Zoomedia Blog
Many of our clients have asked us recently about “Web 2.0” technologies. Pharma DTC websites are beginning to see lively discussion around this topic and the technological advances behind the terminology are significant. Web 2.0, and all that the label stands for, indicates a major directional shift in online communication between all the stakeholders involved in DTC and DTP promotion. There is a significant patient empowerment movement emerging fueled by Web 2.0 that biotech and pharma cannot afford to ignore. This month we will address the Health 2.0 movement, its associated Web 2.0 terminology and technologies, and weigh-in on the debate many Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical companies are having about how, or whether, to best use these technologies. This is a very new form of communication particularly as applied to DTC promotion. In coming months, we will be publishing a series of articles and newsletters around social networking as it relates to our highly-regulated industry and the Health 2.0 movement.
Web 2.0 technologies are largely defined as the next generation from Web 1.0, the primary goal of which to deliver information in a “content provider to consumer” method. That is, content was delivered from an authority figure (a company’s website) to a person looking for information (the website visitor) in a very static and non-interactive fashion. Web 2.0 websites, by contrast, are customized by an individual visitor, edited and/or created by all users – both the website owner and its audience, with pages delivering specific content that is flexible and constantly changing. Examples include websites that integrate community forums, blogs, RSS feeds, tagging for social network-ing, and wikis, to name a few. Specifically, popular websites such as Wikipedia.org, Myspace.com, and Del.icio.us are all heavily dependent upon Web 2.0 technologies.
So why should biotech and pharma pay attention to a larger internet phenomenon when the industry has not even fully engaged with Web 1.0? Current studies show that more than 113 million Americans go online to learn about health conditions and available therapies. Align this fact with the rapidly evolving world of user-generated content where highly sophisticated online audiences get into EVERYTHING and have all the tools necessary to make their opinions heard, in or out of your carefully crafted marketing context. We refer here to Geoffrey Moore’s principle of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt). Pharma & biotech marketers experience two major barriers to the Health 2.0 world. First, internal hesitations about vulnerabilities of engaging in communication and relinquishing complete control of the environment; second, anticipated regulatory (SEC, FDA) action on uncontrolled marketing messages as it relates to fair balance and off label promotion.
The lack of specific FDA guidance on branded DTC and social networking websites, coupled with internal regulatory hesitations over embracing Web 2.0 websites and the general arena of “community generated content,” worries some marketing managers, Specifically, the concern is that on such websites, visitors, such as whistle blowers, may criticize or even provide false information about their drug, product, or service. While the number of Web 2.0 web-sites is growing significantly, some companies might avoid these websites based strictly on the fear that the FDA might flag website user-generated content as off-label promotion or outside of the boundaries of the established print and broadcast DTC guidelines. In those cases, these marketers are choosing to avoid this risk of negative advertising and instead stick to more traditional media outlets where the FDA provides more clear guidance.
Despite these very valid concerns, several biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are integrating Web 2.0 communications tools to take advantage of the opportunity to spread the word about their products and business. Since June 2007, both Johnson & Johnson and Glaxo Smith Kline have set up highly regulated and vetted blog-based websites as promotional pieces. J&J’s blog addresses corporate events, provides insight into company activities, and aims to balance the company’s coverage in national media. Similarly, at Alliconnect.com, GSK employees post information, recipes, and discussions about their FDA-approved, OTC weight loss drug. On each of these websites, employees start the initial conversation and the general public is allowed to follow up with comments, which often take the shape of larger discussions and debates on the various topics. Beyond allowing for a more open, yet regulated, discussion of branded products or a health issue, these websites can also offer invaluable tools for regulators to help monitor and/or evaluate trends that relate adverse drug effects. In the coming years, these will become invaluable tools in a marketer’s arsenal and as such, companies need to start at least addressing the implementation challenges before they are left behind by the competition.
Another way that biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies can participate in the Web 2.0 transition is to en-gage on or with non-profit or third party websites that have no relationship to the FDA-approved branded product marketing messages. An example of this has multiple pharma companies such as GSK, Abbott, and Valeant Pharmaceuticals engaging with the leading online community of epilepsy patients, families, and healthcare providers, epilepsy.com, to promote their brands through highly targeted online advertising and content development initiatives. Through the editorial content, blogs, and community forums provided on epilepsy.com, pharma advertisers tap into a loyal, targeted audience of over 200,000 visitors who view more than 1 million pages each month. These pharma companies are enhancing their brand recognition in a setting where visitors are repeatedly exposed to the desired messaging in a community-driven and “regulatory safe” environment.
Zoomedia is excited about the opportunities presented by evolving internet technologies and believes that these trends will continue aggressively in the direction of more visitor interaction and user-generated content. Chris Reidy of Boston Globe recently addressed the impact of Web 2.0 technologies, commenting that “it would appear that social networking is not a fad but rather an activity that is being woven into the very fabric of the global Internet." As Web 2.0-based websites continue to grow both in number and in web traffic, the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry is poised to take a central, leadership role. To discuss more about how Zoomedia can help your company reach new audiences, contact Kathleen Ralston, VP of Business Development.
Tags: Patient Strategy, Global Strategy, Product Strategy, Transforming Technology, Web 2.0