by Kristen L. Phiel, MS, Independent Medical Writer
The use of social media to market—well just about everything—is all the rage. Successful marketing plans now factor in all kinds of social media campaigns, from bulletin boards to blogs and YouTube to Twitter. With one major exception – healthcare marketing, especially for pharmaceutical and medical device prescription products.
Why no product tweets or YouTube videos from the makers of the latest cholesterol-lowering wonder drug or the product with the most staying power for sufferers of erectile dysfunction? Simple – fear.
Pharma and medical device companies have much to be wary of. These companies do not want to risk being caught in the wrong by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any money-hungry lawyers.
Just how scared are these companies? One recent report stated that only 2 drug and device companies maintain blogs and a handful more tweet, compared to 16% of Fortune 500 companies who maintain public blogs.
But the proverbial social media silence may soon be coming to an end, as the FDA announced its first step to tackle the use of the web and social media to market pharmaceutical and medical device products – two days of public hearings. The hearings to be held Nov. 12-13 are intended to help guide the FDA in making policy decisions on how the Internet and social media tools can be used to promote these products.
The notice on the Federal Register reads, “The continually evolving nature of the internet, including Web 2.0 and social-media tools, as well as their expansion to applications such as mobile technology, have raised questions and concerns over how to apply existing regulations to promotion in these newer media. FDA is evaluating how the statutory provisions, regulations, and policies concerning advertising and promotional labeling should be applied to product-related information on the Internet and newer technologies. Although the agency believes that many issues can be addressed through existing FDA regulations, special characteristics of Web 2.0 and other emerging technologies may require the agency to provide additional guidance to the industry on how the regulations should be applied.”
And more parties than the pharmaceutical and medical device companies are jockeying to be heard. While social media is only one marketing tool, no ad agency or PR firm wants to be caught out. Physicians, consumer groups and search engine operations all have a vested interest as well in the outcome of this debate.
While it may still be some time before the latest and greatest prescription products are tweeting away, you can find out the outcome of this hearing by visiting: http://www.regulations.gov approximately 30 days after the hearing.
This week, I came across a must-see presentation on social media for non-profit organizations. It’s a realistic, manageable approach, excellent for beginners or organizations looking to enhance current social media strategy.
In a culture engulfed by the Web, it’s no surprise that companies have turned to computer and web-based applications for training and educating their employees. Through the implementation of a learning management system (LMS) and a process called eLearning, you can help your organization recognize the benefits of shared information.
According to Sal Abate, a learning performance expert at Mills James, an LMS can control all aspects of a company’s training initiatives. With an LMS, employers are better able to teach, develop and measure associates’ progress–the results of which drive organizational performance.
Businesses are also quickly finding that associated costs can be far less than anticipated. According to Abate, you can manage and maintain an LMS with an average cost per user of less than $50 annually. The figure is typically smaller than a company’s current training expenditures, and considering the capabilities of an LMS, it can be a more efficient use of often scarce budget dollars.
The cost benefit is not the only appealing attribute of an LMS. Abate claims the right system has the ability to integrate content from various sources and formats without technical obstacles, and can export results into a readable, reusable format that is compatible with the company’s current software. The LMS can immediately and accurately calculate return on investment, and can do so for the lifecycle of the employee.
A learning management system can effectively blend virtual (online) and physical (classroom or instructor-led) learning approaches. With customizable interfaces and branded content, your organization’s image and identity can be reinforced throughout the eLearning experience.
Today is the first day of fall – have you thought about your New Year’s resolutions recently? If you were like so many of us, somewhere on that list scribbled in early January was “Workout” or “Start Exercising”. Now is the time to get your rear out of the cube and get moving. Why now? What new motivation is going to get you going? New research shows that exercise can make you smarter!
Now, not just any exercise will do. Investigators in Taiwan compared the learning and memory abilities of mice allowed to run on rodent wheels to those who were run on mini-treadmills who got a more strenuous aerobic workout. Both groups of mice were tested in a water maze to see how fast they would learn to move away from an unpleasant stimulus. Both groups of mice swam well in the maze, but only those who ran on the treadmills were better at avoiding the unpleasant response. When their brains were analyzed under a microscope, there was evidence that several portions of the treadmill mices’ brains had changes compared to only one region in the rodent wheel mice.
“So what,” you say? What does this mean in people? Studies throughout the ages have shown the many benefits of exercise. Ten years ago, groundbreaking research from scientists at the Salk Institute in California showed that exercise can stimulate the creation of new brain cells.
So what kind of exercise is best? Aerobic activity is the clear winner! A study comparing cognition tests in elderly people, who either stretched or walked briskly, showed that the walkers improved their cognitive abilities. A recent study testing the memory skills and cognitive recognition abilities of students who either sat quietly, lifted weights, or ran on a treadmill showed that the students who ran were noticeably quicker and more accurate on the test and they continued to perform better over a longer period of time.
What is it about aerobic activity that can make you smarter? One theory is that factors produced in the throughout the body and secreted into the blood are then carried to the brain where they start a molecular chain reaction that leads to the generation of new neurons and neural connections. So, unless you really get your blood pumping those important factors never reach central processing!
