This Tool Finds Every Branded Biopharma Social Media Page Out There
January 28, 2020
Williamsburg, VA, January 28, 2020 – The patient engagement agency, Snow Companies, best known for pioneering biopharma communication by amplifying the patient voice, has researched social media to define best practice in outcome-oriented digital patient engagement. “No matter the channel, building connections through authentic patient stories remains the single most effective trigger for healthy behaviors and improved outcomes,” said Brenda Snow, Founder & CEO of Snow Companies. “We’re making sure our biopharma clients engage on social in a meaningful and regulatory-compliant way,” she added.
SNOW has created a new resource that offers information on the biopharma industry’s presence on social media: The Snow Social Finder is built to list all branded public patient-facing pages and profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube that represent the official presence of a biopharmaceutical product. “With this tool, we wanted to show that taking the plunge into social media alone won’t make your brand stand out,” said Phil Storer, Senior Vice President for Digital at Snow Companies: “Your brand will stand out if you offer meaningful, useful content for patients.” Pointing to several examples on the Snow Social Finder of drugs with boxed warnings, Storer emphasized that regulatory hurdles must be taken into account but don’t preclude digital engagement: “Marketers are using these powerful tools to bring value to their customers and those who are not are missing out.”
A precedent for every type of brand
SNOW’s proprietary digital tracker, found at https://snowco.wpengine.com/digital/social-media, is a showcase of the breadth of biopharma’s engagement on social media. It shows that of the 125+ pharmaceutical brands on Facebook, 54% feature real patients in some way, and 31% also have an Instagram property. 38 brands are carrying a boxed warning*. The Snow Social Finder also tells us over 60% of all the pharma-branded Facebook pages were created between 2017 and 2019, which indicates an increasing trend of the industry embracing social media. This, combined with Facebook and Instagram’s cohesiveness and unprecedented reach, suggests this upward trajectory will continue. Snow Companies will present the social tracker and discuss digital patient engagement at this year’s eyeforpharma conference that will take place on April 15th and 16th in Philadelphia.
Storer added that apart from branded social properties, there are also other forms of digital patient engagement, including influencer marketing, and engagement through patient opinion leaders. A recent Neilson study found that digital influencers are the single most trusted form of advertising, and according to Facebook Health, influencer programs that comply with medical and regulatory requirements are far and away their most requested features for Instagram. “With the help of digital and patient experts versed in the power of stories, I have no doubt the industry will be able to successfully pass that hurdle as well,” said Storer.
*All quantitative data as of Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 8 AM EST.
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About Snow Companies
With its signature focus on patient storytelling, Snow Companies has had a lasting impact on the lives of millions of patients around the world. The full-service agency that has pioneered direct-to-patient communication through its Patient Ambassador® programs today is the global leader in Patient Insights, Content, Activation, and Support and is in the process of innovating biopharma’s presence on social media and other digital channels. Snow Companies is a part of the Omnicom Health Group of agencies. snow-companies.com
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