Building Healthy Communities Online the E-Arena Grey Healthcare Group, New York, is a global healthcare communications and advertising group of agencies. For more information, visit ghgroup.com. March 2007 VIEW on Advertising The smartest companies will seize the opportunity to become custodians of an online dialogue — leading the industry to build healthy communities online. Those who fail to act will be left to react. Those who lead will reap the benefits of stronger consumer and physician relationships and deeper public trust. Lynn O’Connor Vos CEO Grey Healthcare Group A New Digital Paradigm Six Degrees of Separation — it’s no longer just a screenplay or a game about Kevin Bacon. It’s a new digital reality … and it requires a whole new marketing mindset. People who might not otherwise associate with one another are forging meaningful, virtual connections around their common knowledge, interests, and goals. Every day, 1.5 times a day, a consumer creates “content” by leaving a comment on the Internet. As consumer-generated content continues to grow, pharmaceutical industry leaders must seize upon this change to nurture lasting consumer and physician relationships, achieve brand dominance, and advance the public health. It Starts with Search Healthcare has always been a popular subject for online users, giving them access to information on complex and often emotionally charged issues, and to others who share their concerns. Today, 95% of those looking for health information use search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Research shows that being able to find healthcare information online gives consumers knowledge and confidence, and can significantly impact the way they care for themselves and others. Yet all the work companies have put into their Websites may be meaningless if consumers can’t find them. Most consumers expect leading brands to hold the top listings in search engines. As such, online communication today must advance to a whole new level — starting with careful search engine marketing (SEM) — conducted by experts who understand the complexities of the industry and the science of search. Social Networks With astounding speed, technology is moving knowledge from the specialist to anyone who has access to a computer, accelerating physician education and enhancing patient understanding in a way never imagined. Information exchange is no longer confined to a medical education conference or pre-op visit; knowledge is no longer just about knowing, but about experiencing. Social networking technology gives us the ability to stimulate richer, deeper exchange among patients, and between patients and their doctors, that may not otherwise take place offline. Imagine only a decade ago being able to assemble a focus group of thousands of patients or doctors from different geographies, with instantaneous access to product and treatment insights, without bias. With social networking technology, pharmaceutical companies can get a faster and better read on the language and experiences of their patients — from lifestyle concerns to satisfaction with treatment; from unmet needs to ongoing fears and frustrations. In this way, social networks can vastly enhance patient education, significantly impacting early diagnoses, treatment options, and compliance and adherence. Online communities also can enhance physician collaboration and ongoing learning. Imagine a “My Space” site that empowers doctors to be more informed practitioners and allows them to share their knowledge on a whole new level. Being the sponsor or mediator of these discussions would allow companies to forge stronger, more enduring partnerships with patients and doctors alike. By creating communities online where a critical mass of people in similar situations solve problems together, the industry can assert its position as a caring partner actively engaged in consumer well-being. In this way, online communities can have a measurable impact on improving patient care and rebuilding public confidence. A Time to Act The digital revolution has unalterably shifted the healthcare marketing paradigm, from impressions to customer evangelism. In the age of distributed knowledge and instant feedback, the push paradigm of healthcare marketing is no longer effective. Perhaps more than in any other industry, social networks have the potential to shape the business landscape for pharmaceutical companies, where health and emotion are inextricably linked in online conversations. For these companies, their brand now lives not just on television, in print ads, or in consumer experiences, but in the very voices of the customers, employees, and physicians who influence their success. The smartest companies will seize this opportunity to become custodians of this online dialogue — leading industry to build healthy communities online. Those who fail to act will be left to react. Those who lead will reap the benefits of stronger consumer and physician relationships and deeper public trust.

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