The new policy of Facebook on its comments feature somehow caused alarm to Pharmaceutical marketers making some of them now having second thought of maximizing social media strategy.
Facebook recently sent letters to pharmaceutical companies informing them that they are no longer allowed to stop the comments features on their respective pages effective August 15. The news came shocking and somewhat hurt many big pharma marketers especially those who are using social media like Facebook as part of its marketing strategies.
Most of these pharmaceutical marketers are apprehensive of Facebook’s new policy. This is because of their fear that allowing their visitors to leave comments on their pages will only cause them trouble with the Drug and Food Administration.
Chief digital-strategy at one of the top 10 Pharma companies said, “This really hurts us”. He also added “In the large part, to have a Facebook page surely gets us noticed in the media “social” door, moreover not to have comments does keep us in good graces with FDA”.
However, Peter Pitts who is former associate commissioner with the FDA, and now also the president of Center for Medicine in the Public Interest said, “The Facebook decision is entirely consistent with what Facebook is designed to be — interactive. A Facebook page with the interactivity turned off is just a static web page residing on an interactive platform. And that isn’t what Facebook is all about”. Pitts further added, “It’s time for regulated industry to step up to the plate and embrace the powerful tool that is real-time interactivity.”
