Five for Friday

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to this week’s edition of Five for Friday! We thought we’d mix things up this time around and share a handful of Social Media headlines from the world of Big Pharma – followed are those that caught our eye:

A recent tally of Twitter feeds maintained by pharma companies has uncovered 200 accounts held by 44 drugmakers, and that number appears to be growing. For brands and manufacturers seeking to raise their Social Media profiles, the trend seems to be toward diversification, with companies operating multiple handles and feeds that serve an array of purposes from recruitment to disease awareness and product focus. In related news, analysis on the global reach of pharma on the platform shows that 53,171 people follow these organizations on Twitter, with a combined potential reach of 55.6 million… (Source: Eye on FDA).

Kudos to Bayer Corporation for being the first major pharma company to develop a presence on Pinterest. Quietly launched several months ago, the company is currently using the platform to drive traffic to its other online properties, with many of their pins linking back to their digital pressroom or YouTube channel. Smart… (Source: Pinterest).

On Facebook, marketers have long regarded Social Gaming as a powerful vehicle for connecting audiences to brands. In the world of healthcare, their use is just being realized as more and more titles coming to market. One such entry – “Syrum” – is currently under development by Boehringer Ingelheim. Once launched, it will give players the opportunity to save the world, one disease at a time, by harvesting molecules. Syrum is expected to make use of all of the Social aspects of Facebook, from linking up with friends, to awarding gifts and rewards check-ins. For the latest updates and details on the official launch day, sign up here… (Source: Boehringer Ingelheim).

From the nation’s top public health agency, to medical clinics, physicians are coming to realize that their patients want more than a 15-minute office visit. In response, an increasing number of doctors have come to rely on digital tools – like texting, Twitter, Facebook and email – to deliver health messages, track disease trends and identify medical problems. So much for that “doctor as technophobe” stereotype… (Source: CBS News | HealthPOP).

A study conducted by the Health Research Institute at PricewaterhouseCoopers US has found that 33% of consumers turn to sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and online forums to find health-related information, track symptoms and share their thoughts about a doctor, drug, treatment and/or medical device. Within their survey, 41% were found to be “influenced by the opinions of others” on Social sites, particularly when choosing a hospital, medical facility or doctor. Decisions to get second opinions (45%), take certain medications (34%) and select health insurance plans (32%) also ranked high… (Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP).

And there you have it, this week’s picks! Have a story to share or thoughts to add to any of the above? Leave us a comment and let’s discuss!