While the human body may not work the same as those treadmill-run mice, do you want to be the feeble-minded one left sitting in their cube? There is no better time to start a regular exercise program than right now! And don’t forget the aerobic exercise!
SIG Recap: Job Transition Group Meeting, August 25, 2009
A strong positive attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug. – Patricia Neal
What an encouraging August meeting! We had two success stories. Congratulations to Joel Kohler and Meg Holley – each of them landed jobs since the last meeting.
As the usual introductions were made, it was clear we had a lot of talent in the room, including many new graduates.
Keri offered a great suggestion for those in transition. Instead of focusing on the same big employers in town (Alliance Data, Abbott, etc. ), open your mind to other possibilities.
Columbus Business First publishes a Book of Lists each year with listings of hundreds of industry-leader companies in the area by ranking. You’ll find titles and contact information for key decision makers at each company.
The Book of Lists will add value to your job search today, and can help with prospecting, networking and more after you land the perfect job. Well worth the $45 investment!
If you’re in transition, join us at our next meeting on September 22nd. Our EAST group meets on the the 4thTuesdays of each month.
Recognition:
Meg Holley (aka Margaret) serves the Columbus AMA chapter as the co-chair of the East Marketing Transition Group. She works for Fiserv as a Service Manager and can be reached at 614-861-5151 or via e-mail at holleymeg@yahoo.com.
If your organization is cutting back on business travel, you’re in good company. Travel budgets are often the first casualties of the economic downturn. But with corporate travel on standby, business communicators still have deadlines to make – including training and continuing education, new product introductions, quarterly employee updates, crisis communications and plant announcements. Virtual is replacing the physical as creative organizations use more electronic media to communicate with employees, dealers and members – so the story still gets out while everyone stays put.
Live video Webcasting is a virtual meeting format that lets executives originate big meeting-quality presentations from their offices or boardrooms to employees, customers and investors – complete with PowerPoint and interactive Q&A. Webcasts can be viewed live or downloaded 24/7 at participants’ convenience – even those working from their home– and can be more inclusive than large events. Administrative support personnel, who otherwise might not have been included, can be invited to participate at little incremental cost to the organization.
Larger firms are embracing “cascade meetings” where important announcements and new-product introductions make their premiere at more modestly sized live events, then “cascade” out into the rest of the company via crisply produced media materials including DVDs, meetings in a box and downloadable audio/video/presentation files.
Other companies are taking cues from large financial institutions, known for routinely taking executive teams on tour to smaller employee group meetings. With electronic presentation equipment more portable, these executive road shows help curtail corporate travel costs.
The American Marketing Association Fall Membership Drive starts today!
There’s never been a better time to take advantage of the information and connections available to you as a member of the American Marketing Association. Members enjoy access to the AMA’s resource library, online career resource center, free access to more than 100 members’ only webcasts, and more!
Click here to join and start taking advantage of all that the AMA has to offer!
Already a member? Check out the AMA on Twitter for Your Chance to Be a Winner with Columbus AMA
We are kicking off our Fall Membership Drive with a Social Media campaign and contest. Each week on Twitter, we will have a few repeating themes:
TwitPic Tuesday where participants post their best shot of the “Theme of the Week”
Random Wednesday where members tweet about their favorite fun fact or reason to join AMA
ReTweet Thursday where we saturate the world with RTs about AMA
Prizes will be awarded at the end of the campaign for:
Best TwitPic – this will be based on number of views
Best Benefit Tweet – will be based on our panel of judges. Extra consideration will be given to contestants that comment on an AMA blogpost about our Fall Membership Drive.
Most ReTweets – like the TwitPic contest, this is based on sheer volume.
In order to win, participants must be a current AMA member or join during the Fall Drive. Qualifying Tweets must use the hashtag #ColsAMA.
“Our consumers are very loyal to us and they love to send us photos showing the great results they get from using Scotts Miracle-Gro lawn and garden products,” said Ed Billmaier, Sr. Director of Relationship and Interactive Marketing, as he shared how Scotts is examining opportunities to create meaningful engagement with their consumers.
“By creating a sense of community where consumers can connect and share their contentment and loyalty towards our products, everyone benefits,” Ed continued.
Columbus AMA talked with George Taylor, VP of Customer Excellence at Cardinal Health, about how his company’s customer retention and customer loyalty programs are responding to the nation’s current desire for healthcare reform. Listen to how they react to potentially major change during these difficult times.
Well-executed meetings can be tough to plan – and tough on the planet, too. Wasted paper and plastic, leftover food and the impact of jet travel leave large environmental footprints. Over the past year, green-conscious meeting and event planning has grown from a fringe trend into a new ethic that forward-thinking associations and corporations are embracing to help save the planet as well as save costs. Fortunately, it’s getting easier being green, and media technology can help. According to the corporate event planning experts at Mills James, here are a few simple tips for making your meetings more environmentally friendly:
