ePharma Pioneer Club™: July 2010

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Announcing The Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award

Recognizing Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Nominees for The Pharmaguy Social Media Award

If you are a regular reader of Pharma Marketing Blog, you know that I generally do not like awards sponsored by pharma trade publications (see “Awards. What Are They Good For?”). Such awards are somewhat suspect because of the inherent conflicts of interests involved -- the winners tend to be the agencies that advertise the most in the sponsoring publication or that purchase big page ads announcing that they won the award.

Not all awards, of course, are self-aggrandizing “slaps on the back” among a close circle of colleagues. Dose of Digital’s "2010 Dose of Digital Dosie Award" for the best healthcare/pharmaceutical social media sites depended on a more open and transparent process. First, anybody could add sites to the list of contenders via a wiki site. Then Dose of Digital opened up the voting process to anyone who cared to vote. You can find the winners here.

Still, I find some problems with awards like the Dosie.

First of all, many of the contenders for the Dosie Award were not true social media sites in that they do not allow comments or “likes” (Facebook). This is true of the majority of finalists in the Best Brand Sponsored Patient Community (Communities created by a pharma or healthcare company for a brand or corporate effort). The finalists in this category were:

Accu-Check Diabetes Link (Roche)
Children with Diabetes (J&J Lifescan)
Crohn's and Me (UCB)
Diabetes Handprint (J&J Lifescan)
Voices of Diabetes (Novo Nordisk)

All of these "social network" Dosie finalists, with the exception of Children with Diabetes, which went on to win the Gold award, are "Faux Social Media" sites that don’t embrace what makes social media truly social. I, and others, have often criticized such forays into social media as being "inauthentic" because no real dialogue is allowed (see, for example, "Pharma "Social Networks": Close But No Cigar Award"). Without the dialogue, social media campaigns are not likely to reach full potential by "going viral," which is the point recently made by my Twitter friend Jonathan Richman during an #hcsmeu discussion last Friday. "Here's a hint for pharma," said Jon, "Nothing will go viral if you don't allow 'Likes' or comments. Guaranteed." Jonathan, by the way, was the creator of the Dosie Awards.

Another problem with these awards is that many of the sites that receive awards “go dark.” The Sanofi-Aventis GoInsulin YouTube Channel, for example, became unavailable soon after it won the Gold Dosie award.

The Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award
Nevertheless, defenders of pharma “social media” site awards insist that we must reward even the most elementary attempts that pharma is making to have online conversations despite all the regulatory obstacles that they face. I agree. But instead of having awards for the work product, why not give awards to the pioneers who have lead the way to create these sites? We can learn more from how these pioneers overcame the obstacles to launch a social media project than from the end result – even if the end result is flawed or faux. Marketing campaigns and Web sites come and go, but pioneers move on to new positions and continue to spread their influence far and wide.

To better recognize the value of these pioneers, I propose the Pharmaguy Pharma Social Media Pioneer Award.

When discussing the Social Media Pioneer Award on Twitter, at least one person (@wiltonbound) suggested that the process should be “Open to all...no restrictions. Innovation knows no boundaries.” I responded that my goal is not to award innovation, but courage in the face of boundaries! I also do not wish to get into the business of giving awards to agencies and consultants because of the inherent conflict of interest I would have. Many agencies that would qualify for such an award are my paying clients (ie, Pharma Marketing News advertisers). I probably can make a lot more money giving my clients awards, but I don’t think it best serves the interests of my readers.

What's With the Hawaiian Shirt?
Let me explain the Hawaiian shirt motif of the award. Around the time that the FDA announced it would hold a public hearing regarding regulation of pharma’s use of the Internet and social media, I started appearing at conferences in a yellow Hawaiian shirt, which was left over from a Hunter S. Thompson Halloween costume (see “Pharma Social Media Crips vs. Legal/Regulatory Bloods: Call for a ‘Peace’ Conference” for a sighting of me in the shirt at the 3rd Annual Digital Pharma East Conference). I also considered wearing the shirt when I made my presentation to the FDA at the November, 2009 meeting (see “Fear and Loathing in Washington, DC”), but out of respect for the FDA and the audience, I opted for a traditional suit and tie.

Although I didn’t wear my Hawaiian shirt at the FDA hearing, it became an emblem for standing out from the crowd, which is a necessary trait for a social media marketing pioneer. I think a Hawaiian shirt motif befits, therefore, what the Pharmaguy Pharma Social Media Pioneer Award stands for.

The Nominees Are…
I have several people in mind as contenders for this award (see the end of this post), but first let me discuss what I consider to be the qualifications for nominees.

What are the qualifications to be nominated to receive this prestigious award?

