Recent events have caused me to think about this social web of ours.

On the dark side are cruel stories of bullying and the resulting suicides of several young people. Very bad. And I refuse to discuss them here - enough ink has been splashed trying to make sense of all these events.

On the bright side I see a settling of these SM places. I think, as I venture into these worlds, things have calmed down and maybe have become as amazing, as I hoped they would.

Maybe it's a culling of the herd - where I have unfriended, or unfollowed folks who have just ticked me off once too often - or maybe it is that folks are really getting a handle on what it is to be social, in this social media world.

I hope, and believe, it is the latter.

It has taken several years, but like folks getting gym memberships, the majority drop off after a few months and the serious folks maintain their regimen for the long haul.

I have been so pleased with my Facebook interactions, my Twitter stream, the Youtube channels and even Google + has now started to bubble up a bit. Bravo!

There seems to be less vitriol, more wit, amazing comments and so many more things served up for me to learn. Is the golden age of SM upon us? There seems to be less marketing "white noise" and the ad-chatter has died down. I even notice the self-promoting SM Guru phase has almost dried up! (Raises a glass and toasts!)

Here is a great video of one of my favorite netizans Stephen Frye being interviewed by Craig Ferguson (Another favorite.) Lovely twist to technology and Twitter in particular.

Hope you enjoy it!

What do you think is the current "state of the nation" in Social Media?

The report goes on to say that 19 dollar is the outcome that’s used on marketing and promotion of every 1 dollar that is spent on basic-level research.

Pharmaceuticals have lately turned towards internet marketing for increasing their sales and revenue as they find it cost-effective compared to traditional marketing. They’re able to reach out to the masses through social media and search engine marketing.

However, there are many drugs, medications, supplements and prescriptions being sold online that make claims that are unproven, and some of them may cause more harm than good. They may mask symptoms of the underlying problem, making the patients think they’ve found a cure and leading them to the same lifestyle which led them to suffer the disease in the first place.

There are medicines that claim to offer treatments ‘within a single day’, and supplements that offer ‘weight loss in just 2 weeks without dieting or any physical activity’. Even with all the hype, consumers still fall for them; perhaps because of the marketing image they’re presented with that overtakes their emotion, leading them to a purchase. With so many leading personalities involved in marketing, these solutions are made to look more real and credible.

There are many media articles floating in search engines that are written by individuals with little or no knowledge on the topic they’re writing on. They fail to describe the actual workings of the drug, all possible side effects of its consumption, and whether it’s actually worth spending on or otherwise. Such articles focus more on call-to-action with claims that are unproven or untrue, without actually focusing on the details. They’re then pushed out to internet users (which also include doctors who do online research) through social media, content marketing and other means.

Scientists have also come out to accuse pharmas of inventing and medicalizing diseases to increase sales. Some medical conditions that people suffer are exaggerating and shown as something more serious by the industry. For example, restless legs syndrome and AHDH (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) have been termed as new diseases, converting healthy females into patients.

On the contrary, there are problems and mid-to-serious diseases that are real and require multiple treatment plans which include a combination of medicines, exercise and diet. Due all the hype that surrounds pharmaceuticals drugs and solutions, there are some effective drugs that may be overlooked in the shadow of ineffective, overhyped pharma drugs.

For example, patients suffering from heartburn or acid reflux have the option to buy Nexium and other effective drugs that are backed by pure research and can be easily combined with diet and exercise.

It’s very difficult for consumers to find out the difference between hype and reality when purchasing drugs that claim to offer a miracle solution online. However, it’s not an impossible feat. A bit of research and reading of analysis from credible and reputable sources can result in a well-informed decision that’s effective and doesn’t lead to regrets later on. 

Here is an interesting infographic comparing Apple to Samsung.

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Infographic courtesy MBAOnline.com

Strategy to gain attention and communicate more effectively with your target audience

How many of us receive dozens of emails on a daily basis and don’t have the time to keep up? For most of your consumers, this is the case. So how can you create content that will get read and not trashed? Consumers are looking for content that somehow creates value for them. They can see through a promotional email and the chances are, they will probably delete it.

