pharma as an industry is quickly catching up in the shift of ad dollars to digital channels in search of greater efficiency and lower cost.

1. Trends in Pharma
Marketing
Dr. Augustine Fou
http://www.linkedin.com/in/augustinefou
October 23, 2012.

2. Pharma is “dead last”
High technology
Banking
Insurange
Travel/Hospitality
Telecom
Retail
Consumer Goods
Utilities
Manufacturing
Pharmaceuticals
Source: Cap Gemeni Consulting, Nov 2012
October 23, 2012 2

3. Physicians are digital too
99% physicians are online Internet is essential to practice
Source: Manhattan Research 2011
-3- Augustine Fou

4. Physician Trends
Most physicians report going to Google as their first
destination online when looking for information – even if
they are searching for articles (Google searches, PubMed)
Sources: Manhattan Research ePharma Physician® v8 Forrester Research
-4- Augustine Fou

5. Physician Trends
WebMD
Epocrates
UpToDate
Source: Manhattan Research 2011
Despite the prior concentration on a few sites, physicians are
increasingly seeking objective information online and from peers.
-5- Augustine Fou

6. Regulations? Lack of?
Adverse Events Reporting Criteria
• An identifiable patient
• An identifiable person reporting the event
• A suspect drug or biological product
• An adverse experience or fatal outcome suspected to be due
to the suspect drug or product
(rule: must report within 72 hours)
“Because it remains unclear whether and how to monitor and
report AEs found in social media, some pharma companies are
taking the conservative approach and not using these channels or
even looking at them for customer insights.” – Dr. Augustine Fou
-6- Augustine Fou

7. Other considerations
• Patent cliff – an estimated $255 billion worth
of branded drugs are coming off patent by
2015; brand marketing dollars are already
being slashed
• Patients are increasingly getting deeply
involved in their own health management
and tend to do deep research online about
diseases or drugs
-7- Augustine Fou

8. Continued shift to digital
51% of advertisers
have between 0 – 30%
of their budget
allocated to digital
29% of advertisers
have 31 – 70% of their
budget in digital
21% of advertisers
have 71 – 100% of
their budgets allocated
to digital
October 23, 2012 8

9. Shift within digital
To performance-oriented tactics
Source: IAB, PwC April 2011
October 23, 2012 9

10. Further reading
Search Marketing and Social Media in
Regulated Industries - http://bit.ly/zCBLaY
How to Do Social Marketing in Heavily
Regulated Industries - http://bit.ly/oRRqcK
October 23, 2012 10

11. Dr. Augustine Fou – Agency Czar
“I advise many pharma clients on
digital strategy and better
integration across channels and
tactics, using insights from digital
to improve all marketing.”
FORMER CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER, HCG (OMNICOM)
MCKINSEY CONSULTANT
CLIENT SIDE / AGENCY SIDE EXPERIENCE
PROFESSOR AND COLUMNIST
ENTREPRENEUR / SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
PHD MATERIALS SCIENCE (MIT '95) AT AGE 23
ClickZ Articles: http://www.clickz.com/author/1151/augustine-fou
Slideshares: http://www.slideshare.net/augustinefou
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/augustinefou
October 23, 2012 11
acfou@mktsci.com