CyberRx

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Scott Rader ◽  
Zahed Subhan ◽  
Clinton D. Lanier ◽  
Roger Brooksbank ◽  
Sandra Yankah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Product Information ◽  
Pharmaceutical Marketing ◽  
Pharmaceutical Companies ◽  
Health Care Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
Online Consumer ◽  
Direct To Consumer Advertising

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the state of the art in social media and pharmaceutical marketing through empirical analysis of online consumer conversations. Proliferation of social media has significantly changed traditional one-way, marketing-controlled communications. Balance of power has shifted to consumers, who use social networking sites, blogs and forums to obtain extensive brand and product information, often from each other. This prompts companies towards more intimate, transparent and constant two-way consumer engagement. Pharmaceutical marketing and direct to consumer advertising (DTCA) are not immune to this pervasive, disruptive cultural/technological phenomenon, which poses particular challenges given regulatory, legal and ethical constraints on their marketing. Design/methodology/approach – This research uses “netnographic” data collection of online conversations occurring in social media and develops an explanatory framework using grounded theory analytical methods. Findings – This research shows that significantly impactful and pervasive bonding among consumers, bloggers and unofficial “experts” about pharmaceutical offerings is widespread, and occurs regardless (and perhaps in spite of) pharmaceutical companies’ involvement. Originality/value – Considering the structure and nature of online consumer bonding, a way forward is proposed for pharmaceutical companies to implement social media strategies as part of their pharmaceutical marketing and DTCA efforts through an intermediary and interactive online presence arising from disease and health care education.

Content and compliance of pharmaceutical social media marketing

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 977-999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce A. Huhmann ◽  
Yam B. Limbu
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Social Media Marketing ◽  
Initial Attempt ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore ethical issues related to pharmaceutical marketers’ social media efforts including the prevalence and forms of direct-to-consumer web 2.0 advertising (eDTCA) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) messages across social networking sites (SNSs). One goal is to determine if these eDTCA posts comply with draft guidelines issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Design/methodology/approach Content analysis of ten pharmaceutical marketers’ SNS posts documented the frequency and types of posts devoted to eDTCA, drug risks and benefits, CSR, and other purposes. Findings eDTCA represents about 35 percent of all pharmaceutical firm SNS posts and primarily communicates help-seeking messages via Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Firms also promote their ethical image through CSR-related posts. These posts primarily highlight employee-focussed and community-focussed initiatives. Analysis of consumer behavior in response to each post shows that eDTCA affects only liking of YouTube videos, but CSR increases behavior responses on all SNSs except LinkedIn. Social implications Despite absence of final guidance, pharmaceutical marketers seem to abide by FDA draft social media guidance. In line with the FDA’s draft fair-balance regulations, almost all product-claim eDTCA posts state both benefit and risk information. Nevertheless, the FDA should issue final eDTCA guidance without delay consistent with traditional media direct-to-consumer advertising guidance. This should benefit consumers through consistency with their existing advertising literacy competencies. Originality/value The study represents an initial attempt to document ethical issues in the current state-of-the-practice of pharmaceutical social media marketing related to eDTCA and CSR.

Patient Influencers: The Next Frontier in Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Marketing (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Willis ◽  
Marjorie Delbaere
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Social Media Marketing ◽  
Pharmaceutical Companies ◽  
Marketing Tactics ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
The Social ◽  
Industry Practice ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Direct To Consumer Advertising

UNSTRUCTURED Social media influencers are becoming an increasingly popular strategic communication tactic used across industry verticals like entertainment, fashion, and beauty, to engage directly with consumers. Pharmaceutical companies have also recently entered the social media marketing arena and within the bounds of governmental regulations, found unsuspecting ways to build relationships directly with patients using covert persuasion tactics like social media influencers. Due to consumers’ negative perceptions of pharmaceutical companies, it makes sense that new marketing tactics are being used to establish and improve relationships with consumers. Previous research well documents the ethical dilemmas of direct-to-consumer advertising, and there is recent burgeoning literature on online covert marketing tactics. The academic and medical literatures, however, are behind in regards to social media influencers used in health and medicine. The current paper highlights and defines current terms used in industry practice, but also calls for more investigation and sets forward a research agenda. As consumers spend more time online and patients continue to consult social media for health information, it is important that this new marketing trend does not go unnoticed.

