Boehringer Ingelheim Supports Undocumented Immigrants & Sides with Latino TV vs. Donald Trump. Bravo!

Click on image for an enlarged, uglier view.

Two stories caught my attention yesterday:

One involved drug company Boehringer Ingelheim and Spanish-language television network Telemundo.

The other involved Donald Trump and another Spanish-language television network - Univision.

In the first case, a major (non-US) pharma company has the courage to support “illegal” Mexican immigrants and at the same time raise awareness of diabetes among the U.S. Latino public, whether they are illegal or not (read the press release here).

In the second case, Donald Trump evades questions about his Mexican deportation plans from Univision Spanish-language news anchor Jorge Ramos and kicks him out of a press conference with the words “Go Back To Univision” (read the story here).

How does Boehringer support “illegal” Mexicans in this country?

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FDA Acts on Violative Social Media Posts a Lot More Quickly Than It Does for TV and Print Ads

Kim Kardashian posted a violative Diclegis® ad on Instagram (read “Kim Kardashian's Diclegis Instagram Post Raises Issues of Transparency, Drug Safety, and Learning from History”). She was paid to do that by Duchesnay -- the company that makes & markets Diclegis.

But did you know that the ad also was posted to her Twitter and Facebook accounts?

Here's how the FDA depicted the campaign (find the original here):

Click on image for an enlarged view.

What does this show us? How did the FDA get so social media savvy? Note two things:

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The Irrelevance of Social Media for Pharma Marketing

The pharmaceutical industry has often been criticized for being behind the "digital curve," meaning that it lacks the expertise to fully take advantage of the Internet and social media to improve marketing and communications.

Back in 2013, I suggested that pharma was on the "Slope of Enlightenment" of the "digital" hype curve (here).

Since then, the FDA has come out with some social media guidelines (read, for example, FDA Sets Up a Roadblock for Branded Rx Promotional Tweets and Drug Industry Rips Into FDA Over Social Media Guidelines) and I sense that pharma has moved along the curve, but the curve itself - which I am now calling the Social Media (SM) Hype Curve - has changed and it looks something like this:

Click on image for an enlarged view.

What do I mean by "Slow Slide Into Irrelevance?"

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One Billion Dollars! O Valeant! Sung to tune of O Canada!

Shortly after the FDA approved Addyi (the "pink pill"), Canadian pharma company Valeant announced it would buy Sprout for $1 billion. Was it a good buy?

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His and Hers Hand Towels Monographed with Viagra and Addyi Logos. Only $20!

This is a pair of soon-to-be classic hand towels. 

His and Hers Hand Towels Monographed with Viagra and Addyi Logos

$20.00 USD

Overview

• Handmade item
• Materials: terry cloth, sildenafil citrate, flibanserin, microcrystalline cellulose, etc.
• Only ships to United States

Feedback

Looks great in my waiting room bathroom. I have had many compliments and requests for samples of the pills! – Dr. FeelGood, Bethesda, MD

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SEO Made Simple 5th Edition Review

When people think about search engine optimization (SEO), they can't help but do a quick Google search for information that can help improve organic rankings.  When looking online for SEO resources, you'll likely find conflicting information - this is why it's so helpful to use a simple guide that only shares the best practices for improving website rankings.

SEO Made Simple 5th Edition

There's lots of information available online on SEO best practices.  However, information related to the organic search changes regularly as Google improves their ranking algorithm. As such, the best place to find the latest and most accurate information is by follow leading SEOs who work across numerous websites and industries - specifically within the SEO field. This ensures access to the most effective strategies from those getting real-world results. 

In this book, SEO Made Simple (5th Edition), you'll discover the latest information on optimizing your website for improved organic rankings. It's designed to cut through the clutter and misinformation that can be difficult to navigate. The book has been recently updated to educate those interested in search engine optimization in both the standard optimization techniques required to get them most from your website as well as advanced techniques to further enhance organic results.

There are a number of topics that have been updated to further enhance SEO results for your website. An updated section on developing an authoritative link profile is worth 10x the book's value as it shows how you can easily attract quality links to your site. This improves website authority and organic rankings.

The second area that has been significantly update is the information on local  and mobile search which is now driving more than half of all search engine traffic. If you are a business owner or trying to promote your business online, this is critical to the success of your organic marketing.

People who purchase SEO Made Simple 5th Edition will be impressed with the level of detail and simplicity related to learning and implementing effective search engine optimization strategies.  The book has been updated for 2016, reflecting this year's changes as well as pre-planning for upcoming changes announced for next year.  

Pros:  

--SEO Made Simple (5th edition) has been updated with the latest techniques for proper search engine optimization.
--The book has been updated to include information on local and mobile search.
--Strategies included have been proven effective across thousands of websites.
--Top selling book in the category, more than 30,000 sold.
--Techniques are presented in a very simple format, ideal for beginners and intermediate SEOs who want to improve organic rankings.
--Additional resources are included with the book at no additional cost.

Cons: 
--None to mention

Get started today optimizing your website, blog, and other digital assets.  Join the tens of thousands of individuals enjoying more organic traffic thanks to the powerful strategies revealed in this top-selling SEO guide.  SEO Made Simple 5th Edition is the best SEO book available today.

Social Media "Corrective Messages": Closing the Barn Door After the Cow Has Left!

You undoubtedly know about Kim Kardashian's Instagram post that promoted Diclegis® for treating morning sickness and which resulted in a warning letter from the FDA because it "entirely omits all risk information" (read “Kim Kardashian's Diclegis Instagram Post Raises Issues of Transparency, Drug Safety, and Learning from History”).

A Klick Wire email newsletter said that this may have been the “quickest warning letter in history.” The FDA knew about the post at the time it was made or beforehand because Duchesnay -- the company that makes & markets Diclegis -- and all other drug companies are required by law to submit any promotional material to FDA’s OPDP “at the time of first use” together with a form called Form 2253. The Instagram post was also submitted as a complaint to the OPDP Bad Ad Program.

So, it’s no surprise that the FDA acted quickly in issuing the Warning Letter, which requested that Duchesnay immediately cease misbranding DICLEGIS and/or cease introducing the misbranded drug into interstate commerce. Duchesnay complied quickly and removed the violative Instagram post.

But so far Duchesnay/Kim Kardashian has not complied with another FDA request: to disseminate truthful, non-misleading, and complete corrective messages. What's the process for doing that? How long will it take? Will it work?

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