Pharma Social Media Listening: Benchmarking Innovative Practices in the Healthcare Industry

BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC
Best Practices, LLC Strategic Benchmarking Research & Analysis
Pharma Social Media Listening:
Benchmarking Innovative
Practices in the Healthcare Industry

BEST PRACTICES,
®
LLC
Table of Contents
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY……………………………………………………3
 Research Overview……………………………………………………………..4
 Participating Companies………………………………………………………7
 Key Findings & Insights…………………………………………………….….8
 DETAILED RESEARCH FINDINGS
1. Pharma Social Media Listening Programs & Practices……...........19
 Program Ownership……………………………………………..22
 Websites Monitored & Data Types Gathered………………..23
 Vendors & Outsourcing………………………………………....33
 Evaluating Program Benefits……………………………….....36
2. Key Insights into Program Approval & Effective Monitoring……..41
 Approval Groups & Framework……………………………….42
 Adverse Events Tracking & Reporting…………………….…46
 Steps for Gaining Listening Approval……………………….52
 About Best Practices, LLC……………………………………….……..56
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Research Background & Objectives
Online disease state discussion among patients, physicians, caregivers and other key
customer groups is flourishing across both established and emerging online channels.
Recognizing the value potential of this online discussion, savvy healthcare companies have
launched innovative Social Media Listening programs to capture critical market insights.
3
Key Topics Examined:
High-Performing Social Media Listening
Programs
Program Governance & Ownership
Websites Monitored
Data Types Gathered
Evaluating Program Benefits
Use of Outsourcing & 3rd-party Vendors
Gaining Social Media Listening Approval
Adverse Events Management &
Compliance
Innovative Strategies & Tactics
Study Overview
Research Objective: This Best Practices, LLC
benchmark study is designed to help healthcare
companies improve their Social Media Listening (SML)
programs to capture maximum patient and market
insights while maintaining strict compliance.
This research delivers crucial benchmarks from
industry-leading companies on key Listening activities,
platforms, websites monitored, data gathered, approval
processes, and Adverse Events reporting and
management. Market Research, Digital/Social, Multi-
Channel and other Marketing leaders can use this
research to enhance the value delivered to brand via
online Listening.
Methodology: Best Practices, LLC engaged 15
Digital & Social Marketing and Market Research eladers
at 15 large global healthcare organizations in deep-dive
interviews to capture qualitative insights.

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Benchmark Class:
Representatives from 13 leading healthcare companies participated in this study via deep-dive
interviews. Six of the top 10 largest pharmaceutical organizations are represented in this research,
and more than half of all respondents work at the director level or above.
4
Universe of Learning: 13 Top Companies Participated in Study
- Executive Director, Market Research
- Director, Digital & Social Media, Global
Business Innovation &
Strategy Realization
- Director, Global Oncology,
Business Analysis & Information
- Director, Global Strategic Analytics
- Director, Multi-Channel Analytics
- Director, Market Research
- Director, New Media & Marketing Ops
- Associate Director, Global Market Insights
- Senior Digital & Activation Manager
- Senior Manager, eServices
- Digital Lead
- Manager, Business Intelligence
- Manager, eStrategy
- Manager, Market Research
- Manager, Social Media
Job Titles of Interviewed
Study Participants:

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Key Findings 1: Industry Snapshot of Social Media
Listening
The following key findings and insights on Social Media Listening emerged from this
study.
 Social Media Listening (SML) Is Happening throughout Most of Pharma: Most
companies participating in this study (85%) are currently doing some form of Social
Media Listening.
 Market Research or Digital Groups Lead Listening: The SML program is generally
owned by either the Market Research function (at 58% of total organizations) or by a
Digital / IT group (42%). Large Pharma organizations are much more likely to task
Market Research with SML management responsibility, while a Digital group is more
likely to lead Listening at Mid-Cap Pharma, Biotech or Medical Device organizations.
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INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT: SOCIAL MEDIA LISTENING

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 Patient Forums & Prominent Social Media Websites Are Most Heavily Monitored:
Listening programs tend to monitor both Patient Forums (100% of companies) as well as major
Social Media websites like Facebook (91%) and Twitter (82%). Most companies do not limit the
total number of websites its Listening group can monitor.
 Top Listening Goal = Rapid Market Insights at Brand or Disease State Level: All
surveyed companies seek to capture brand-specific market/patient insights, with another 91%
gathering data at the disease state level. Approximately 1/3 of companies also use Listening for
competitive intelligence purposes.
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LISTENING TACTICS & GOALS
The following key findings and insights on Social Media Listening emerged from this
study.
Key Findings 2: Listening Tactics & Goals

