Social Responsibility Goes Vegan

Marketing gets responsible.  As a leading marketer and founder of The Marketing Blog, I know that companies have to stand for something. Whether it's giving back to the environment, focusing on positive outcomes for individuals, or helping those less fortunate, social responsibility is essential for any business who wants to thrive.

What is your social responsibility?

For a long time I've been helping companies grow, achieve marketing success, and deliver top line results.  But to what end?  Recently I had some pretty significant changes in my life and started asking some pretty big questions like, "What will I leave behind?", "Have I done enough?", "Have I been socially responsible?"  And it occurred to me that businesses need to be asking themselves the same questions.  As marketers, we should be leading the dialog.

It also occurred to me that my answer to the question, "Have you done enough" has been an emphatic NO.  But the good news is that it's never too late to change and individuals can make new choices and go in new, more productive directions at any time.  

I'm happy to announce the launch of a new website that has grown out of my own need to become more socially responsible and make a difference.  The site is called, Vegan For One Day, and we'll be changing the world one bite at a time.  This site is dedicated to millennials and other health conscious individuals who are looking more carefully at what they eat and the impact it has on the environment and their health.

You can make a difference

Our goal is NOT to make everyone on the planet a vegan (although we wouldn't mind). Rather, the goal is one of education and self reflection. When people are truly informed, they tend to make better choices.  Look at smoking for example. As individuals learned about the harmful implications of lighting up, they changed, albeit slowly over time.

The same is true about diet and nutrition.  Our goal is to educate individuals about the impact of what they consume on both their health as well as the planet and the lives of animals impacted every day.  We've also introduced a challenge for people to try going vegan, no meat or dairy, for a day, week, or month.  This will have a positive impact on all of our natural resources.

Social good

No matter what you do or who you work for, consider the implications of your actions.  Are you making the world a better place? Are you having a positive and lasting impact on the world or the people you care about most?  Social change happens when we start asking ourselves the right questions like, "Am I doing enough?"

Don't wait until the end of your life to begin asking questions about your legacy, the impact you'll make, and how you can help.  Get started today and make a difference.

mHealth Apps: Overwhelming Choice, Limited Proven Efficacy, Security Issues

According a new study just released by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, the number of mobile health applications (mHealth apps) available to consumers now surpasses 165,000. The study, Patient Adoption of mHealth: Use, Evidence and Remaining Barriers to Mainstream Acceptance, analyzed 26,864 apps available in the U.S. Apple iTunes and Android app stores -- a representative sample of the most widely used mHealth apps by consumers.

The problem is this: too many apps, too little efficacy in terms of health outcomes.

"The fast-paced growth of the healthcare app market has outpaced the ability to develop oversight and guidance for accuracy of clinical content contained in mHealth apps," concludes the report. "The sheer volume of choices in the consumer mHealth apps available in the absence of a mechanism for certifying or ranking apps leaves providers and consumers on their own to navigate app selection. This environment leads to provider reluctance in prescribing mHealth apps given the unknowns about accuracy, efficacy as well as security."

What's the solution?

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Some - Not All - Americans Hate Pharma More Than Ever, Says Gallup Poll

The story came to me via Google Alerts: "People in the US Hate Big Pharma, Study Finds." At first, my reaction was Duh! Nothing to see here, considering all the pushback from physicians and other stakeholders (including patients?) regarding high drug prices.

I clicked through anyway to the story on teleSUR (a Latin American multimedia platform - how does it get included in Google Alerts whereas this blog does not?). Perhaps something was lost in translation - perhaps a better translation would have been the title I'm using for this post. 

In any case, here's the trending data direct from Gallup (here), which surveyed 1,011 U.S. adults in in the first week of August 2015 via telephone:

Click on image for an enlarged view.

IMHO, the saw-tooth trend indicates a love-hate relationship. Last year (2014) pharma gained respect, this year it lost it - but not as much as in most previous years. 

Also, there are some segments of the population that have a positive view of the pharmaceutical industry. Can you guess who?

