Digital Pharma: Pharma adapts to new era on Facebook
pharmafile | August 15, 2011 | News story | Medical Communications | Digital Pharma blog, Facebook
Pharma companies must adapt to a new level of engagement on Facebook after new rules from the social network forcing them to host user comments came into effect today.
But in an unexpected twist the policy has yet to be upheld, so visitors to Pfizer’s corporate Facebook page can read the company’s post announcing “you can respond to our posts”, but can’t actually do so.
The industry had previously been granted the option of preventing comments to be made to its Facebook Walls, a necessary move for a sector still cautious about how it uses social media.
In response to the changes a number of companies, including Pfizer, have pulled some of their smaller Facebook pages, but generally firms have chosen to retain their main presences on the social network.
Sanofi said in a Facebook post: “Today we are pleased to open our Wall posts to comments from you. We do ask for your patience with us, as we embark on this new process. We’ll be learning as we go.
“Please note that we may not always be able to respond as quickly as we would like, and we may make some mistakes along the way. Thank you, and we look forward to chatting with you.”
A different approach was taken at Pfizer, whose page was hacked last month and which seemed poised to delete any comments that crossed the line.
“Now that you can respond to our posts, please know that we may sometimes need to remove a comment,” the company’s full announcement post read.
Pfizer has also added a comprehensive explanation of the types of comments it won’t allow, including product references, mentions of side effects and medical advice.
A more drastic path was followed by Novartis, which has deleted all of its Wall posts while the page is “redesigned to align with new Facebook policies”.
Deleted Facebook pages
Pfizer may have kept its corporate presence on Facebook, but a number of its other pages are no longer available.
These include Mehr Zeit gewinnen – für Patienten mit Nierenkrebs (‘More time to win – for patients with kidney cancer’ by Pfizer Germany) and Pfizer Spain’s page. The latter, however, was switched three days ago to a private Facebook group aimed at healthcare professionals and journalists.
Other companies to have deleted Facebook pages include AstraZeneca (its Take On Depression page), Bayer (WomenHeart – Strong@Heart), Merck & Co (Take a Step Against Cervical Cancer) and UCB (Epilepsy Advocate).
However, Facebook pages from Boehringer Ingelheim and Janssen, both of which were set up last Autumn with comments enabled, remain untouched.
Dominic Tyer is web editor for Pharmafocus and InPharm.com and the author of the Digital Pharma blog He can be contacted via email, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google+.
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