If you’re looking to engage your customers electronically then you’ll have to learn how to get their attention by creating valuable content in the form of an electronic newsletter – an “E-Newsletter”. This will help you get attention, engage consumers and prospects and create awareness for your business or brand by simple ‘getting read’. When done properly, E-Newsletters are a great way to build loyalty. They are a must-have communication tool for anyone who has a story to tell and diverse content to share.

*Please note: Participants are encouraged to bring a copy of a current newsletter or a draft for discussion/constructive critique.

Location: In Toronto at Wunderman 60 Bloor Street West, Suite 800 Toronto, Ontario M4W 3B8, Canada

Date: April 4, 2013

Start Time:9:00 am
End Time:12:00 pm

Price: C$325.00 + 13% HST

Register here!

 Take the case of eyelash thickening treatment, Latisse, back in 2010. Its spokesperson and model at the time was actress and celebrity, Brooke Shields – an attractive, healthy-looking woman with beautiful eyes; she is a clear choice for any marketer hoping to glamorise the product. At the time, however, the Latisse website was accused of underrepresenting a number of complaints about negative side-effects of the treatment, such as change in eye colour, hair growth in places where the treatment had not been applied and cornea infections. The issue here is that a lot of emphasis was placed on the spokesperson, Brooke Shields, and the positive aspects of the treatment, and that not enough effort was made to warn consumers of possible side effects. All drugs and treatments come with the risk of side effects, and all negative side effects are a marketer’s nightmare. Most would agree that it was Latisse’s obligation to make the information of their side-effects easier for the public to access – even though it would, no doubt, hurt their marketing campaign. This is a drawback of pharmaceutical marketing; it’s a simple as that. 

 (It is definitely worth mentioning that Latisse have addressed their previous issues and warn any users of possible side effects.) You can read more about Latisse’s side effects, here.

 It is the prerogative of any marketer to promote their product. This is marketing at its most basic level. But where is the line when people’s health is at risk? Where is the line when it is a better standard of health and wellbeing that you are selling? Dr Steven Nissen famously criticised Pharmaceutical marketing, claiming: 

 “It’s almost impossible for the public to actually parse the ads and come to their own independent conclusions.”

 Many marketers tend to disagree with Nissen’s polarised attack on pharmaceutical marketing. An acceptable middle ground can be achieved where marketing and responsibility can occur – and this almost always comes from full disclosure of any side effects or undesired results from the products. It’s even a good marketing strategy to disclose all negative side effects, as any scandal could be potentially lethal to the campaign. 

 So, with a heightened sensitivity to pharmaceutical products, what are marketers allowed to target? The answer is different depending on who you talk to. But one angle that has increased astronomically, is online marketing aimed directly at physicians. Between 2004 and 2008 there was a 20% increase in the amount of doctors that use the internet to research the best and cheapest pharmaceutical products for their patients. I have no doubt that when the results come in for 2012/13, this number will have increased exponentially. This means that a lot of pharmaceutical marketers are aware of the increased importance of online marketing and the immediate impact of their brand and logo on their websites. 

 
A great example of this awareness is Guerilla Communications’ recent handling of Rowlands Pharmacy’s ‘V’ brand. Guerilla Communications are a pharmaceutical marketing company from the North East of England. Without attempting to glamorise or mislead its target consumers, Guerilla have been able to push the ‘V’ brand ahead by using a Scandinavian marketing principle that less is more and that neat-looking, simplistic brands stand out in the clutter of today’s marketplace. The ‘V’ stands for vitality and positively represents the range of vitamins and dietary supplements. This is an example of a direct approach to an area that pharmaceutical marketers are allowed to manipulate, and the verdict is still out as to the long-term benefits. One thing can be said, however, attention to detail at brand level is effective no matter what product you are trying to sell.

A similar approach can be found in eczema cream E45 (image on the right). This minimalistic brand is very memorable and the company have done very well indeed. This, in my view, is because they have put their efforts into the brand and let the quality of the product establish itself. Perhaps E45’s successful approach to branding is a guide as to the future success of V.

 Obviously E45 and V aren’t prescribed medicine, so they are a safer avenue for pharmaceutical marketers. For the strong stuff, however, the issue arises when the quality of the product is questionable. What do we, as pharmaceutical marketers, do in this instance? Do we, like the lawyer defending an obviously guilty criminal, keep quiet and ignore the doubt in the back of our minds, or do we lose business and refuse to market a pharmaceutical product of dubious quality. This is a massive question and one I hope all of us are attempting to answer. The future of pharmaceutical marketing relies upon answering this question correctly. Otherwise, it could dwindle and die in a similar way to the tobacco marketing industry.

