Pharmaspective

Zyrtec Went Viral on YouTube, Will Others Follow?

With the onset of the fall allergy season, Zyrtec made the bold decision to take its ad campaign viral with an interactive Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style video clip game, Parks Unleashed, on YouTube.  This was uncharted territory for both YouTube and the pharmaceutical marketing industry.  On September 5^th, Zyrtec launched its Parks Unleashed YouTube channel, which featured an interactive game based upon the premise of anthropomorphic dogs acting out the heist of stealing computer tablets from unsuspecting park visitors and burying those tablets throughout the park.  

 

The player was tasked with clicking on various screens and answering different questions, which led the player down different paths in search of the stolen tablets.  By clicking through the interactive game that includes talking dogs and quirky characters (Kyle the Krazy Kite King Guy, Roadie Rick, and Diamond Lady, to name a few), the player could earn a chance to win one of 200 Samsung Galaxy Tab Android tablet.  The game was available through the Zyrtec YouTube channel for about 6 weeks.  During that 6-week time period, the Parks Unleashed YouTube channel had more than 2.2 million views with each player spending an average of 7 minutes playing the game, and returning players spending as much as 30 minutes or more.  To date, the Parks Unleashed YouTube channel has had more than 2.6 million views.  McNeil Consumer Healthcare integrated its YouTube Zyrtec campaign with its branded website, used a Facebook ad campaign, and included a reference to its YouTube channel on one TV advertisement that ran for about one week.

 While Zyrtec is the first pharmaceutical company to utilize YouTube to advertise its product with an interactive game, Pepto Bismol also ventured into the YouTube social media advertising world around Cinco de Mayo this year by creating a YouTube app that allowed visitors to create their own “Pinata Smash” video and share their own video on Facebook or Twitter.

 The life science industry may be reluctant to charge forward and take full advantage of the advertising opportunities presented by social media based on the lack of specific guidance from FDA.  Typically, the life science industry will use its YouTube presence to post its television advertisements rather than create material specifically for YouTube, much less material that engages the user.  John Mack of the Pharma Marketing Blog is cited as stating that the lack of guidance from FDA is an easy excuse, but that is not the real problem.  According to Mr. Mack,  “What’s holding back the industry is the old axiom: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks…Social media is alien to both pharmaceutical marketers and corporate communications executives who are used to ‘pushing’ messages out to ‘targets’ rather than engaging in two-way communications with peers, which is the essence of social media.” 

 With both McNeil Consumer Healthcare and Proctor & Gamble dipping their toes into the social media water and using interactive social media to advertise over-the-counter pharmaceutical products, will we see other life science companies follow suit, take a risk and increase their use of social media to advertise their products, both over-the-counter and prescription?  Will the statistics of 2.2 million views in a 6-week time period be enough to convince the industry venture out of their advertising comfort zone and give social media a chance?

It’s Only the Beginning: An Examination of the iPad’s Potential Impact on the Life Sciences Industry

This is Part 1 of our examination into the iPad's potential impact on the life sciences industry, particularly the industry’s interactions with physicians, selling model, compliance efforts, and relationship with patients.

This week, nearly one year after the first iPad was released, Apple CEO Steve Jobs took a break from his medical leave to unveil the new iPad.  During its first year of existence, the iPad has made its mark on the life sciences industry.  It is fascinating to imagine how it will continue to impact the industry – and what changes it may inspire.

More and more life sciences companies – especially those in the medical device sector – are providing its sales representatives with iPads.  Among the many companies that have been in the news for this reason are Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic Inc., Boston Scientific Corp., Zimmer Holdings Inc., Stryker Corp., and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  I think this is only the beginning.

There are many reasons companies are buying the light, sleek and stylish iPads.  Not only do they look good, but the iPad can provide sales representatives with a means of accessing detailed product information in a flash.  The reps don’t have to juggle a clumsy laptop or wait for it to boot up.  They don’t have to flip through a stapled copy of a PowerPoint presentation pulled from a briefcase, or unfold a brochure.  With an iPad, reps can instantly access powerful software that will beautifully display the product and its detailed characteristics at the push of a button.  The iPad will change sales rep interactions with physicians and perhaps the industry’s selling model as a whole.

Arming reps with iPads might also help aid companies’ compliance efforts.  A physician’s signature could be validated instantly.  Aggregate spend information could be uploaded to a reporting tool while the rep is walking back to his or her car.  A rep may be able to access a healthcare facility’s requirements and register with that facility while standing at the front desk.

The iPad also gives the life sciences industry another medium through which to connect with patients.  Product-specific applications developed by companies can provide a patient with personalized, customized health information instantly.  Disease-specific applications could help promote proper disease management.  For example, diabetics could track their blood sugar and insulin intake on their iPad or iPhone.  The opportunities for the use of the iPad and its various applications could shape the future of the industry.  Our future examinations will delve deeper into this possibility.

Welcome To Pharmaspective

Welcome to Pharmaspective, the convergence of compliance, technology, and life sciences. Pharmaspective is a blog brought to you by Porzio Pharmaceutical Services, LLC, a longtime compliance and regulatory consultant for several life sciences companies of varying size.  As Pharmaspective’s primary blogger, my objective is to provide you – the life sciences professional – with relevant, timely, and thought-provoking posts about not only pertinent compliance issues, but also interesting technological developments and influential business trends that are impacting the life sciences industry.