Leveraging Social Media in the Pharmaceutical Industry Chapter uri icon

abstract

  • Social media and social networks are the rage these days. The healthcare industry in general and the pharmaceutical industry in particular, are being reshaped by the proliferation of electronic communication through social media. Consequently, marketing practices are also evolving rapidly. Pharmaceutical marketers need a better understanding of how social media work and how they influence marketing strategy. This chapter reviews the burgeoning literature on word of mouth, in particular relating to social media and on how social media and social networks are redefining marketing strategy in this context. It provides a framework for analyzing the effects of social media on patients, physicians, and marketers. It offers actionable implications for pharmaceutical companies, provides pointers to successfully develop and implement an integrated social media marketing strategy, and highlights fruitful avenues for future research.

altmetric score

  • 0.5

author list (cited authors)

  • Shankar, V., & Li, J. K.

citation count

  • 9

complete list of authors

  • Shankar, Venkatesh||Li, Jiaoyang Krista

editor list (cited editors)

  • Ding, M., Eliashberg, J., & Stremersch, S.

Book Title

  • Innovation and Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Industry

publication date

  • 2014