Social Media should or should not be a part of the marketing and communications mix for highly regulated industries such as heath industry?

Social media marketing comes with its own challenges of defining the appropriate voice for the brand and how to engage the customers and generate conversation, preferably positive.  The challenge is even more critical in the industries which are highly regulated with many strict guidelines. Should fear be the driving factor for a business? Are companies that are using the excuse of fear and not make the SMM as part of their marketing mix missing out on important opportunities to enhance their online presence and connect with their customers?

The marketing of Pharmaceutical industry, one of the highly regulated industries, is highly regulated by the FDA and the Division of Drug Marketing and Communications (DDMAC). Pharma marketing is extremely competitive and lacking in clear social media boundaries based on current regulatory guidance. Yet some healthcare and pharma companies are doing well by  finding ways to connect physicians via secure social networks to improve information sharing . Despite many of the logical privacy and legal concerns about discussing health issues in such a public platforms, companies have been using (within guidelines) Direct Marketing in this industry for a while. In 2010,of 52 warning and notice of violation letters sent from DDMAC to companies only one was issued in the social media space. Clearly if pharmaceutical companies follow existing marketing guidelines the risks aren’t off the charts.

Pharma companies need to think beyond direct product promotion when using social media tools. For example, Johnson & Johnson has created an active social presence by focusing on blogs with stories of employees, wellness information, and corporate content. The blog contains robust content and is supplemented with YouTube and Facebook pages.  J&J also connects with community members via communications staffer Marc Monseau who tweets on behalf of the brand in a more personal voice.

Points to deem on when working in a highly regulated industry such as health

• Educate stakeholders about the importance of social media –the first step is to highlight the need to be ‘there’ on the social media platform. The tight industries are hesitant about social and open comments on them because of the regulations despite the fact that consumers will be talking about you whether you are there or not. Hence, preventing the business to be aliened with the present market opportunities just because of the fear of bad reputation or violating regulations is not a smart act to do.

• Tying the marketing and legal team : Working with the counsel is essential in social media marketing. Thinking creatively on how to advance the brand goals is the job of the marketers which could be tied with the legal team for multiple campaigns. Find ways to solve problems by making both the team work closely.

• Create options for sharing risk information in multiple formats

• Create strong internal Guidelines for Social Media Objectives: Establish controls and expectations of staff that would be involved in public engagement are the first things to do. Social media checklists as well as a checklist on present regulatory boundaries and potential scenarios where legal counsel would be notified of consumer concerns are to be created. Once approved set frequent reviews of the social media program to identify potential pitfalls around key regulations like patient privacy or adverse events.

• Create Stories to enhance Customer Engagement: Social media is driven by the inherent desire in people to seek connections. The task is to identify compelling stories that highlight benefits of the medication. Success stories like these should be reviewed and submitted in compliance with established DDMAC process but, once approved, can be shared through social channels to demonstrate real impact in the lives of consumers and enhance public goodwill toward the company.

Are there greater risks in highly regulated industries? Absolutely there are. But that doesn’t mean companies should not capitalize the biggest buzz of present time. There are ways to work within the rules and use social media in these industries effectively and for the benefit of the company and customers.

 What are your view points?