The new face of Bebo

Bebo is seeking to secure its place in the social networking market, with a recent site redesign. Innovations include emotion markers similar to a Facebook “like”, but allow users to display more relevant emotions, such as “OMG”, “funny” and “cool”.

Users are able to customise their profile pages; view videos and photos of other Bebo users; and get involved in social gaming/dating through their account. It seems that the new version of the site is looking to cover all areas of the social sphere and appeal to all user groups.

Will it be able to do this successfully, when it’s already receiving criticism from current users? Give us your view in the comments below.

Retailers unresponsive on social media channels

With the rise of social media, it seems that companies in every industry have been jumping head first into creating social networking profiles, without really knowing how to leverage this channel properly.

Since social networks can be a great tool for communicating with your customers, it is a shame that a recent report has shown that the top UK retailers aren’t using this marketing channel to its full potential.  With only 25% of companies responding to a question directed at them, Twitter is greatly under-used as a customer service channel. As well as this, it seems that Blogs and Facebook pages receive little to no interaction from retailers, when potential customers have posted comments. This trend needs to be reversed, if retailers are to reach their full potential online.

With John Lewis and Proctor & Gamble recently launching their new online fashion and health & beauty magazines, maybe this a trend that will be emerging amongst other retailers, before updating their social channels.

Pharma Digital Marketing: innovate following new guidelines

The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA), which oversees the self-regulatory code of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has now issued eagerly awaited guidance on social media and o0ther digital communication tools for the Pharmaceutical industry.

The Q & A document that has been released covers the use of Twitter, blogs, meta data in search engine optimisation, online meetings and linking to non-company websites, which should help to give guidance to companies looking to innovate online. However, as highlighted by Natasha Peacock at Cohn & Wolfe, “what will always be key to keep in mind whether in on- or off-line communication is the differentiation between information and promotion.”

Whilst some companies have been producing high quality campaigns that are recognised by the industry, the majority have been particularly averse to the idea of experimentation with online channels for fear of being penalised for pushing boundaries too far.

As always a lot has been happening in the world of social media this week! Here’s our round-up of some interesting stories for the weekend.

Come back on Monday, for Social Media News: Issue 16

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So whilst I’ve been getting to grips with the notions of web2.0 senior analysts at Ernst & Young have been chomping at the bit over Pharma3.0. Sorry, come again?

The study named ‘Pharma: progressions 3.0’ has suggested that pharmaceutical companies should be working with IT companies, mobile phone companies and other non-traditional working partners if they are to successfully make the switch from being product-focussed to customer-centric.

The report claims that a Pharma 3.0 ‘ecosystem’ comprised of established industry members, nontraditional companies and an increasingly informed and empowered consumer is passing pharma by. It believes that pharmaceutical companies “remain largely on the sidelines of this revolution, hampered by a regulatory framework governing patient interactions which has been slow to evolve”.

So it would appear that pharmas have their hands tied by the red tape of the ABPI and other regulatory bodies. Well, the report suggests that change is on the way, 92% of pharma execs asked believe new entrants into the industry will likely consist of e-health, mobile-health and new medical technology firms.

So who’s been taking the plunge? Johnson & Johnson have the Lifescan Iphone app, allowing diabetes sufferers to upload and monitor their glucose levels and Bayer have something similar for the Nintendo Wii.

So what does this mean for social media? As pharmas gain confidence in areas of ‘fringe marketing’ like digital media, we’ll see a shift from traditional methods as we have in much of the private and now public sectors. It’s fair to assume that social media will form an integral part of any pharma marketing strategy, not because it’s the latest trend, but because it provides the right channels for much needed two-way dialogue. At least that’s my opinion anyway.

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