it’s vital to remember that however important digital technologies are, they are still only one (important) piece of the puzzle. I’m interested in understanding how pharma can get all of the pieces of the puzzle and fit them together in the right way. How has pharma done to date? Has it embraced newer technologies well and incorporated them in the marketing mix or is their approach still lacklustre leaving much to be desired? I think there is further to go, which i hope this event can help with. It’s about understanding your product, brand, customers and engaging them through the right channels whether that’s social media, online communities, detailing, sales force, face-to-face, video etc.

It feels like pharma is in a transition phase in recent years, undergoing some evolutionary changes to the way medicines are valued and purchased while facing bigger and bigger financial and social pressures. More than ever, innovation and comparative effectiveness are driving market access decisions, a big hurdle in getting your drug to the end patient. This hurdle – payer influence on the decisions – is now a primary concern for all involved in the development of a drug including the marketing team. This is all having a big impact on the marketing function as it needs to respond proactively in its approach to the changes to stay ahead of the game, understand the changing customer base along with their new information and engagement needs. Its not about shouting your message in a blanket marketing campaign anymore. It is about tailoring the information, being a hub of scientific and medical knowledge and helping the relevant customer (be that patient, physician, pharmacist or payer) access, understand and gain benefit from it. 

So anyway, back on track, we are just about there with the Pharma Marketing Show agenda and the brochure will be available soon. It’s been developed based on what the industry has asked for with lots of discussion on multichannel marketing, the regulatory back bone, big data capabilities, new expertise requirements, market access, the new customer base, customer engagement, brand development and differentiation strategies. All very important and relevant to the industry. I hope you like it and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

He uses Apple as an example of a company that first and foremost aim to understand people and then understand technology. Who better to take a leaf out of their book than Apple!

Mobile is such a personal and intimate way to reach out to people that you probably have to take extra care when using this medium in your marketing strategy. I for one don’t mind getting promotional emails but if I get a text from someone promoting there services and it’s not from a company I feel passionately about then it just annoys me. So when using mobile really think about who your customer is and what need they have that you can fulfil. If what you are offering is useful then your customer will happily let you “get intimate” with them via their mobile!

To summaries Daniel says not too panic and feel that you have to have an app and jump on the band wagon. When you have a great idea that will fill the need of your customers then make sure you set goals, know your customer and select the right channel for them. If that is mobile then go for it!

Read Daniel’s article here.

At Mobile Pharma World Europe this week Dr Sameer Mistry from Janssen discussed the ideas and development for their Psoriasis mobile App. He also explained the reasons for the Facebook page and why they decided to close it.

Sameer explained that they set up Psoriasis Facebook page so people could share and discuss their experiences with the disease. As I am sure you are aware the press reported that Janssen decided to close the page earlier this year.

Sameer out explained that to meet with regulations and compliance Janssen were removing posts that did not comply with regulations. As time has gone by more and more people started talking about the treatments they received, which drugs they were taking and their experiences. However, these comments had to be removed. Janssen realised this is the information that patients seek when finding out about this disease and removing these comments was not benefiting the community they served. The comments and conversations that were left on the Facebook page were very bland. Janssen consulted with Psoriasis Association who can provide and allow patients to share these experiences.

- Consumers want information in real time, targeted & personalised

- Health Care Practioners need to optimise their workload & improve patient outcomes

-Patients want the self-management of their conditions to be easier

-Pharma want to increase their brand value

She also went on to talk about the advantages of using mobile:

- Omnipresence

-Improved time relevance

-Location awareness

-Customer education awareness

-Improved physician patient communications

-Better coordination & communication

Thanks Jody for being part of the discussions at Mobile Pharma World Europe 2012!

-They can become a multimedia, customizable presentation for the rep

- Updates can easily be distributed via a network

- It’s lighter than a laptop

- Allows reps to comfortably present interactive content during a multitouch screen navigated detail

Are your sales guys already using iPads? Are you considering rolling them out?

HTML5 is platform and browser independent so its viewable on web, iphone, Droid etc. Consequently it eases the creation, publishing and sharing of content. Jaimie has to ensure that Biogen Idec have an effective and efficient platform for crating, maintaining and supporting websites, mobile apps, social media and other emerging platforms and he believes this will happen with the introduction of HTML5.

Digipharm Europe 2011: Discussing the challenges and strategies used to enhance online communications, customer relationships, strengthen brand awareness and improve profitability in digital marketing for pharmaceutical/biotech.

A round up of the Digipharm Europe 2011 conference