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As J&J Focuses Less on Consumer Products and More on Medical Devices & Rx Drugs, Its Image Gets More Tarnished

JNJ has always positioned itself as a "consumer" products company, but its main business is pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices. According to a Q2 2015 financial statement (here), Rx products account for 45% of the company's sales, medical devices 36%, and consumer products - for which the company is loved - only 19% (see chart on left).

In Q1 of 2012 the percentages were 37%, 40%, and 23% (see here).

I am interested in this because of data regarding J&J's PROFITS that I came across in a article by journalist Steven Brill today in The Huffington Post Highline titled "America’s Most Admired Law Breaker."

That article is part of a 15-part "DocuSerial" detailing how Johnson & Johnson took an anti-psychotic drug, Risperdal, initially intended only for the treatment of psychotic disorders, and put it in the hands of children and the elderly in violation of FDA restrictions. Of course, I've written about J&J's illegal activities many time now here on Pharma Marketing Blog (read, for example, "How J&J's Alex Gorsky Tried to Negotiate a Smaller DOJ Fine").

But what about J&J's profits? Where do they come from? What's the impact on the company's reputation?

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Mahindra Gusto : Kisi Se Kam Nahi

Brand : Mahindra Gusto, Centuro
Company : Mahindra Two Wheelers

Brand Analysis Count  : # 559

I think, this is the first time I am writing on two brands in one post. Mahindra had launched its 110 cc scooter in 2014. The brand is going to compete with the likes of  Honda Activa, Access etc. Gusto is interesting brand because it calls itself as a car in two wheels ! 

Gusto is positioned on its car-like features. The brand pitches against the cars claiming that it has car-like features like height-adjustable seat, remote flip-key, LED pilot lamps, find-me lamps etc. The brand has based this theme on the insight that car-owners look down upon the two-wheeler riders ( source - afaqs). Hence the campaign of Gusto features car-owners mocking the Gusto rider and become surprised when they find that Gusto had car-like features. 

Gusto was initially launched with tagline " Break Free" and was positioned as a fun scooter. Now the brand has adopted the tagline " Kisi Se kam Nahi".

Another interesting fact is that Mahindra is promoting its motorcycle and scooter using the same concept. There is a common campaign for Gusto and Centuro and both these brands share the common tagline " Kisi Se Kam Nahi . 

Watch the ad here : Mahindra Two Wheeler ad

Along with this long ad, there are small ads featuring the various car-like features. 

The concept and the innovation creates a wow feeling. I think Mahindra two-wheelers has done well in identifying good differentiators. The brands can be proud of being pioneers in bringing in car-like features into two wheelers. 

Having said that, these features can be easily copied by the competitors and hence the extent of sustainability of this differentiation is limited. Since Mahindra Two-wheelers is trying to get a foothold in the market, these feature rich products will help the company very much; provided the brands succeed in the basic product functions like ridabililty , reliability , performance etc. 

SEO Coaching

Despite what hear, SEO is not dead.  In fact, finding a good SEO coach can help you optimize your website and drive tons of qualified traffic to your website to purchase products and services you offer.

SEO Coaching

As someone who's been in the search engine optimization field for over a decade, I can honestly say there are two types of people.  The first group is comprised of those who want number one rankings but don't want to do the work themselves.  The second group are the do-it-yourself'ers.  The reality is that both groups need to have a fundamental understanding of organic search if they want to be successful.

SEO coaching is a great way to start.  The benefit of using and SEO coach is that simply the efficiency by which they can help you achive your goal.  When you start with an SEO program or book such as SEO Made Simple, you'll acquire the fundamentals but they won't be customized to your specific website history and situation.

That's why having someone who can understand where you are on the organic evolutionary chain can save you time and money.  Just because you want to achieve an online, don't be fooled into thinking you have to start from scratch.  

What Will Your Coach Do?

A good SEO coach will begin by understanding your current situation and doing a technical crawl on your website.  SEO's have tools they can use to evaluate your site and pinpoint areas that are deficient. With the proper keyword research and technical analysis, you learn about your website's strengths and weaknesses.  Both of these factors are essential for achieving your online goals.

Often times a technical crawl is all you need to get started.  Sites, no matter how bad they are, have some qualities that are worth leveraging and others that need to be brought into compliance with the current Google algorithm changes.  Begin your optimization process here and you will see gradual improvements in organic traffic.

