New “PharmaWall” Fills Industry’s Need for Facebook Friends
June 20, 2011
OVERLAND PARK, KAN. (June 20, 2011) — Intouch Solutions® Inc., a digital marketing agency servicing the pharmaceutical industry, today announced the availability of PharmaWall, a Facebook® monitoring and moderation tool. Pharma companies face unique challenges when participating in social media like Facebook because comments posted by users may violate FDA guidelines for consumer advertising. To help overcome these challenges, PharmaWall integrates with a pharma-sponsored Facebook page, enabling page owners to manage content through a behind-the-scenes approval process.
Why the need for PharmaWall? In May, Facebook changed a pivotal policy regarding the administration of the standard Facebook Wall on Facebook pages. As of Aug. 15, pharma-sponsored unbranded pages (pages that don’t mention a product) will no longer be able to prevent Facebook users from commenting on existing posts. Branded pages for specific medications may continue to block Facebook users from commenting on posts. News of the Facebook policy change spread from Intouch Solutions’ website, intouchsol.com, where the agency published a related email it had received from a Facebook representative.
PharmaWall features Below are the details on how PharmaWall was built to enable pharma companies to allow Facebook conversations while minimizing risk.
• Facebook members can still create new posts and comment on posts, but they are alerted that their post/comment will be reviewed prior to publishing on the page.
• PharmaWall stores new posts/comments in a queue for behind-the-scenes review by the page administrator who decides whether it will be approved, revised or declined.
• If the content is approved, it publishes to the Facebook page.
• Copies of all content—as well as decisions to approve, revise or decline—are documented for later review.
• PharmaWall also provides the ability to display messages in the news feeds of all Facebook members who have “liked” the page, keeping them up-to-date on news and information from the page sponsor.
• Regulatory-friendly features include the ability to display disclaimers and product safety information prominently.
• To support PharmaWall, Intouch Solutions also offers 24/7 monitoring and moderation services.
“Facebook’s recent policy change really sparked a ripple of concern from marketers and communicators in the industry,” said Faruk Capan, CEO, Intouch Solutions. “But we believe, in many instances, pharma companies can and should continue to engage with Facebook members. The key is to combine a moderation tool like PharmaWall with monitoring services, so conversations are relevant to the Facebook community yet safe for the regulated environment. We’re happy we can leverage technology to help companies engage while minimizing exposure and risk.”
Intouch Solutions’ Senior Director of Emerging Media, Jim Dayton, has been at the forefront of what the Facebook changes mean to pharmaceutical marketers. “Our clients are looking to be able to hold two-way conversations with Facebook users while keeping within in a regulatory-friendly setting. That’s easier said than done,” said Dayton. “We’ve heard from clients that PharmaWall is the most custom-built solution for pharma they’ve seen. There’s definitely a demand for it.”
With the Aug. 15 deadline looming, many pharma companies are left in the lurch on what to do with existing or planned product Facebook pages. To learn more or see a demo, visit
www.thepharmawall.com.
About Intouch Solutions
Founded in 1999, Intouch Solutions Inc. is a privately held marketing agency headquartered in the Kansas City area with offices in Chicago and New York. Specializing in solutions for the pharmaceutical and health care industries, Intouch is redefining what marketing means to these industries. Contact Intouch at getintouch@intouchsol.com or visit them on the Web at www.intouchsol.com.