  Peter Wright is an online marketing executive from Ireland, currently living and working in the North of England. Peter visited Canada on a rugby tour in his schoolboy days, and he found Canadian rugby players to be significantly bigger than Irish rugby players. Apart from an interest in marketing, Peter studied philosophy in Glasgow University and, thus, he is always keen to explore why we do what we do in the marketing world and the ethics behind our marketing practises. Writing is one of Peter's true passions, and writing about marketing makes a lot of sense for him. He hopes you enjoy his musings, or that they at least make you think a little.

Twitter: @PeterWrightMW

Email: peter.wright@mediaworks.co.uk 

Recently over 5000 Canadian professionals responded to a FreshGigs.ca survey that looked at what people really think about their job.

Take a look at the infographic below we created with the results from that survey. Let us know what you think in the comments and please help us spread the word by using the share buttons above or the ‘click to tweet’ below.

“Love Your Job? Compare With Other Canadians: Infographic”

Have a gander at this before you read this post …

Welcome back!

I have stood by that theory of presenting for decades. Why? Because it works. Guaranteed!

In the last few months I have again seen dozens of presentations and there wasn't a single one of them that I would say moved me, made me want to act, created some interest, nor sadly made me want to buy something. Only a couple of instances in those hours and hours of Power Point did I see something mildly interesting. (And it wasn't a chart!)

If you went to that post above, your take away should have been to be effective you have to be natural, be yourself ... and tell a story. Tell a great story.

"But I work in a boring field. The stuff I have to present is boring!"

Your audience probably doesn't think that, and moreover,  you are not boring. People are looking and listening to you. You are interesting, fascinating, unique and I have never met anyone who did not have a great story. And all of those stories are fascinating.

We all know that most of the presentations at conferences and trade shows are, in fact, sales pitches. 

So, why would you NOT take that opportunity to be really interesting? People buy from people. And those people are trusted, interesting and they deliver results. At a conference you have a captive audience of potential customers. Use it to your advantage.

Why don't you tell a story of an interesting client challenge you had? Make it a Case Study Mini-Play. What did they want? How did you strategize the solution. What happened next? Was there any tension or drama or timing issues in the delivery? How did you handle it? How did you solve it!

Here are Aristotle's Six Elements of Drama

Aristotle considered these six things to be essential to good drama.

• Plot: This is what happens in the play. Plot refers to the action; the basic storyline of the play.
• Theme: While plot refers to the action of the play, theme refers to the meaning of the play. Theme is the main idea or lesson to be learned from the play. In some cases, the theme of a play is obvious; other times it is quite subtle.
• Characters:  Characters are the people (sometimes animals or ideas) portrayed by the actors in the play. It is the characters who move the action, or plot, of the play forward.
• Dialogue: This refers to the words written by the playwright and spoken by the characters in the play. The dialogue helps move the action of the play along.
• Music/Rhythm: While music is often featured in drama, in this case Aristotle was referring to the rhythm of the actors' voices as they speak.  
• Spectacle: This refers to the visual elements of a play: sets, costumes, special effects, etc. Spectacle is everything that the audience sees as they watch the play.

In presenting this list has changed slightly, although you will notice that many of the elements remain the same. The list of essential elements in presenting are:

• Character
  These are the main ideas you want to convey - less is more. And no more than THREE!
• Plot
  The storyline. Is it seamless and linked? A solid beginning, interesting middle and fabulous ending.
• Theme
  Tone and manner of the presentation. start big, drop down and build to the climax.
• Dialogue
  The words you use must be powerful "speaking" words … not written words. You are an orator not a leader of a read along.
• Audience
  Always begin a presentation from the viewpoint of the audience. What are they looking for?

I always try and guage the results of a presentation I have just witnessed. I ask others in attendance what they thought. The last conference was shocking - after one session almost all all of the responses from the other attendees went from "OMG that was awful!" to "Why do I sit through these?"

Is that how you want your audience and perhaps your potential customers to react? I know I don't.

A great presentation should end with audience members coming up to you after the session asking for more.