How effective is the pharma industry at getting its messages across to an increasingly (mis-)informed audience?
Consumers' unrestricted access to information via digital and social media - as unchecked channels for content dissemination - has an indisputable impact on the pharmaceutical industry, the way it is perceived, and how communicators manage their clients' and companies' reputation. It was on this premise that the Comms Talks: Pharma discussion kicked off this morning.
The event - co-organised by media analysis agency Perceptica and the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD), with the support of the Bulgarian Association for Public Relations (BDVO) and the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) - brought together communication professionals from the pharmaceutical sector to discuss the "empowerment" of the end consumer and the communication challenges this otherwise positive phenomenon creates for practitioners.
Two factors eroding trust
Panelists pinpointed two crucial factors that, when combined, result in loss of trust in pharmaceutical and medical experts - and can ultimately lead to adverse consequences for consumers and patients:
- the speed with which unreliable information and non-expert advice are disseminated;
- the strict internal and external regulations that govern pharmaceutical companies' communication activities.
"Our analysis shows that the more common a disease is, the more likely it is that people won't turn to healthcare professionals. They look for information and advice from friends, relatives and on online forums. We see a big difference in the topics that receive traditional media coverage and those that authentically capture social media users' interest."
The panel concluded that, to counter these trends, communication in the pharmaceutical industry must be grounded in trust and a set of pre- (and even re-) defined ethical standards, using communication channels relevant to each campaign and case - including the social and digital channels currently underused within the sector, and selected based on measurement and evaluation of public conversations. This is the only way pharmaceutical companies can reach the wider community and share their expertise effectively.
Discussion panel
- Radoslava Ganozova - Director of Communications for Southeast Europe, Actavis
- Nadya Gogova - Managing Partner of Enterprise magazine and IAB-Bulgaria Director
- Iva Mikova - Key Accounts Manager, PR Play (healthcare agency)
- Yordan Stefanov - microbiologist, author of the blog Science and Critical Thinking
The discussion was moderated by Elena Mateeva - Media Communications Manager at Sopharma, and a BDVO and EACD member.
About Comms Talks
Comms Talks: Pharma is the first edition of Comms Talks - a series of sector-themed discussions that foster dialogue between the communication industry's key stakeholders: in-house communication departments, agencies, the media, and media research and analysis professionals. Comms Talks events are public, free to attend, and aimed at current and future communications professionals.