Pharma: Trends in e-detailing

Snapchat is a mobile messaging app, initially used to share photos (snaps) that ‘self-destructed’ seconds after they had been viewed. Now, increasingly focused on video and featuring text overlays, photo and geo filters and more emojis that you can imagine, messages sent directly still disappear on viewing, but users now have the option to curate ‘Stories’ where messages last for 24 hours.

The network is the fastest growing in social media’s short history, achieving more than 100 million daily users in just four years. And, despite Facebook and Google reportedly trying to buy it for between $3 and $4 billion, Snapchat it is still independent and now valued at $20 billion.

Demographics for the platform’s user base skew pretty young – 60 percent of US Snapchat users are under 25; 86 percent are under 35. And the fact that ‘old’ people like me never got Snapchat actually factors in its stellar success. In a survey run earlier this year for Variety magazine, 30 percent of respondents said one of the things they liked most about the social media network was that ‘My parents don’t use it’.

Combine the persistence of its messaging functionality, with incredible growth, an exclusive mobile focus, the increasing volume of video on the platform and engagement levels ‘to die for’, and Snapchat could become a very interesting place to be for Pharma marketers targeting younger patients.

Writing last year in Ad Age about opportunities for brands joining the platform, Victor Pineiro of the Big Spaceship agency highlighted Snapchat’s ability to deliver what he called ‘intimacy at scale, “Every time a user opens a snap, she has no idea who else – if anyone – is seeing it. It's a tiny, personal gift, even when broadcast to a huge audience.”

That intimacy is important to many patient communities. Michael Smith, Senior Digital Strategist at Palio+Ignite, has written, ‘there are certain communities within healthcare marketing that do not lend themselves well to public social media campaigns’. For these groups, he sees apps like Snapchat allowing marketers to develop a ‘social, but private relationship with their target audience without having to drive them to a branded platform’.

Of course any advice for Pharma to consider using a social media platform has to come with the usual advisories and warnings.

The 24-hour shelf life of Snapchat messages might heighten engagement as users log on to avoid FOMO (fear of missing out), but Pharmaguy suggests it might not be a ready answer for FOFDAR (fear of FDA regulations) even if it would be difficult for the FDA to document transgressions before offeding materials have disappeared.

The transience of Snapchat messaging probably doesn’t make it the best place for straight up drug promotions, but it may be effective in promoting educational events or directing people to more permanent sources of information like websites, or for ongoing patient support and adherence.

I find it fairly easy to imagine a teen diabetic subscribed to an information channel on their smartphone that sends daily treatment reminders and regularly share messages of support from within the patient community, healthcare professionals and even celebrity ambassadors… especially if they use that rainbow vomit filter.