Pharmaceutical Web Strategies

Leigh Rosenorn, RDWeb Strategies for Health CommunicationsFriday, July 24, 2009

Case Studies: Pharma and biotech companies

www.novartis.com - #1

www.biogenidec.com - #3

www.novonordisk.com - #2

‘Independent’

Web strategy: Pharma companies expand their web presence to increase reach and

credibility

Product specific content on YouTube created by user

Unbranded andSemi-Independent

Disease based communities

Company branded

Company sponsored interactive site for patients

‘Objective’, informational

websites sponsored by companies

Corporate web site: Company information

Company product web site

Users’ trust HighLow

HCP portals: Medical information

Disease based patient community

#1 Novartis - Backgroundwww.novartis.com

People

• Based in Basel, Switzerland•96,700 employees in 140 countries• 21% in the US (approx. 28,000)

2008 Financials

• $41.5B sales• 31% from the US• $8.2 B net income

Products

• Cardiovascular• Oncology• Generics• Vaccines• Diagnostic tools• Consumer health

Novartis - Web Strategy

• For profit company• Tone- traditional content

Focus on profits/business (Investors, Prescribers, Careers) Less-patient focused (limited education resources) Prescriber & product info

• Web strategy imbedded in media/communications strategy Communications is anchored in the company’s Executive

Committee. Specialists cover all aspects of communication including electronic communications and web casting.

• Web budget: Assume in the millions?? Company sponsored, semi, and independent consumer driven

content (sites not linked to company sponsored site) Dedicated FTEs for web development and management

• Web-site seems to support mission

www.novartis.com

Novartis Home Page

Current use of social media

• In November 2008, Novartis Oncology provided I’m Too Young for This, an organization for young adults living with cancer, with an unrestricted grant to develop on and off-line initiatives (in collaboration with other pharma companies)

• Novartis Consumer Health - YouTube channel for Excedrin, with competitions for user-created content

• In 2008, used patientslikeme.com to recruit for MS clinical trial

• Novartis maintains a corporate Twitter account, discussing its corporate news, global initiatives, and disease specific info (2,221 followers)

* As of July 16, 2009

#2 Novo Nordisk- Backgroundwww.novovordisk-us.com

People

• Based in Copenhagen, DK•27,000 employees in 81 countries• 14% in the US (approx. 3,300)

2008 Financials

• $9B in sales• 33% in North America• $1.9B net income

Products

• Diabetes (70+ %)• Growth hormone• Haemostasis• HRT

Vision• We will be the world’s leading diabetes care company• We will offer products and services in other areas where we can make a difference• We will achieve competitive business results• A job here is never just a job• Our values are expressed in all our actions• Our history tells us, it can be done

Novo Nordisk- Web Strategywww.novonordisk-us.com

• For profit company• Tone-traditional content

Highly patient focused, cozy and warm, easy to understand Also many resources for all HCP, but cannot access all or

in Danish• Web strategy

Worldwide website layout centralized and controlled from Denmark

Supportive of prescriber influencers (e.g. nurses) & patients

• Web budget: Assume in the millions?? Company sponsored, semi, and independent consumer driven

content (Sites not linked to company sponsored site) Dedicated team in the global and US marketing departments

for continuous management• Web-site seems to support mission

Novo Nordisk Patient Page

Current use of social media

Company sponsored JDRF community that offers services similar to:• Facebook• Twitter• YouTube• Blogs• Forums

Users connect based on common disease

www.juvenation.com

#3 Biogen Idec- Backgroundwww.biogenidec.com

People

• Based in Cambridge, MA• 4,700 in 29 countries• ~2/3 in the US (approx. 3,000)

2008 Financials

• $4.1B in sales• 67% in the US• $1.1B in net income

Products

• MS • Oncology • R&D in cardiopulmonary, immunology and haemophelia

MissionWe create new standards of care in neurology, oncology and immunology through our pioneering research, our global development, manufacturing and commercial capabilities

