Healthy Skepticism Library item: 15663

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Grens K.
Pharma on Facebook?
The Scientist 2009 May 1; 23:(5):19
http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/55631/

Abstract:

Tweet, tweet: “Asthma” has sent you a new message.

Within ten minutes after placing a phone call to say I was attending a Philadelphia conference for pharmaceutical
marketing professionals who want to jump on the social media bandwagon, an electronic version of the childhood game
“telephone” was in full swing. Bloggers at the conference posted notes online that a reporter was on her way; word got
to people who were attending the conference via Twitter; and as I picked up my coat to leave my office the phone
rang-someone at a company in Delaware wanted to learn more about my article.

That’s precisely the viral, word-of-mouth power of online social networking media that pharmaceutical companies want to
be more a part of. Some of the most popular networking sites include Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, totaling millions
of users-and potentially, millions of customers…