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How Pharma Listening Works: A Process Snapshot
Listening
Program
Market
Research
Brand
Team
Digital /
Social
Vendor
Insights Delivered:
Agency
IT
Analytics
Patient Adherence
Patient Journey Mapping
Brand Awareness & Loyalty
Sentiment Analysis
Issues & Objection Handling
(for Physicians)
Misinformation Levels
Patient
Forums
Social Media
Websites
KOL blogs
7
The infographic below provides a rudimentary depiction of how critical market and
patient insight information flows into a healthcare organization as a result of Social Media
Listening. Third-party vendors cull targeted data from online channels, delivering raw
data to market research or Digital teams who then process it for brand teams.
Common Data
Sources:

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Listening Fills in Gaps around Patient Experience to
Improve Physician Interactions
“We use it to influence what we say to the
physicians because if the patients are asking these
questions or have these particular concerns or
there's a particular side effect, for example, that may
be more troublesome than others. We will provide
material to the doctor, like help guide materials to
physicians so that when the patient is prescribed with
that particular drug, the doctor can tell you, ‘Look, some
people may experience diarrhea with this product and
here are some things you can do to help with that.
Here’s your brochure from the manufacturer to help with
that particular side effect.’
So it will help in that way. It's often objection handling
in some ways - issue mitigation.
And then the other thing is how much misinformation is
out there. That's a little bit more difficult, requires a little
bit deeper analysis.”
-Digital Lead
Listening can fill in critical
business gaps around:
 Patient adherence
 Brand awareness, reputation &
sentiment
 Product misinformation
 “Picking out cherries” (e.g.,
case studies, patient journey)
 Issues & Objection Handling
(for Physicians)
 Physician insights
Listening provides a series of benefits, filling in critical business knowledge gaps around
patient adherence, brand awareness, and physician discussion. Some companies also
examine the amount of misinformation which surrounds their products in online
discussion, and then adjust their product planning and strategy accordingly.
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Legal & Regulatory Are Primary Gatekeepers for
Listening Approval
Functions Involved in Listening Approval Process:
91%
(n=11)
Customer Insights
Clinical
Marketing / Commercial
Medical
Digital / Social
PV / Safety
Regulatory
Legal
55%
36%
27%
18%
72%
18%
18%
Large Pharma Paradox:
• Large companies generally maintain enough staff
and resources to do the type of sophisticated, large-
scale Listening that yields the most valid data and
offers the most compelling case for program
approval
• However, Legal groups may prove more cautious,
and compliance standards more strict, at these
same large companies
Q. Which functional groups are involved in the approval process for launching Social Media
Listening?
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On average, companies require Listening approval from some 2.9 functional groups.
Legal is the chief gatekeeper for Listening (conferring approval at 91% of companies),
followed by Regulatory (72% involved) and Pharmacovigilance (55%).

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Most Listening Is Project-Based, Providing Answers
to Specific Questions
“It's not like a systematic approach
with other market research - I don't
generate a regular report. I'm more
picking out cherries where you think,
"Okay, this is a good example of what
is said on a daily basis," to give to
people who are in the position to either
make decisions or make an analysis of
the product. It's a qualitative
feedback."
-Manager, Social Media
“We do a quick snapshot for maybe a
month - and then in six months usually pre-
and post-launch just tend to be the most
important periods. It's mostly around key
mainstreams of information and attitudinal
stuff.”
-Digital Lead
“We haven't even attempted to think of
ongoing monitoring. We're looking at
projects tied to basic one-time things:
snapshot in time, interesting bits of a
question, something like that, not
ongoing monitoring.”
-Director, Business Analysis &
Information
Companies deploy Listening tactics most often on a project-by-project basis. Common
goals include providing a rapid snapshot on brand awareness or “picking out cherries” of
a qualitative nature to share back with brand leaders. Ongoing, systematic Listening
across brands and business units is less common.
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LLC
Best Practices, LLC
6350 Quadrangle Drive, Suite 200
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
www.best-in-class.com
About Best Practices, LLC
Best Practices, LLC is a research and consulting firm that conducts work based on the simple yet
profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior economic performance by studying
the best business practices, operating tactics, and winning strategies of world-class companies.
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Pharma Social Media Listening: Benchmarking Innovative Practices in the Healthcare Industry

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Pharma Social Media Listening: Benchmarking Innovative Practices in the Healthcare Industry