Pharma: Trends and Uses Of Mobile Apps and Digital Marketing

Pharma companies are not doing a great job at reaching physicians through social, and their ability to advertise to consumers could be eliminated in the US if the American Medical Association (AMA) has its way.

 

But the pharmaceutical industry's largest trade group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), isn't targeting physicians or consumers in what could be its most important ad campaign.

 

As detailed by the Wall Street Journal, as part of PhRMA's multi-million dollar spend this year, the organization will be relying heavily on social channels like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for the digital portion of the campaign.

 

The goal: counter ongoing public outrage over drug prices with the pharma industry's perspective in an effort to avoid or limit action that could harm pharma companies.

 

The most interesting aspect of PhRMA's digital campaign is that it won't be attempting to win the hearts and minds of the general population.

 

That is an impossible undertaking, as PhRMA board member and Celgene Corp CEO Robert Hugin told attendees at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco in January.

Instead, PhRMA plans to use the targeting tools offered by social channels to target its digital ads specifically to influential individuals, namely politicians and analysts who impact healthcare policy.

 

Those targeting tools are increasingly powerful. For example, on Facebook, advertisers can target their ads to users in specific locations, like Washington DC.

 

Combined with Facebook's ability to target using demographics, interests and behaviors, and it's likely that an organization like PhRMA could have quite a bit of success reaching a relatively small group of influencers with just a handful of thoughtful filters.

Via Pharma Guy, Lionel Reichardt / le Pharmageek