Going for Gold
For two weeks, every two years, I hear trumpets in my sleep. Yes, I am an Olympics junkie. I am one of those fans who watches more than just the marquee events. Don’t get me wrong; I love the prime-time televised competitions and watching the favorites and underdogs reach the medal stand. But every Olympics I stumble upon new events in the not-so-prime time viewing hours, such as team handball, synchronized trampoline, white water kayaking, and BMX motorcross. For me, the appeal of the Olympics goes beyond the prowess of these world-class athletes and my parochial pride in watching the USA teams compete (and win). It’s the global platform and the compelling stories of these athletes — the Lopez “Tae Kwon Do" family from the U.S., Oscar Pistorius (aka Blade Runner), and six-time Olympian gymnast Oksana Chusovitina to name just a few — that really light my personal Olympic flame; I am an emotional viewer.
And apparently I am not alone. According to published reports, during the Olympics the UK’s EDF Energy Group and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) teamed up to “capture" the emotion of those in attendance. The EDF analyzed tweets about the games throughout the course of the Olympics using a sentiment algorithm to measure adjectives, punctuation, and even emoticons. The tweets were then scored and tallied up over the course of each day. The end result was a light show reflecting the mood of the day powered on the London Eye every night.
The ability to capture behavioral or emotional trends is not new, but the fact that it is happening in real time with data being synthesized and responded to with a meaningful message with near immediacy is almost as impressive as Michael Phelps’ 22 Olympic medals.
In much the same way, the pharmaceutical industry is beginning to use technology and new marketing tools to connect with its audiences — consumers and physicians — on a very individual level. Real-time data enable more detailed tracking, which in turn leads to better information that results in better understanding of the physician or patient. Knowing how to glean insights from the information is becoming a very important piece of the pie and allows marketers to design extremely targeted messaging that produces a level of customer engagement unattainable with traditional approaches.
The experts in this month’s Forum provide some key takeaways when it comes to behavioral marketing: understanding engagement, prescribing habits, and attitude are key for physician targeting; goal setting, tracking, and positive reinforcement motivate patients to change behaviors; and research doesn’t lie — heed what it reveals, even if you think you know your brand.
Check out what else our experts have to share on the topic, as well as what’s new in the e-patient world, advances in molecular diagnostics, our two special showcases, and more.
Signing off now with the Bugler’s Dream still playing in my head.
Taren Grom
Editor
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Volume 12 • Number 8
Publisher Lisa Banket
Editor Taren Grom
Creative Director Marah Walsh
Managing Editor Denise Myshko
Senior Editor Robin Robinson
Features Editor Kim Ribbink
Contributing Editor Carolyn Gretton
Design Associate Ariel Medel
National Account Managers
Trish Kane
Cathy Tracy
Webcast Network Producer Daniel Limbach
Circulation Assistant Kathy Deiuliis
Copyright 2012
by PharmaLinx LLC, Titusville, NJ
Printed in the U.S.A.
Volume Twelve, Number Eight
PharmaVoice (ISSN: 1932961X) is published monthly except joint issues in July/Aug. and Nov./Dec., by PharmaLinx LLC, P.O.?Box 327, Titusville, NJ 08560. Periodicals postage paid at Titusville, NJ 08560 and additional mailing offices.
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Their Word…
Denise Myshko
Managing Editor
As personalized medicine gains momentum, pharma and device companies are collaborating for companion diagnostics.
Robin Robinson
Senior Editor
The industry has made the all-important shift from unengaged listening to deliberate interactions with patients.
Kim Ribbink
Features Editor
India’s long scientific and medical history continues to form the bedrock of the country’s current advances in science and technology.
Carolyn Gretton
Contributing Editor
Relationship management is key to meeting the range of data management challenges faced by pharma companies and their clinical trial partners.
Letters… Send your letters to feedback@pharmavoice.com. Please include your name, title, company, and business phone number. Letters chosen for publication may be edited for length and clarity. All submissions become the property of PharmaLinx LLC.
