1. Big Pharma
Social Media Insights:
The Power of Engagement
By Craig Sullivan
Jan 31, 2012
1

2. Project Scope
• Randomly selected 7 pharmaceutical
companies and 1 biotech company
– Abbott, Amgen, Bayer, J&J, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer
and Sanofi-Aventis
• Analyzed Their Twitter Accounts To Identify
Best Practices
– Launch dates, frequency of activity, content and
level of one-on-one engagement with
stakeholders
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3. Pharma Social Media Challenges
―Bayer Apologizes for Tweeting:
Rules are
Ambiguous Pharma‘s Never-Ending Social Media
Nightmare‖—Jim Edwards, CBSNews.com
―Pfizer pulls online Chapstick ad deemed
Feedback offensive by critics.‖—Peter Loftus, Wall
Is Provocative
Street Journal Online
―Patient ‗unadvocate‘ lays Siege to
Critics Are Sanofi-Aventis VOICES Facebook‖—
Empowered
Pharma Marketing Blog
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4. Twitter Launch Dates
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
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5. Twitter Activity
Average Tweets Per Month
140
140
120
100
80
55 54
60
40
40 29 27
20
20
12
0
Sanofi JNJ Merck Abbott Novartis Bayer Pfizer Amgen
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6. Twitter Followers
25000 22,261
19,165
20000
15000 11,401
10000 8,150
4877 Followers
5000 2,543 1,806 2875
0
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7. 2011 4Q Twitter Content
300
250
200
J&J
150 Pfizer
100 Novartis
Merck
50
Amgen
0 Bayer
Abbott
Sanofi Aventis
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8. Are Pharma Twitter
Communications Two Way?
39%
0.4
0.3
0.2 17% 17%
9%
0.1 5% 3% % of replies to @s
1% 0%
0
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9. Two-Way Twitter Activity of Other
Well-Known Companies
80%
0.8
0.7
60%
52%
0.6
0.5
0.4 % Replies to @s
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Geico Ford Southwest
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10. Sanofi-Aventis’s
Commitment to Diabetes
2010 Annual Sales Patent Expiration
$3.5 Billion 2015
$478 Million Expired
$177 Million 2018
$133 Million Expired
Lyxumia – NDA submitted in 2011 3Q to EU authorities for Type 2
Diabetes
Lixisenatide - In late-stage clinical trials for Type 2 Diabetes
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11. Sanofi Aventis launches Twitter
Account Focusing on Diabetes
Sanofi_Diabetes
150
160
@Diabetes_Sanofi Twitter: 140
120
100
80
• Launched Sept. 2010 60
40
20
0
• Average Monthly Tweets = 86
• Followers = 2170
4Q 2011 Twitter Activity
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12. @Diabetes_Sanofi Twitter
Follower Engagement In 4Q 2011
140 @Reply Topics for Sanofi
124
120
• Sharing jokes
100 89
80 Sanofi • Trading diabetic recipes
60 Aventis
Pfizer • Acknowledging event
40
participation
20 12 Novartis
• Thanking advocates for
0
visiting Sanofi-Aventis
• Requesting bloggers to
follow @Diabetes_Sanofi
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13. The Reach of Engagement
Twitter Launch 2Q 2009 1Q 2011
Total Followers 8,150 2,170
% of @replies 1% 17%
4Q 2011 Active Followers 75 87
Active Followers’ Followers 54,000 100,000+
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14. Sampling of @Diabetes_Sanofi
Active Followers in 2011 4Q
Name Affiliation Followers
@Annbartlet Diabetic & Advocate 1545
@Portablepancreasgirl Diabetic& Blogger 1045
@Climbingdiabetes Diabetic & Blogger 219
@Birdwingpress Advocacy Group 219
@JDRFAdvocacy Advocacy Group 6889
@duke_guerro Diabetic & Advocate 216
@BibBrian1775 Diabetic 21
@Golnik Diabetic 67
@AgaMatrix Diabetes Equip. Co. 348
@AnneMarieTiel Diabetic & Advocate 99
@scottstrumello Diabetic& Advocate 921
@BadPancreas Diabetic & Advocate 966
Eighty-seven followers, including diabetes advocates, advocacy
groups and bloggers, who retweeted @Diabetes_Sanofi content
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15. @Diabetes_Sanofi Active Twitter
Followers in 2011 4Q
@Diabetes_Sanofi active 2011 4Q followers around the
country. Their followers – 100,737.
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16. Summary
 Many pharma companies continue to limit their
social media use to talking – not listening
 Some companies are finding ways to use it to
have conversations and foster relationships with
followers
 Engaged followers means broader reach into
important stakeholder groups
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