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Pharma Marketing Faces a Character-Count Conundrum

Posted by timothy on from the another-dose-of-nanny-state-should-do-it dept.

this_boat_is_real writes "There's growing concern over how pharmaceutical companies use social media and the Internet to market their products. Last November, the US Food and Drug Administration held a hearing on the topic, and many were worried over how marketing mediums such as Twitter — which has a 140-character limit on text — can sufficiently disclose drug risks." Here's the FDA's announcement about last year's hearings, which includes links to an archive of presentations as well as a video record of the meeting.

2 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Re:A simple solution by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Good idea. But that still leaves Caucasian Womens' magazines and TV. Have you picked up an issue of Home and Garden lately? That mag and those like it are chock full of two-page spreads of women frolicing in fields aside pink-and-blue of bipolar graphic design.

    Meanwhile, erectile dysfunciton medicine ads are featuring younger and younger men. Then there's the awkwardness of having to explain them to your kids who see them on TV.

  2. Re:A simple solution by Plunky · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Wow, as an Australian, I find this pharma marketing so bizarre. Except for over-the-counter stuff like pain killers, there is no advertising of medical products in Australia (same for NZ, UK, probably most of the rest of the western world in fact).

    There is, they just have to target the doctors directly (who don't have time, knowledge or inclination to investigate the claims directly, and are more likely to be swayed by the fancy literature and free lunch accompanying the salesperson)