First, a nominee must work or have worked within an FDA-regulated pharmaceutical, medical device, or biotech company when he or she pioneered in social media marketing or non-branded communications or was an advocate for such. Although there are many people in agencies that are true social media pioneers and who have been involved in many pharma social media projects, only the insider has the experience we are looking for. The insider has to contend with many stakeholders inside the organization and is ultimately responsible for the project. Consultants and agencies do not have nearly as much skin in the game as do insiders.

Although some pharma social media pioneers have subsequently moved on to other positions in non-pharma companies, they are still eligible for consideration as nominees for the Pharmaguy Pharma Social Media Pioneer Award.

Second, a nominee must have been a true social media pioneer. By that I mean someone who has been involved from the early days in marshaling the forces necessary to ultimately build a social media campaign. No matter if the campaign has been a failure. We often learn more from our failures than from our successes. Above all, we want nominees who have learned and who can share their learnings with us.

Third, although it is not necessary that a nominee to have experienced a “Mack Attack” such as that experienced by Novo Nordisk’s Ambre Morley (see “Novo Nordisk's Branded (Levemir) Tweet is Sleazy Twitter Spam!”), it can’t hurt, especially if that person has survived and gone on to be interviewed by me (eg, “Novo Nordisk's Race With Insulin Campaign: It's Not Just About Twitter”).

The type of social media that a nominee has been involved with is immaterial as long as it is one or more of the following: a blog, a Twitter account, a Facebook page, a network (community), a YouTube channel, etc.

That’s about it for qualifications.

Who Will Nominate Candidates and Determine Who Wins an Award?
Since this award has my Twitter name associated with it, I take ultimate responsibility for who to consider for this award and who wins an award. I already have several candidates in mind (see below).

However, I also depend upon my readers and colleagues to assist me. You can vote for my nominations and write-in other candidates using the online form here. Not only your vote, but the comments you add will go a long way awards influencing me, especially if you offer details that back up your choices. I especially need help identifying former pharma people who may be working at agencies, but who did a lot of their social media pioneering while employed at a pharmaceutical company.

Ultimately, I will use my best judgment and experience to decide who is qualified to enter the contest and who wins an award. My decision is final.

There will be three winners represented by different colors: YELLOW, ORANGE, and GREEN. The first place winner receives the YELLOW Hawaiian Shirt Award, of course. Second and third place winners receive ORANGE and GREEN shirts, respectively. Sorry, there is no “Mr. PINK” as in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs movie.

NOTE: It occurs to me that many pharma marketing initiatives – including social media initiatives – are the result of teamwork within the organization. For example, a SM Pioneer may operate behind the scenes to support a pioneering product manager who makes the decision. Both are pioneers and should be rewarded. It is possible, therefore, that several people may share the same award. I also recognize the fact that outside consultants and agencies may have played a critical role. When appropriate, these pioneers will also receive honorable mention when the awards are announced.

Let me start the process by nominating several people that I know and have interacted with listed in alphabetically by last name. You can click on each name to learn more about this person and add comments. More names will be added as the nominations continue. Please add your nominations and/or votes here.

Nominees
For the most up-to-date list, see Nominees for The Pharmaguy Social Media Award.

NOTE: Every nominee for the Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award is a winner and deserves recognition. But only 3 individuals (or groups of individuals who have pioneered as a team) will be awarded the coveted Hawaiian shirt. This is NOT a popularity contest. "Winners" will be chosen solely by Pharmaguy (me) based on my evaluation of merit. Your votes, however, will also count to influence my decision. Mostly, however, I need your comments about the people you nominate so that I can profile each and every nominee in recognition of his or her pioneering effort.

Nominees for The Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award

The Pharmaguy Social Media Award (learn more about it here) recognizes excellence in social media marketing leadership. Candidates for this prestigious award must work or have worked within an FDA-regulated pharmaceutical, medical device, or biotech company when he or she pioneered in social media marketing or non-branded communications or was an advocate for such. The Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award is sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference. Winners will be announced at the conference in October, 2010.

Here's the alphabetical listing of people who have been nominated. More names will be added as the nominations continue. Please add your nominations and/or votes here.