Integrating ethics with strategy: analyzing disease‐branding

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia J. Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Prescription Drugs ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Ethical Analysis ◽  
Corporate Communication ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
Integrating Ethics ◽  
Litmus Test ◽  
Direct To Consumer Advertising

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the ethics of a specific communication strategy to support the contention that ethics needs to be an integrated operational consideration in the corporate communication planning process rather than an afterthought.Design/methodology/approachUsing the marketing communication strategy referred to as disease branding as a case‐in‐point, the “Five Pillars of Ethics for Public Communication” provide a framework for analysis of the need for making ethics an operational consideration in planning.FindingsCommunication strategies attempted by organizations today are subject to public criticism. Disease branding, a prime example, is paradoxically a “non‐branded” approach to marketing pharmaceuticals directly to consumers. Pejoratively referred to as disease‐mongering, this promotion of diseases rather than drugs neatly side‐steps the increasing criticism and even legal obstacles that face or threaten to face direct‐to‐consumer advertising of branded, prescription drugs. It is an innovative, non‐traditional tactic that has been enormously successful in widening markets for specific drug preparations. Application of the “Five Pillars” for ethical analysis finds that this strategy fails to meet the acceptable ethical standard in four out of five.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited to the application of one approach to ethical evaluation, although it is one that encompasses a number of widely accepted standards for practice.Practical implicationsAn ethical analysis using the “Five Pillars” can be implemented by any corporate communication professional as a litmus test for determining the ethics of strategies under development during the operational planning process.Originality/valueThis paper fills a gap in the information available to corporate communication professionals about how to operationalize ethics.

Post popularity and reactions in retail brand pages on Facebook

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 957-973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis Antoniadis ◽  
Symeon Paltsoglou ◽  
Vasilis Patoulidis
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Marketing Communication ◽  
Interactive Marketing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Message Length ◽  
Length Increase ◽  
Facebook Pages ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Social networking sites and Facebook have grown to become an important channel of interactive marketing communication with consumers for retail. The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways posts characteristics and reactions affect post popularity and engagement in retail brands Facebook pages. Design/methodology/approach In total, 18 retail brand pages out of the 120 most popular brand pages on Facebook in Greece are examined for a three months’ period (April–June 2016). In all, 2,627 posts are analyzed with the use of OLS regressions in order to identify the characteristics of posts that increase consumers’ engagement, including the newly introduced reaction feature. Findings The results suggest that richness of content (images and videos) and message length increase the engagement levels and the popularity of posts. Reactions have a positive effect on engagement, and negative reactions stronger than positive reactions, except in sharing. On the other hand, posting time does not seem to have a statistically significant impact on the engagement and popularity of a post. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted during a period that reactions were only recently introduced by Facebook, therefore users and brands may not have been familiarized with their use. Practical implications The study contributes to the understanding of consumer engagement with retail brands’ pages on Facebook and social media, and the ways they use reactions and other ways of interactions with brand posts. The results can provide some insight to retailers on how to achieve higher levels of engagement for their brands through their Facebook pages, improving the effectiveness of social media marketing campaigns. Originality/value The findings contribute in understanding the ways users interact with brand posts in Facebook using reactions, using a number of popularity measures, providing useful insights about reactions, engagement and e-WoM, extending prior research.

scholarly journals DOES CONTENT DISSEMINATION THROUGH FACEBOOK MATTER FOR GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS: A STUDY OF KERALA POLICE DEPARTMENTS FACEBOOK PAGE

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (04) ◽  
pp. 272-283
Author(s):  
Mishel Elizabeth Jacob ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Video Content ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Media Research ◽  
One Way Anova

Government organisationsare generally known to be lagging behind their citizens in the use of social networking sites with half of the departments having little or no presence in such platforms. This study aims at understanding what type of content affects citizens attitude towards a Government Departments social media pages and how they perceive the message disseminated through such platforms. The researchers have selected the case of the Kerala Police Departments (KPD) Facebook page for the present study. Respondents who are post graduate students from various departments of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala were subject to different type and formats of content stimuli to assess their attitude towards the content type/format itself and attitude towards the department through a questionnaire. Not only will such a study contribute towards the knowledge base on social media research, this study will also help police department across states in India to develop appropriate content for social media to reach their citizens. In order to test the hypotheses and identify interactions between the dependent and independent variables, one-way ANOVA and independent sample t-tests were used. The results revealed significant differences in attitude towards KPD across stimuli and also attitude towards the stimuli itself. Among the various content type provided as stimuli, Hilarious memes generated the most favourable attitude towards the department. The attitude of the respondents towards post re-posting user content was the most favourable. Image/ photo content generates more positive attitude towards the department compared to video content. The study has also revealed that there is a significant difference between the attitudes of respondents who have had priorinteractionwith the Facebook page of KPDversus those who have had no priorinteraction.

