The Pharmaceutical Marketer’s Forecast for 2017 - February 2017

1Confidential

The Pharmaceutical Marketer’s Forecast for 2017

2Confidential 2Confidential

Agenda1. Unbranded Disease-State

Communities are Losing Steam

2. Pharma Negative Discussion will Continue to Increase

3. Pharma Customer Service goes Digital

4. Branded Rx comes out of the Darkness

5. Learn more


Unbranded Disease-State Communities are Losing Steam

Pharmaceutical businesses have created unbranded disease-state communities as part of their marketing and social media strategy.

These are pages whose purpose is to raise awareness around certain disease states, offer education and encourage people along their disease journey.

It’s become standard practice… but does it hold value for pharma marketers?





If you do a Google or Facebook search today on some common disease states, like arthritis or leukemia, you can see that it’s a crowded marketplace. In some cases, there are dozens or more community pages with a similar purpose.


Unbranded Disease-State Communities are Losing SteamUnbranded Disease-State Communities are Losing Steam




How do you distinguish your drug from others when there are many unbranded disease-state destinations similar to yours?




Patients are not coming to interact with your company.

They are coming to find others with similar experiences, and to gain and share support.




• Listen to what patients are saying and interact with them

• Improve your marketing programs and products through the insights you gather

• And even advertise into these communities


Uncertainty for Pharma Companies on the Social Web is on the Rise• Uncertainty in drug prices• Shifting regulations• Upheavals in coverage for

patients• Industry scandals• New administration


Patients are skeptical of pharmaceutical companies, drug prices, and expect the worst related to their premiums and coverage.

According to the Edelman trust survey, as little as 20 years ago, more than 75% of Americans found the pharma industry to be trustworthy, that number today is below 10%.

You ARE going to face a social media crisis sometime this year, and we want you to be prepared for it.

Uncertainty for Pharma Companies on the Social Web is on the Rise



Uncertainty for Pharma Co.’s on the Social Web is on the Rise

A social media crisis happens much faster today, and the consequences can be more costly.

In August of 2016, a social media crisis around the pricing of Mylan Epipens hit social media.

In a week it dominated all media headlines and social conversation. In less than 3 weeks the CEO was in front of Congress, and the company was hit with a $450 million fine.



What do you need to have in place: • Social Media Monitoring and

Listening Program• Product and Brand Crisis

Response• Enterprise-level PR and

Crisis Management


58% of consumers are willing to spend more on companies that provide excellent customer service

(Source: American Express)

Patients are Reaching for Social Customer Service


82% of consumers have stopped doing business with a company because of bad customer services

(Source: Zendesk)




A patient’s method of contact is very personal and often is generational.

While the older generation is going to reach for a phone, the caregivers in the middle, and the younger audiences, are going to default to communication via their device (tablet or smartphone).


Facebook re-introduced Messenger in April 2016 with even more social customer service capabilities.


Pharmaceutical companies are good at communications in social but not for their specific brands.

But they were not being social

Branded Rx Comes out of the Darkness


Branded Rx comes out of the Darkness

Pharma marketers want to have a direct conversation about products with customers. Several things have come together to do that:

1. Over time we’ve gained a clearer understanding of the FDA’s direction by watching warning letters. This allows us to create a path forward with confidence.

2. Some of the social platform providers have given us new options for staying compliant. Options like scrolling ISI and the ability to limit comments to a page.

3. There are brave brands that have paved the way for the rest of us to participate in social media.





Take a look at the Rx drug Gilenya on Facebook. They are a good example of a prescription brand that allows comments, and is having conversations.



In the coming months we will see other Rx brands venture out and begin social pages aimed at having a dialogue about their products.



Takeaways Carefully align unbranded efforts

to your objectives – it might be time to reexamine your strategy to see if its working

Be ready. The uncertainty is coming soon to a SM feed near you.

Digital customer service shouldn’t be scary.

It’s time for a fast follow on Rx branded communities.


Contact us at [email protected]

Dawn Lacallade, [email protected]

Mark Williams, [email protected]

Visit our recent blogs on 2017 for pharma marketers at http://www.liveworld.com/blog/

Thank you for your time!

Health & Medicine

The Pharmaceutical Marketer’s Forecast for 2017 - February 2017