Alex Butler, Digital Strategy and Social Media Manager at Janssen-Cilag
Colin Foster, formerly Director of Social Media at Novartis
Kai Gait, Digital Commerce Marketing Manager at GlaxoSmithKline
Mark Gaydos, Senior Director, U.S. Regulatory Affairs Marketed Products at sanofi-aventis.
Shwen Gwee leads Digital Strategy and Social Media within the Marketing department at Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Rob Halper, Director, Video Communication at Johnson & Johnson
Rene Hansen, Global Director of Business Transformation, UCB Pharma
Melissa Katz, formerly Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Centocor, Inc.
Ray Kerins, Head, Global Media Relations at Pfizer
Sabine Kostevc, Head of Corporate Internet and Social Media at Roche
Jim Lefevere, Global Group Manager, Commercial Marketing at Roche Diagnostics
Rich Meyer, former Senior eMarketing Manager at Medtronic-Diabetes
Gary Monk, Product Manager (Marketing) at Janssen Cilag
Marc Monseau, Director, Media Relations at Johnson & Johnson
Ambre Morley, responsible for public relations and issues management of Novo Nordisk’s insulin portfolio
Michael Parks, former Vice President of Corporate Communications at Centocor
Brad Pendergraph, Manager, Multi-Channel Marketing at Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Cynthia Phillips, Senior Director of Regulatory Labeling and Promotional Compliance at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
John Pugh, Director of Corporate Communication/External Communications, Boehringer Ingelheim
Sandra M. Shpilberg, Senior Director of Marketing at BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
Len Starnes, Head of Digital Marketing & Sales, General Medicine at Bayer Schering Pharma
Dennis Urbaniak, VP U.S. Diabetes and former VP of Innovation and New Customer Channels at Sanofi-Aventis

Sabine Kostevc

Sabine Kostevc, Head of Corporate Internet and Social Media at Roche. See Sabine's LinkedIn profile. Find her on Twitter as @skoko.

Sabine manages the corporate web presence of Roche and coordinates the global webmaster network in best-practice exchange and worldwide roll-out of the new online presence. She developed company web standards and led the award-winning re-launch of www.roche.com in 2008, introducing social media functionalities and enhanced customer services to the corporate online offer.

In the award-winning re-launch of www.roche.com in 2008, Sabine introduced sharing, rating and feedback options to the corporate website, as well as enhanced multimedia press releases, and started the use of Twitter (@Roche_com) in corporate communications.

@FarmerFunster said: "@skoko I think you are definitely one of @Pharmaguy 's "Pioneers" - mais courage, mon brave! #failbetter #hcsmeu"

For more information about Sabine, see here.

Sounds like Sabine qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for her here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Sabine received by people who nominated her:

"IMO, Sabine's management of @Roche_com has fashioned the most authentic, credible, authoritative pharma voice in the Twittersphere. She has pushed the envelope (eg IDing Roche employees' Twitter accounts by country - her personal account is @skoko; experimenting with conference status updates; plenty of @ interaction) and led the way for the industry within the context of status updating."
Vote for Sabine and add your comments here.

NOTE: Every nominee for the Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award is a winner and deserves recognition. But only 3 individuals (or groups of individuals who have pioneered as a team) will be awarded the coveted Hawaiian shirt. This is NOT a popularity contest. "Winners" will be chosen solely by Pharmaguy (me) based on my evaluation of merit. Your votes, however, will also count to influence my decision. Mostly, however, I need your comments about the people you nominate so that I can profile each and every nominee in recognition of his or her pioneering effort.

Colin Foster

Colin Foster, formerly Director of Social Media at Novartis . See Colin's LinkedIn profile or on Twitter (@CofoMan).

Colin describes himself as a "Social media enthusiast and advocate" and a "SocMed gee," doing his utmost to change things for the better one day at a time.

Colin is currently Client Partner, Healthcare at WCG, a health communications company, having left Novartis in June, 2010. At Novartis, Colin was "a respected, trusted innovator who consistently converted the hearts and minds of business leaders, marketers and communicators to see the true value and impact of the web."

Sounds like Colin qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Colin from people who have nominated him:

"Colin drove the Social Media initiatives at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, knew who to get hold of, knew how to talk to them, and raised Senior Management's awareness as to why Social Media should be viewed as a key ongoing and needed core competency for Novartis to succeed as a pharmaceutical company."
Vote for Colin and add your comments here.

Dennis Urbaniak

Dennis Urbaniak, VP U.S. Diabetes and former VP of Innovation and New Customer Channels at Sanofi-Aventis. See Dennis's LinkedIn profile.

Dennis has been involved with social media for a long time. He has led the effort to educate his colleagues about social media and has been through some rough patches (see, for example, “Disgruntled Patient Shuts Down sanofi-aventis Facebook Page”).

Dennis may be the pioneer who has learned more from mistakes than anyone else and survived to talk about it openly: listen to “What Sanofi-Aventis Learned from Its FaceBook Experience & What the Experts Recommend It Do Now”.