Exploring the use of social media sites for health professionals' engagement and productivity in public sector hospitals

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Naeem ◽  
Wilson Ozuem
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Forces ◽  
Use Of Social Media

PurposeCompetitive pressure and social influence for technology adoption have increased among developed, developing and emerging countries. The influence of social structure, organizational forces and political forces varies between public sector hospitals in countries where there are more social media restrictions. This study aims to explore how the use of social media can influence employee engagement and productivity in the workplaces of public sector hospitals.Design/methodology/approachThe study follows a social constructivist approach to understand employee attitudes, motivation culture, political forces and the local context. Data were collected from health professionals of five public sector hospitals using a non-directive and semi-structured interview method.FindingsThe results show that the use of social media sites has increased collaboration, coordination and cooperation among health professionals, especially in critical situations. They are more socialized, connected and engaged, thus helping them to exchange useful knowledge using instant messaging apps. Conversely, there are no organizational polices and specific laws and too little support from management and senior doctors to drive the use of social networking sites in public hospitals. The use of social media has enhanced health professionals' engagement and productivity as they are able to share their expertise, knowledge and information with their colleagues and subordinates.Research limitations/implicationsThe results can guide policy-makers, researchers, hospitals, doctors and the Ministry of Health about the positive use of social networking sites in the workplace. The positive use of social networking sites in the workplace can enhance information, knowledge and coordination which may help to enhance employee engagement and productivity.Originality/valueThe present study has provided a social media health organization workplace (SMHOW) model which explains how individual and organizational contexts can influence the actual use of social media in healthcare organizations.

US political battle over social media will grow

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Hate Speech ◽  
Structural Reform ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
Legal Challenge ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Political Battle

Significance The boycott is the most coordinated yet against Facebook over hate speech and misinformation on its platforms. Facebook and Twitter have become lightning rods for challenges to social media platforms and their Section 230 exemption from liability for content they carry. Impacts Revision of Section 230 protections is likely, although not without legal challenge. Social media’s pervasiveness and profitability make structural reform or extensive regulation unlikely. Many small direct-to-consumer businesses built on Facebook will have to stay loyal, risking consumer backlash. Influencer advertising will come under stricter scrutiny from brands and regulators. US regulation of social media will not diminish Washington’s opposition to international digital taxes on US tech companies.

M-coupon's sharing behaviour on social media: intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayushi Sharma ◽  
Rakesh Mohan Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Intrinsic Motivation ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Extrinsic Motivation ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Emerging Economy ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe focus of this study lies in understanding the extrinsic vs intrinsic motivators which drive the m-coupon sharing behaviour in social networking sites (SNSs). A consumer can make promotional tool (in our case m-coupons) viral if the cues trigger an apt motivation. This study fills the need gap by identifying which motivations must be focused to make a promotional tool viral by the consumer especially in an emerging economy like India.Design/methodology/approachWe designed conceptual framework based on extensive literature review and employed hierarchal regression methodology to investigate the motivation to share m-coupon.FindingsSense of self-worth, Socializing and Reciprocity emerge as strong reasons for a consumer to share m-coupons amongst friends and peers in SNS. Results have shown that intrinsic motivation works very effectively when a consumer shares m-coupons in SNSs.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has certain limitations. First, the impact of age, gender and education can also influence the results as perception evolves with age and education. Second, in our study, we have not classified m-coupons in different categories. Different types of m-coupons may have a different impact on consumers.Practical implicationsThe paper presents findings, which are useful for marketers to develop a customer-centric viral promotional strategy.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few studies in integrating types of motivation with coupon proneness and coupon sharing in social media. This study has specifically targeted the emerging economy where m-coupons usage has seen a surge. Study has shown that it is the intrinsic motivation which is very crucial for encouraging consumer for participating in SNSs and share e-word of mouth amongst friends and peers.

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