Patient Engagement via Social Media

transcript

Sebastian Kölsch, 27th January 2011

SERVING YOUR TRUE CUSTOMERS

MY SPEECH IS ABOUT…

• Confessions

• Observations

• Conclusions

• Solutions

CONFESSION #1

• I‘m not a digital native

• School was way behind reality

• I‘m trying to always follow what‘s going on

CONFESSION #2

• Privacy is key to me

• I‘m a Facebook addict

• I like its usability

• All in one: friends, family, professional contacts, English, French, German

CONFESSION #3

• Professional networks are key to specialty areas

• Great career opportunities

• Important industry information in discussion boards

CONFESSION #4

• I‘m NOT on Twitter(at least not contributing)

• It‘s very specialised, quite complicated, a bit technical

• It‘s like a vintage car: loved and kept alive by and very useful to its fans, but nothing for the great public

OBSERVATION #1

• Pharma is waiting for guidelines

• Pharma is waiting for examples

• Pharma is not looking outside pharma

• Pharma considers a forum being social enough

“There‘s no substitute

for experience”

from a M&S ad

OBSERVATION #2

• Pharma is too focused on ROI

• But there‘s no questioning about other channels‘ ROI

• Nothing is as measurable as online activities

“Pharma uses market research

much as a drunk uses a

lamp post – for support, not illumination”

Ian Talmage (via Twitter @pharmaguy)

OBSERVATION #3

• Social Media is public

• HIV, Oncology, MS and others are probably not the things to discuss in public

• (So might also be ED)

• Social Media doesn‘t end with a Facebook page

OBSERVATION #4

• Facebook, but even more Twitter are just entries

• There‘s still the need of something behind

• Without a supporting website, social media is nothing but an email newsletter 2.0

CONCLUSION #1

• Observation is good.But don‘t miss its end.

• Don‘t observe only the technology, but also your target audience.

• Be courageous. Don‘t be afraid of errors. (Ask your clinical trials department.)

CONCLUSION #2

• There might be other solutions than Facebook.

• For every brand there‘s the appropriate channel.

• If you are into numbers: KPIs are different, too. Define them, then design.

• You won‘t be the first!

SOLUTION CASE STUDYA Multiple Sclerosis Community

THE IDEA

• Providing a platform to MS patients for information, interaction and support

• Creating an own social network providing privacy

• Enabling local search, private messaging, group creation

• An open forum (post-moderated) “without” restrictions

THE EXTRA

• Some of the features are only for patients already taking the drug

• The batch number being the key for entry

• Integrated into the offline patient service centre

• Special discussion area about the drug

THE BENEFITS

The Patients

• have an own community they can trust

• can build groups online and later offline

• get new information they can instantly discuss about

• taking the specific drug get valuable extra services without needing to talk on the phone or seeing a nurse

THE BENEFITS

The Company

• is able to build, gain, re-gain trust

• can follow every discussion and react instantly (by replying, not deleting)

• has a new way of supporting patient compliance

• is (probably) able to get new patients

KEY LEARNINGS

• When you entered into conversation, never stop it!

• When you launch an interactive tool, be interactive!

• When you open a forum, accept criticism!

• When you invite others into your brand, be prepared!

• When you go for technology, keep on innovating!

THE POWER IS WITH THE CONSUMER

“The power is with the consumer. Consumers are beginning, in a very real sense, to own our brands and participate in their creation. We need to begin to learn to let it go…”

A.G. Lafley, CEO, P&G2006

THANK YOU

• Sebastian Kölsch

• Koelsch Pharma Services GmbHHabsburgerstr. 9079104 FreiburgGermany

• sk@koelschpharmaservices.comÅ twitter.com/Seb_KPSÅ linkedin.com/in/sebastiankoelsch

Patient Engagement via Social Media

Health & Medicine