Biogen Idec - Web Strategywww.biogenidec.com

• For profit company • Tone of corporate web site

Tabs for company, products, patients, careers No Prescriber focus Science, text heavy, dry and serious

• Web strategy: Linked with product marketing strategy Support acquisition and retention of current patients

Driven by specific disease and product web sites such as MSactivesource.com , AVONEX.com and TYSABRI.com

• Web budget: Unavailable Company sponsored, semi-independent content, Social

Media activities in development(Not linked to company sponsored sites)

15 in-house communications staff, some out-sourced Continuous revision and management

• Web-site seems to support mission

Biogen Idec Products Page

Current use of social mediaExample: Sweden

• Biogen Idec managed and funded, unbranded patient site 1st hit for ‘multipel skleros’ on Google

• Patient stories and disease information placed on YouTube with link to web site

• Part of integrated patient CRM strategy

‘Independent’

Web strategy: Pharma companies expand their web presence to increase reach and

credibility

Produt specific content on YouTube created by user - who is

also Biogen Idec patient advocate

Unbranded andSemi-Independent

Disease based communities, e.g. MS Active Source sponsored by Biogen

Idec

Company branded

JDRF interactive site for patients - sponsored by Novo

Nordisk

‘Objective’, informational websites sponsored by companies who contribute content as well

Corporate web site: Company information

Company product web site

Users’ trust HighLow

HCP portals: Medical information,

e.g., NovoMedLink

Disease based patient community with non-profit and company

sponsors, e.g., Novartis used to recruit for clinical trial

Web strategy: Emerging role of social media in pharma

• A blog posting in May 2009 claimed that 45 out of the top 50 pharmaceuticals didn’t have social media presence

• That posting was picked up and pulled through various media channels. According to the posting, pharma companies are reluctant to use social media channels because -1. Don’t understand where social media fits - No FDA

guidelines2. Short sighted – equating social media efforts to marketing

campaigns3. Focus their efforts on measurable ROI

• In fact, 10 out of the 50 are already involved, a 100% increase. Others are on their way

• This shows that -1. Companies are indeed moving into the social media arena2. Don’t trust everything you read on a blog (Trust issues)

The Kevin French blog – www.kevinfrench.com

Web strategy: Pharma companies on Twitter

• Big Pharma presence on twitter is very recent- all corporate accounts are less than a year old, most count only a few months of “twitter“ experience

Overall SWOT Analysis

S • Many TAs represented• Using social media well• Huge but very focused

• Strong web presence in main TA (diabetes) • high credibility with key stakeholders (JDRF)

• Many activities considering size• Science based

W • Site difficult to navigate• What about patients?• Heavy focus on money

• Heavy diabetes focus• Too centrally controlled?• Too touchy feely

• Lack of company coordination of web activities• Too scientific

O • Decrease in cost of marketing• Increase credibility with public

T • Too much web noise will dilute share of voice• Web activities evolve in isolation of other, more traditional activities• Over-reliance on web channels and activity• Chatter on the web may not help image

Company Comparison

• Large company in multiple TA with many products

•Traditional patient and provider education

• Started using social media applications early

Twitter YouTube Blogs Patientslikeme.com

• Mid-sized company with strong diabetes focus

• Traditional patient and provider education

• Company sponsored social media applications but so far no presence on main stream web sites

• ‘Small’ company focusing on MS with other TAs in development

• Traditional patient and provider education

• Local affiliates initiating social media applications:

YouTube uploads Patient blogs on unbranded sites Increasing patient advocates’ on-line activity

Recommendations

• Streamline corporate website to allow easier access to information• Continue early adopter approach to web applications• Ensure learnings are shared across TAs

Social media in Oncology Clinical trial recruiting in Neuroscience YouTube in consumer health

• Start using more social media •Leverage diabetes experience in other areas, in particular hGH and haemostasis• Consider increased localization

• Better integration of local market activities with corporate web site to improve consistency and better leverage spending• More active role in blog’ing and when allowed, utilize MS patient advocates on-line

Questions