Where to Find Your Organic Ranking Coach

There are plenty of people out there who claim to be SEO experts.  Make sure to ask your potential coach about his specific experience - what sites he's worked on, the company's he has helped, and also, ask him to validate his authority (articles, interviews, books, etc.). You obviously want to make sure you're getting good advice.

When I coach others, I like to charge by the hour and work with clients to direct the sessions.  Said another way, it's important to work with my clients in a way that allows them to set the agenda while being directed towards a specific outcome.  My goal is to teach people to, "learn to fish" organically.  Good SEO coached do that.  They want clients to be able to recognized good SEO from bad SEO on their own.

If you're looking for someone to mentor you in the search engine optimization space, then be mindful of your goals and expectations.  Find someone who you can learn from and acquire all the resources necessary for top organic rankings.

Join Me at the STEM 4 Health Berlin Meetup on September 23

"It is a pleasure to have Pharmaguy, aka John Mack, visiting us in Berlin again!,"says Jesus del Valle Rosales, Head of Bayer's Grants4Apps Digital Health Accelerator. "Pharmaguy has been at the forefront of digital marketing for the pharmaceutical industry since the early days, Twitter pioneer, and as a constructive pharma observer his writings are both followed and dreaded by many in the industry. Welcome to Berlin, John!"

Hmmm... "dreaded" may be a bit strong. I would say "respected" as someone who speaks truth to power. After all, Pharma Brands Benefit from "Mack Attacks."

STEM 4 Health Berlin Meetup with @Pharmaguy - 23 September

I will receive a small honorarium from Bayer to make this presentation.

Will the REAL Nexium Facebook Page Please Stand Up?

My friend Zoe Dunn (@zdunnhealth), a digital marketing consultant to the pharma industry, wrote a piece in MM&M titled “Is It Finally Time for Pharma to Change the Way It Uses Facebook?” (see here).

In that article, Zoe chides the pharma industry for not engaging and supporting users of their Rx drugs via Facebook.

“Pharma has hidden behind the ability to turn commenting off on Facebook pages,” Zoe notes, “allowing marketers to use the channel much as they would a typical web page.”

A good example of how an Rx brand should use Facebook, according to Zoe, is the Nexium FB page. “Look at what the team behind acid-reflux medication Nexium has done, for example. The brand has had an 'open' branded Facebook page from the very moment the page launched late last year.”

Unfortunately, the article did not include a link to the Nexium Facebook page she was talking about. I had to fend for myself and do a search on Facebook. Guess what I found.

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Social Media Lacks the "Ask Your Doctor" ROI Common for Print & TV DTC Advertising

Practically every print and TV direct-to-consumer (DTC) ad  prominently includes the statement "Ask Your Doctor if [BRAND X] is Right for You!"

Advertisers call this the "Call to Action," which is the linchpin of all advertising; i.e., get your target audience off its butt to take the next step toward the purchase of your brand!

Several studies have shown that this call to action of old-fashioned print and broadcast Rx DTC advertising works.

In 2003, for example, the FDA released preliminary results from a physician survey it conducted (see "Results from FDA Physician Survey on DTC Advertising"). The survey profiled 250 GP's and 250 specialists (dermatology, allergy/pulmonology, endocrinology, and psychiatry) from a random sample of the AMA Physician Masterfile, which includes a list of all U.S. medical school graduates.

One question the FDA survey asked was: "Think about the most recent interaction you've had with a patient ... Can you think of a patient who initiated a discussion about a prescription drug they saw advertised?" Ninety-two percent (92%) of the physicians surveyed said "Yes".

This is important because doctors gave prescriptions 75% of the time to patients who asked for one.

Meanwhile, only 37% of physicians have fielded patient requests for specific meds fueled by information a patient saw in social media marketing, including disease awareness campaigns, according to a custom survey of 1,417 physicians by Sermo for FiercePharmaMarketing (here).

Why the difference? Does it mean that social media is irrelevant for pharma marketing as I suggested a few days ago ("The Irrelevance of Social Media for Pharma Marketing")?

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