Patient Influencers: The Next Frontier in Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Marketing
Social media influencers are becoming an increasingly popular strategic communication tactic used across industry verticals, including entertainment, fashion, and beauty, to engage directly with consumers. Pharmaceutical companies have also recently entered the social media marketing aren...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JMIR Publications
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.jmir.org/2022/3/e29422 |
| _version_ | 1797735240879308800 |
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| author | Erin Willis Marjorie Delbaere |
| author_facet | Erin Willis Marjorie Delbaere |
| author_sort | Erin Willis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Social media influencers are becoming an increasingly popular strategic communication tactic used across industry verticals, including entertainment, fashion, and beauty, to engage directly with consumers. Pharmaceutical companies have also recently entered the social media marketing arena and—within the bounds of governmental regulations—have found ways to build relationships directly with patients using covert persuasion tactics like partnering with social media influencers. Due to consumers’ negative perceptions of pharmaceutical companies, it makes sense that new marketing tactics are being used to establish and improve relationships with consumers. Previous research well documents the ethical dilemmas of direct-to-consumer advertising, and there is recent burgeoning literature on online covert marketing tactics. The academic and medical literature, however, is behind in regard to social media influencers used in health and medicine. This paper highlights and defines terms used in industry practice, and also calls for more investigation and sets forward a research agenda. As consumers spend more time online and patients continue to consult social media for health information, it is important that this new marketing trend does not go unnoticed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:56:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0e5ae63485204ba4b070c52a3bfb0af8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1438-8871 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:56:10Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-0e5ae63485204ba4b070c52a3bfb0af82023-08-28T20:58:30ZengJMIR PublicationsJournal of Medical Internet Research1438-88712022-03-01243e2942210.2196/29422Patient Influencers: The Next Frontier in Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical MarketingErin Willishttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1582-0867Marjorie Delbaerehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4782-5769 Social media influencers are becoming an increasingly popular strategic communication tactic used across industry verticals, including entertainment, fashion, and beauty, to engage directly with consumers. Pharmaceutical companies have also recently entered the social media marketing arena and—within the bounds of governmental regulations—have found ways to build relationships directly with patients using covert persuasion tactics like partnering with social media influencers. Due to consumers’ negative perceptions of pharmaceutical companies, it makes sense that new marketing tactics are being used to establish and improve relationships with consumers. Previous research well documents the ethical dilemmas of direct-to-consumer advertising, and there is recent burgeoning literature on online covert marketing tactics. The academic and medical literature, however, is behind in regard to social media influencers used in health and medicine. This paper highlights and defines terms used in industry practice, and also calls for more investigation and sets forward a research agenda. As consumers spend more time online and patients continue to consult social media for health information, it is important that this new marketing trend does not go unnoticed.https://www.jmir.org/2022/3/e29422 |
| spellingShingle | Erin Willis Marjorie Delbaere Patient Influencers: The Next Frontier in Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Marketing Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| title | Patient Influencers: The Next Frontier in Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Marketing |
| title_full | Patient Influencers: The Next Frontier in Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Marketing |
| title_fullStr | Patient Influencers: The Next Frontier in Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Marketing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Patient Influencers: The Next Frontier in Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Marketing |
| title_short | Patient Influencers: The Next Frontier in Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Marketing |
| title_sort | patient influencers the next frontier in direct to consumer pharmaceutical marketing |
| url | https://www.jmir.org/2022/3/e29422 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT erinwillis patientinfluencersthenextfrontierindirecttoconsumerpharmaceuticalmarketing AT marjoriedelbaere patientinfluencersthenextfrontierindirecttoconsumerpharmaceuticalmarketing |