Sounds like Dennis qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Dennis received by people who nominated him:

"Dennis, while head of Innovation at s-a, spearheaded the launch of Yammer, allowing for far greater internal communication and idea sharing across not just our US affiliate but across our global organization."
"2010 has been something of a disaster for Sanofi in the social web (Sanofi VOICES, GoInsulin take-down, etc). However: Dennis Urbaniak has been listening, has not been afraid to participate fully in the (usually negative) discussion, and put together as strong a defence as was probably possible given the situations he has found himself in the middle of. He has not tried to spin the facts. He has accepted that mistakes have been made, learnings have been taken away, and that Sanofi will do better next time. It has been a refreshingly earnest and humble performance."
Vote for Dennis and add your comments here.

John Pugh

John Pugh, Director of Corporate Communication/External Communications, Boehringer Ingelheim. See John's LinkedIn profile.

John is the guy behind the curtain at @Boehringer, the official global Twitter channel for Boehringer Ingelheim (listen to this Pharma Marketing Talk podcast: “Pharma on Twitter: Boehringer Ingelheim”).

John is also responsible for Boehringer Ingelheim's social media strategy, which means he must be pretty busy these days!

For more about John, see here.

Sounds like John qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about John received by people who nominated him:

Vote for John and add your comments here.

Cynthia Phillips

Cynthia Phillips, Senior Director of Regulatory Labeling and Promotional Compliance at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. See Cindy's LinkedIn profile.

Cindy was a leading member of the adhoc Social Media Group of individuals from several pharma companies that submitted comments to the FDA regarding FDA's regulation of social media (see “A Pharma "Social Media Working Group" Submits Comments to FDA” and “Pharma's Social Media Working Group: Who It Consists of, How It Formed, and What Its Objectives Are”).

Sounds like Cindy qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for her here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Cindy received by people who nominated her:

Vote for Cindy and add your comments here.

Brad Pendergraph

Brad Pendergraph, Manager, Multi-Channel Marketing at Novartis Pharmaceuticals. See Brad's LinkedIn profile.

Brad is an avid and very active proponent of the use of social media by pharma. He has his own Twitter account (@bradatpharma) and is living the social media dream on his Brad at Pharma Blog.

Brad's Blog/Twitter disclaimer could be a pioneer slogan: “I’m not an official spokesperson, just an employee trying to help.”

Pixels & Pills said this about Brad: “Brad Pendergraph’s professional experience as a member of Novartis’ Social Media Catalyst Team qualifies him as one of the most trusted sources in the discussion around digital pharma.”

Sounds like Brad qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Brad from people who have nominated him:

"without the brad p wakeup call novartis wouldnt be pursuing social media now"
"Brad is an early adopter of new and social media. He's been an active proponent of podcasting since 2004 and always represents himself, his company and the entire industry well to those of us on the outside. He's a great ambassador and is exceptional about spreading quality information beyond your borders in non-traditional ways."
Brad has one of the strongest voices in our company. I don't 'know' Brad, but I'll always listen to what he's saying on my Yammer feed. Keep up the good work, we need more like you Brad :-)
Vote for Brad and add your comments here.

Michael Parks

Michael Parks, formerly Vice President of Corporate Communications at Centocor, Inc. See Michael's LinkedIn profile.

Michael Parks is currently Executive Vice President, Public Relations and Marketing Communications at Vox Medica.

Although Parks is no longer employed at a pharmaceutical company, he is being nominated for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award for his pioneering work while Vice President of Corporate Communications at Centocor, an operating company of Johnson & Johnson. At that time, Parks launched CNTO411, the first pharma company blog that focused on disease awareness related to products the company marketed (see “CNTO411: Centocor's Groundbreaking Blog” and “The Centocor Corporate Blog: A Groundbreaking Pharmaceutical Company Blog?").

Sounds like Michael qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Michael received by people who nominated him:

Vote for Michael and add your comments here.

Ambre Morley

Ambre Morley, Associate Director, Product Communications at Novo Nordisk. See Ambre's LinkedIn profile.

Ambre is responsible for public relations and issues management of Novo Nordisk’s insulin portfolio and its biopharmaceutical division in the U.S. She is the point person for Novo’s branded Twitter account, @racewithinsulin and was a featured guest on Pharma Marketing Talk (see “Novo Nordisk's Race With Insulin Campaign: It's Not Just About Twitter”).

In the face of withering criticism of @racewithinsulin from @pharmaguy (that's me!), Ambre reached out and encouraged dialogue (see “Charlie Kimball, Novo Nordisk, and Me Make Up”), which is something that distinguishes a pioneer from the rest of the pack.

Sounds like Ambre qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for her here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Ambre received by people who nominated her:

Vote for Ambre and add your comments here.

