Because pharma is a highly regulated industry, new methods of communication that are not top-down and well-controlled have a very slow uptake. With good reason – pharmaceutical companies are responsible for what is said by their representatives, and on their sites, so free exchange of dialogue (which might include discussion of off-label usage of products, or reports of adverse events) can lead to big trouble and large fines. Hence, the cautious toe-in-the-water approach to fast-moving new platforms such as Web 2.0 and social media.
There is a small, but growing, number of social media users inside pharmaceutical companies, or among those who (like myself) provide services to pharma. Some of these truly “get” what community networking via social media is about, and some robust discussions are occurring about how to incorporate social networking. But many of those who are talking about it come at it from the traditional marketer’s perspective – here is one more mechanism for reach and influence. One more tactic for messaging. A new medium that needs its legal/regulatory clearance. Another tool in the bag that needs to show rapid ROI.
Therefore, I decided to take my 6-8 minutes during the panel and talk about 4 Rules (probably should have said Perspectives or Principles – oh, well) to bear in mind about the on-line networking culture as you seek to enter in:
1. Immediacy. We value instantaneous communication, quick feedback, dialogue. This is a major shift in approach for pharma, which practices careful, centralized, one-way communication. Nonetheless, it’s important to understand that the culture isn’t going to adapt to the old, tired method of being spoken to in crafted speech that takes 6 weeks to compose. Pharma has to find a way to adapt to the culture.
2. Multi-level communications. We dialogue, comment, share, tweet, mashup, and iterate. Communications and messages move and morph. That’s uncomfortable for a regulated entity. But it’s the way it is.
3. Long-term commitment. Don’t view social media as one more tactic to try out – or, as one of the presenters put it, don’t think about “piloting” it. This is not the place for ROI calculations the first quarter when you start. You’re entering and taking part in a community. This has to be a long-haul strategy. And since many pharma marketers are “rotating” through their roles for 12-24 months, that often leads to short-term thinking – which means that a multi-faceted team should be setting the soc med strategy.
4. Transparency and Authenticity. Put human faces on your social media outreach efforts. We see enough marketing fakery in all other mediums. Not welcome here. Learn to be genuine. Those who are merely seeking to manipulate through marketing will be shunted aside. Real people who add real value will be welcomed.
The crucial thing to remember is that social media influencers are passionate participants who communicate, not passive targets of marketing communications. The microphone has been passed, from official marketers to people who can now create their own broadcast channels. It’s my hope to help people in pharma to recognize that the conversation is already happening – with or without them – and that we, as the community, are making up “the rules” as we go along. This is the time, therefore, to get firmly involved somehow – START! – and recognize the contours of the landscape as you begin down the path.
What other advice would you have for major companies – especially those hamstrung by tight regulatory requirements – as they consider their initial forays into the social media world?
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I don’t think anyone will argue whether the bathwater of an inauthentic persona (faux personal brand) should be tossed out. But, let’s talk about the baby.
I’ve tended to view personal branding as a secondary issue. If you’re looking to project a personal brand, the primary question to you need to answer first and foremost is: What is your value-add?
You don’t have a brand worth a nickel unless you are clear in what value you have to offer. That’s true of personal branding, corporate branding, political branding, and whatever other type of branding du jour we’d like to dream up.
Look around you. Right now – in your office, your home, or even look at all the various Twitter avatars and e-mail addresses on your computer. Not a single one of those people can offer what you do. Each one has inherent value as a person, and unique value as an individual who can contribute to the greater good. And you, too, have a unique and irreplaceable value-add. Focus on the gold – what is it?
I know mine, though it has taken many years to clearly identify and articulate it. But even if you are struggling to put your own value-add into words, you still have that value, and probably those who are closest to you can tell you what it is. Here is an exercise to help you – try to find 5-8 adjectives or nouns that summarize what you do best. Ask your friends and colleagues to help (you might even want to have some fun by making it a Twitter exercise).
Now you’re much closer to figuring out your “personal brand,” because you’re understanding where you add value. And you should think about your value-add on at least 2 levels – the professional level (how do I help my employer and clients succeed and make money?), and the community level (how do I help my family/church/neighbors/network grow and succeed?). Usually, you’ll find quite a bit of overlap, because you are you in both realms, and your strengths carry over.
And that’s the point about having a personal brand. The best personal brands are those that are authentic – that is, they reflect who you truly are, in all realms. You may emphasize specific activities and outworkings in your projected identity, because we all put our capabilities and strengths to use in tangible realms of endeavor, but that projected identity – that personal brand – is coherent with who you are. If you changed jobs, locations, or responsibilities, your brand would remain quite consistent.
If you’re trying to create a persona to hide behind – a faux personal brand – you’re wasting time and energy. Toss the bathwater out the window, identify your true value-add, and embrace it. Then you can project yourself without fear, and we won’t need to waste so much digital bandwidth beating down “personal branding”!
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This was no ordinary dealership. It was the shrine of Harley-Davidson.

I was surrounded by people who were speaking a certain dialect: Harlean. Technical terms about engines and models and paint colors were tossed about with a mix of both profanity and reverence. Uniforms (mostly black Harley t-shirts), symbols (lots of tatoos), and a certain swagger of the elite were all in vogue. You see, these people were not mere motorcyclists. They were Harley owners.
Over lunch, I discussed my reaction with my friend. He laughed, realizing that the Harley rider community was, indeed, cult-like. I had heard in the past that this was the case in Harley-land, but this was my first visit to one of the temples. As I saw the two-wheeled icons on display, and watched the evident brand attachment in the eyes and voices of the owners, it reinforced something that had been brewing for years in my mind. Brand advocacy isn’t always the highest goal to shoot for. You really want to create a cult.
You want people to feel like they’ve found “it.” That they are now part of a special association, an elite, the kind that freely exchanges the secret wave when they pass each other on the highway. You want folks who pull up to a bar or club anywhere in the world, and fellow cult members immediately start a conversation about the icon and their experience of it. You want people who will pay more for the brand t-shirt, who will proudly wear the brand tattoo, who will boast about the apparent advantages of the brand – and you want outsiders to jealously wish they could be part of the club.
You want full alignment with your tagline. These owners really do Ride to Live, and Live to Ride.
I was informed that there are even special edition red Harleys for firefighters, and special blue ones for police personnel. My friend explained to me some of the sub-groups – denominations, as it were – within the Harley cult, but the common denominator was: fierce attachment.
My guess is that Harley has managed to tap into certain aspects of the American psyche – the yearning to chuck it all behind, hit the road, make noise, and show the rest of the world that you fully intend to be free. Other cults latch onto different mindsets. Those who are part of the tree-hugging and latte cult aren’t likely to be Harley buyers, but that’s just fine – they can hop into their Priuses to visit the recycling center and gather to compare Obama and Hillary. Harley riders will roar down the highway to parking lots and rallies anywhere and gather to compare chrome and engines.
I’m not a motorcycle rider (yet?). I feel like quite an outsider in the Harley temple. But I know great marketing and branding when I see it and feel it, and these guys have nailed it big time. Do you have a plan for creating, not just a marketing campaign, but an out-and-out cult?
(Image credit: Harley sign)