Have you heard about the new Novo Nordisk Twitter page? It’s been the talk of the pharmaceutical marketing world for a few weeks now. Released in mid July, the page currently has 517 followers. It’s tweeted by a real-life celebrity with diabetes—race car driver, Charlie Kimball, and borders between slightly interesting and plainly obvious marketing jargon. Therein lies the problem. Charlie tweets about 5 times a day… chronicling his travels, races, and daily life. But he never forgets to mention when he’s taking his Novo Nordisk medication and where followers can buy it. It’s a very stale marketing voice, day after day after day. Not very authentic or connective—the whole purpose for a brand to use Twitter. Okay, so I agree, it’s an historic use of platform, being that Novo Nordisk is the first branded pharma page in the history of Twitter, but I’m not sure it’s making the most of it. Nothing is there to engage followers, and it’s not all that personal. Charlie is a real-life person who, I assume, Novo Nordisk hired as an individual that other people with diabetes can relate to and share their experiences with. I don’t see any of that happening, and it’s almost been up for a month now. So even though it’s great to see pharma companies using Twitter as a branded marketing tool, this one doesn’t hit the mark. Novo Nordisk needs to back off and let Charlie do his thing, without getting involved in his story. And Charlie needs to expose a bit more of himself: “In Iowa… It is very hot and humid” is just downright boring and has nothing to do with why people are following a sports celebrity succeeding in life with diabetes. Let’s get personal, Charlie.
Archive for July, 2009
First Branded Pharmacetical Twitter Page
Thursday, July 30th, 2009The Digital Age: Why Bother?
Thursday, July 30th, 2009Facebook. Blogs. Bookmarking. SMS. SEO. SEM. Post a Reply… ASAP! Whew. As if your life wasn’t already cruising at I-95 speeds, the Web keeps hitting you with more and more to learn. Yes. Everything digital seems to move in warp drive. So just take it a day at a time, experiment, and get as involved as you can. Different techniques work for different business. Understand what works best for you. But know this—there’s no avoiding the digital age. It’s here and it’s happening. Your goal should be to get your brand there, then keep it relevant and updated. And really, the benefits are tremendous—from unlimited creativity in your strategies, to pinpoint targeted accuracy AND measurable return, the digital age is a gift to marketers… when used wisely. There will always be a new buzzword or acronym to understand, but as long as you’re willing to get your hands dirty, you’ll come out fine; in fact, you may absolutely thrive like so many others have. So just let go and embrace the digital age. It’s here to stay.
Use Your Existing Client List To Boost Sales And Awareness!
Thursday, July 30th, 2009Effective marketing requires constant contact with your client base. And one of the best ways to do this is to get your existing consumers thinking twice about your brand by using Web-based platforms.
First off, get out your list of customer contacts. You’ve got one of those, right? If not, get on it immediately. Nothing is more important than making a connection with the customers who’ve already been through your doors. Now, decide what you’re going to do with it. The possibilities are endless. Just remember, you’ve got to give your consumers something relevant and appealing to make them pay attention and react. Here are few ideas guaranteed to bring customers through the door again and again:
- Send coupons/promotions via e-mail with “Forward to a Friend” options
- Post photos of company staff or past events on Facebook or use Twitpic via Twitter to remind consumers about your brand’s personality
- Start a blog that your customers would be likely to read and respond to, with weekly or daily giveaways for those who share their responses
- Engage consumers with an online contest through your website or social media sites: Facebook and Twitter are our favorites
- E-mail menus, catalogs, or whitepapers to customers
- Text your customers about an upcoming sale or product release
- Create mobile applications for customers to download to their phones
These are just a few of the ideas to get your existing customers back into your stores and also to reinforce their satisfaction with their purchases. Ads and direct mailers certainly have their place, but building brand loyalty through Web-based platforms is a simple—and cost-effective—way to boost sales fast! Remember, repeated exposure to your existing clients can mean big returns for your brand. So don’t just focus all of your attention on getting new customers. Make some time to nurture the ones you already have.