Pharmaceutical Web Strategies

1. Pharmaceutical Web Strategies Leigh Rosenorn, RD Web Strategies for Health Communications Friday, July 24, 2009

2. Case Studies: Pharma and biotech companies www.novartis.com - #1 www.novonordisk.com - #2 www.biogenidec.com - #3

3. Web strategy: Pharma companies expand their web presence to increase reach and credibility Company branded Unbranded and Semi-Independent ‘Independent’ Disease based communities Corporate web site: Company information Product specific content on YouTube created by user Company product web site Company sponsored interactive site for patients Disease based patient community HCP portals: Medical information ‘Objective’, informational websites sponsored by companies Low High Users’ trust

4. #1 Novartis - Background www.novartis.com • People • Based in Basel, Switzerland • 96,700 employees in 140 countries • 21% in the US (approx. 28,000) • 2008 Financials • $41.5B sales • 31% from the US • $8.2 B net income • Products • Cardiovascular • Oncology • Generics • Vaccines • Diagnostic tools • Consumer health

5. Novartis - Web Strategy www.novartis.com • For profit company • Tone- traditional content • Focus on profits/business (Investors, Prescribers, Careers) • Less-patient focused (limited education resources) • Prescriber & product info • Web strategy imbedded in media/communications strategy • Communications is anchored in the company’s Executive Committee. Specialists cover all aspects of communication including electronic communications and web casting. • Web budget: Assume in the millions?? • Company sponsored, semi, and independent consumer driven content (sites not linked to company sponsored site) • Dedicated FTEs for web development and management • Web-site seems to support mission

6. Novartis Home Page

7. Current use of social media • In November 2008, Novartis Oncology provided I’m Too Young for This, an organization for young adults living with cancer, with an unrestricted grant to develop on and off-line initiatives (in collaboration with other pharma companies) • Novartis Consumer Health - YouTube channel for Excedrin, with competitions for user-created content • In 2008, used patientslikeme.com to recruit for MS clinical trial • Novartis maintains a corporate Twitter account, discussing its corporate news, global initiatives, and disease specific info (2,221 followers) * As of July 16, 2009

8. #2 Novo Nordisk- Background www.novovordisk-us.com • Vision • We will be the world’s leading diabetes care company • We will offer products and services in other areas where we can make a difference • We will achieve competitive business results • A job here is never just a job • Our values are expressed in all our actions • Our history tells us, it can be done • People • Based in Copenhagen, DK • 27,000 employees in 81 countries • 14% in the US (approx. 3,300) • 2008 Financials • $9B in sales • 33% in North America • $1.9B net income • Products • Diabetes (70+ %) • Growth hormone • Haemostasis • HRT

9. Novo Nordisk- Web Strategy www.novonordisk-us.com • For profit company • Tone-traditional content • Highly patient focused, cozy and warm, easy to understand • Also many resources for all HCP, but cannot access all or in Danish • Web strategy • Worldwide website layout centralized and controlled from Denmark • Supportive of prescriber influencers (e.g. nurses) & patients • Web budget: Assume in the millions?? • Company sponsored, semi, and independent consumer driven content (Sites not linked to company sponsored site) • Dedicated team in the global and US marketing departments for continuous management • Web-site seems to support mission

10. Novo Nordisk Patient Page

11. Current use of social media www.juvenation.com • Company sponsored JDRF community that offers services similar to: • Facebook • Twitter • YouTube • Blogs • Forums Users connect based on common disease

12. #3 Biogen Idec- Background www.biogenidec.com Mission We create new standards of care in neurology, oncology and immunology through our pioneering research, our global development, manufacturing and commercial capabilities • People • Based in Cambridge, MA • 4,700 in 29 countries • ~2/3 in the US (approx. 3,000) • 2008 Financials • $4.1B in sales • 67% in the US • $1.1B in net income • Products • MS • Oncology • R&D in cardiopulmonary, immunology and haemophelia

13. Biogen Idec - Web Strategy www.biogenidec.com • For profit company • Tone of corporate web site • Tabs for company, products, patients, careers • No Prescriber focus • Science, text heavy, dry and serious • Web strategy: Linked with product marketing strategy • Support acquisition and retention of current patients • Driven by specific disease and product web sites such as MSactivesource.com , AVONEX.com and TYSABRI.com • Web budget: Unavailable • Company sponsored, semi-independent content, Social Media activities in development(Not linked to company sponsored sites) • 15 in-house communications staff, some out-sourced • Continuous revision and management • Web-site seems to support mission

14. Biogen Idec Products Page

15. Current use of social mediaExample: Sweden • Biogen Idec managed and funded, unbranded patient site 1st hit for ‘multipel skleros’ on Google • Patient stories and disease information placed on YouTube with link to web site • Part of integrated patient CRM strategy

16. Web strategy: Pharma companies expand their web presence to increase reach and credibility Company branded Unbranded and Semi-Independent ‘Independent’ Disease based communities, e.g. MS Active Source sponsored by Biogen Idec Corporate web site: Company information Produt specific content on YouTube created by user - who is also Biogen Idec patient advocate Company product web site JDRF interactive site for patients - sponsored by Novo Nordisk ‘Objective’, informational websites sponsored by companies who contribute content as well Disease based patient community with non-profit and company sponsors, e.g., Novartis used to recruit for clinical trial HCP portals: Medical information,e.g., NovoMedLink Low High Users’ trust

17. Web strategy: Emerging role of social media in pharma • A blog posting in May 2009 claimed that 45 out of the top 50 pharmaceuticals didn’t have social media presence • That posting was picked up and pulled through various media channels. According to the posting, pharma companies are reluctant to use social media channels because - • Don’t understand where social media fits - No FDA guidelines • Short sighted – equating social media efforts to marketing campaigns • Focus their efforts on measurable ROI • In fact, 10 out of the 50 are already involved, a 100% increase. Others are on their way • This shows that - • Companies are indeed moving into the social media arena • Don’t trust everything you read on a blog (Trust issues) The Kevin French blog – www.kevinfrench.com

18. Web strategy: Pharma companies on Twitter • Big Pharma presence on twitter is very recent- all corporate accounts are less than a year old, most count only a few months of “twitter“ experience

19. Overall SWOT Analysis

20. Company Comparison

21. Recommendations

22. Questions