Go Ahead - Use My Meeting Discount

Hey all you educated, empowered pharma marketers who are always wanting to learn more ....

Planning on attending EyeForPharma's 4th Annual eCommunication and Online Marketing Summit this Nov. 3-4 in Philadelphia?

I hope you'll be there. Because I'll be serving on a Social Media Expert panel Nov. 4:

Social Media Expert Panel
5 of the most influential Twitterati and Bloggers around pharma eMarketing issues at your disposal! Get your questions in now. Panelists:

• Jonathan Richman, Director of Business Development, Bridge Worldwide
• John Mack, President, VirSci
• Steve Woodruff, President, Impactiviti
• Wendy Balckburn, Executive Vice President, Intouch Solutions
• Silja Chouquet, Owner & CEO, whydot

And because I'll be on the panel, I'm able to help you save $400 on your conference admission. If you're not sure yet, check out this link to the full speaker lineup. Or click here to register now. You can get the special $400 discount just by entering ‘SPEAK’ when you register for your ticket.

We're one of the last events of the conference, so hopefully more than 2 people will be left in the room. Either way, I hope to see you there. If you see me first, come up and say "hi;" I'd love to meet you!

Tis the Season: Tips for 2010 Planning

Every year around this time, our agency is aflutter with annual planning activity for our pharmaceutical clients. Strategies are inspected, research is reviewed, numbers are analyzed, brains are stretched, and - magically - ideas emerge. It's one of the reasons I love being in this creative business!

Are you in the midst of 2010 planning? If so, I'd like to offer up a few tips on working with your agencies to help make your planning process a success.

1. Have a Process - Some of our clients have a proven process they follow time and again. Some of our clients change their process every year (and yes, some clients change the process several times in the middle of the process). Whatever your approach, it's important to know going in how you'll manage the entire process of annual planning. Think through and communicate the key meetings, milestones, and expectations, and you'll have better outcomes from all involved. Budgets due mid-September? Please, please, please don't wait until the week before to let your agencies know!
2. Share Your Strategies - Your agencies are your partners. Take the time to not only share your strategic objectives for the coming year, but also walk them through them and answer their questions.
3. Avoid Silos - Pharma is (in)famous for its silos. If you're a brand manager, do you know what Public Affairs is planning next year? If you're in sales, do you have any clue what Marketing has in the works? You don't have to meet together every day, hold hands, and sing kumbaya, but at least make an effort to mesh brains and see where ideas (and budgets) could be combined to be even stronger.
4. Involve All Your Agencies. More people, more brains = more ideas. See my past posts on how best to integrate your agencies and how to get the most out of them working together.
5. Get Your Priorities in Order. Often much of planning focuses on wanting "BIG ideas." By the end of planning season every year, everyone is so sick of hearing the words "BIG idea" they want to jump out of a BIG fat window. And how often do those big ideas actually make the budget cut and get implemented? It's kind of silly and counterproductive .... As tempting as it is, I challenge brand managers and agencies to NOT focus on the big, sexy, sizzling ideas. Instead, focus on what's best for the brand and what's best for the patients. Sometimes the most boring of tactics will work the hardest at achieving goals. Or - if you must - seek a balance between the basic brand must-haves and a few "big" new ideas to keep things interesting.
6. Give Digital it's Due. With nearly 30% of consumer media time spent online, and anywhere from 60-80% of people searching for health information online, it's time pharma gives digital its due. Look at all of the opportunities within - and the strength of - this channel, and allocate your funds accordingly.

Happy planning!

Patients are Searching Online Before Filling Rx

For those of you that have ever worked on a compliance, persistence, or retention program, a small study just released from About.com might catch your eye.

In the pharma world, the question often comes up, "How do we reach patients RIGHT after they get their prescription? We need to let them know about all the great services, features, tools, gadgets, etc. available to help support them on their journey."

Too often, recruiting patients for pharma retention programs involve "sitting and waiting" for patients to come to a Web site and signup for the offerings on their own. Or hoping they'll pick up and pay attention to your in-office brochure. But new info from About.com supports a more active approach online.

As reported in MM&M, "just 35% of the individuals surveyed by About.com in June said they would fill a prescription on doctor's orders after a diagnosis, without first doing research online."

That is, the remaining 65% would receive a prescription and proceed to research it online prior to filling the prescription. So between the physician and the pharmacy, patients are going online for more information. These are clearly the more empowered, information-seeking patients. Don't you have some information you'd like them to see?

If you're trying to locate patients early in the treatment continuum, make sure your banner buys, search engine marketing, product.com Web site, and appropriate landing pages are all in place to speak to these empowered patients directly. They'll be glad you did.

Social media: Is your content worth sharing?

With special thanks to guest Intouch blogger and our Emerging Media Director, Jim Dayton
As pharma marketers, social media has added a new layer of complexity to what we do. There are easily twice as many things to consider when we develop a marketing strategy now that our message must be broadcast-worthy, interactive and sharable. As pundits push us to jump into social media by creating pages on social networks or corporate blogs and Twitter accounts, we must take a step back and ask a very important question – can we provide value to consumer online communities?
Your Commitment to Consumers
There is a strong belief among marketers that they already are providing value with their current online content. Unfortunately, that’s only half-true. An exceptional Web presence in the 21st century requires more than a great Web site acting as a repository for all your product information. It requires a commitment to the consumer – provide them with the tools they need, the encouragement to perpetuate the message, and straight answers when they ask questions. It requires true and transparent interaction with your customers.

So What Content Is Valuable?

1st First, you must determine whether your content has any value. Can it, and will it, be shared across the various digital channels? In January of this year, eMarketer reported that U.S. user-generated content creators were expected to reach 88.8 million by the end of 2009. By utilizing Forrester’s Groundswell Social Profiler for trending:

• "Creators" account for only 21% of U.S. adults using social media.
• 69% are "spectators," meaning they read the content.
• 37% are "critics," meaning they comment on the content.
• 19% are "collectors," meaning they bookmark the content.

These groups must all be taken into account when determining your content’s value. And once the content is created for these groups, you must then determine the mode of delivery and dissemination.

2nd
Second, you must ask if your content is being distributed via a trusted media source.According to TNS Media Intelligence:

• The most trusted media source is "recommendations from friends," with 48% of U.S. respondents.
• Company Web sites are a distant 7th at 27%.
• Private blogs are in 13th at 9%.

Simply posting content to your Web site will no longer work in the age of social media. Whether it is bookmarking links or direct links to Twitter, Facebook or other social outlets, you must provide the tools for the content to be shared from one user to their sphere of influence. Unless your company has built the relationship with its customers to be the "trusted brand," content coming directly from your company will garner little trust among consumers.

3rd Third, you must plan to engage in customer conversation. Once you publish valuable content and allow it to be shared, consumers will have questions. Be ready to respond. Granted, strict regulations make it difficult to respond to many questions. Maybe it’s time to make the public aware that not every question can be answered in full, but that your company is here to openly engage in transparent and genuine conversation as much as it can. Anticipating questions and formulating responsible answers today for social media initiatives that have yet to be created actually is a great way of taking the first step to creating valuable social media content.

For more information on social media opportunities for your brand, please contact your Intouch Solutions representative, or contact us at getintouch@intouchsol.com.