Marc Monseau

Marc Monseau, Director, Media Relations at Johnson & Johnson. See Marc's LinkedIn profile.

Marc is an obvious choice for nominee for the Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. Marc handles media relations for Johnson & Johnson and is responsible for Johnson & Johnson's blog, www.jnjbtw.com and the @JNJBTW Twitter account.

Marc works with different teams within JNJ on social media strategy and has been a true social media pioneer within.

The JNJBTW Blog has been around for quite some time and has evolved under Marc’s leadership into a platform for contributions by several J&J employees; something I suggested that pharma corporate blogs do (see, for example, “A Primer on Pharma Employee Blogging”; PMN Reprint #64-05).

Sounds like Marc qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Marc received by people who nominated him:

"Marc has been a leader in the HC Social Media arena that many other companies have watched and followed. Launching one of the first industry blogs JnJ BTW, he has truly demonstrated himself as a pioneer." -- Karen Kuchler-Davies, Varitage
Vote for Marc and add your comments here.

Ray Kerins

Ray Kerins, formerly Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Centocor, Inc. See Ray's LinkedIn profile.

Ray initiated Pfizer’s foray into Twitterdom with the @pfizer_news Twitter account, which famously retorted “We are real!” when @pharmaguy (that's me!) tweeted “@Pfizer_News I believe is a fake - just reposting Yahoo & Google news items that contain word "Pfizer." My advice: Block 'em!” (read “Pfizer's Social Media Strategy: Piss Off John Mack, Get Hundreds of New Followers!”).

Since then, @Pfizer_News has gotten quite a following and Ray Kerins has presented at many conference advising his colleagues to shake off the criticism and stay the course.

Sounds like Ray qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Ray received by people who nominated him:

Vote for Ray and add your comments here.

Melissa Katz

Melissa Katz, formerly Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Centocor, Inc. See Melissa's LinkedIn profile.

While at Centocor, Melissa worked with Michael Parks to launch CNTO411, the first pharma company blog that focused on disease awareness related to products the company marketed (see “CNTO411: Centocor's Groundbreaking Blog” and “The Centocor Corporate Blog: A Groundbreaking Pharmaceutical Company Blog?").

Sounds like Melissa qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for her here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Melissa received by people who nominated her:

Vote for Melissa and add your comments here.

Rene Hansen

Rene Hansen is Global Director of Business Transformation, UCB Pharma. See Rene's LinkedIn profile.

Rene is a passionate and pioneering executive. He created a strategic partnership between UCB and PatientsLikeMe, which embraces adverse event reporting (read “Finally, a Drug Company Embraces Social Media, AEs Included!”). This partnership marks the first time a pharmaceutical company has openly and scientifically engaged with social media to learn about patients’ experiences (listen to this Pharma Marketing Talk audio archive: “UCB & PatientsLikeMe: Embracing Social Media, Adverse Events Included!”).

Sounds like Rene qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Rene received by people who nominated him:

Vote for Rene and add your comments here.

Rob Halper

Rob Halper is Director, Video Communication at Johnson & Johnson. See Rob's LinkedIn profile.

Rob is the person who single-handedly maintains the J&J Health Channel on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/JNJhealth), which is a non-branded site with the goal of presenting a better understanding of health and health care issues.

You can tell he loves this stuff: he also has his own YouTube channel dedicated to the band he plays in - El Kabong!

Rob reminds me of the olden days when one person could and often DID launch a pharmaceutical company’s website.

Sounds like Rob qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Rob received by people who nominated him:

Vote for Rob and add your comments here.

Shwen Gwee

Shwen Gwee leads Digital Strategy and Social Media within the Marketing department at Vertex Pharmaceuticals. You can find Shwen on Twitter (@shwen).

Shwen focuses on New and Social Media, Web 2.0, and Health 2.0. He leads the development of a comprehensive digital strategy for launch/commercialization -- including (internal and external) new/social media strategies -- and establishes/maintains key relationships with the new media and health 2.0 communities.

Read Shwen's complete updated profile here.

Although Shwen's company does not market any products via social media, Shwen has been a leader in the pharma social media scene for a long time. He often chairs conferences on the subject and has developed the concept of “unconference” for informed discussions (see “Meet Digital Pharma's Faculty: What's Hot and What's Not?”).

Shwen is also a founder of the Social Pharmer, a social network for anyone interested or involved with social media in the pharma and healthcare industry (http://socialpharmer.ning.com/).

Sounds like Shwen qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Shwen received by people who nominated him:

Vote for Shwen and add your comments here.

Mark Gaydos

Mark Gaydos is Senior Director, U.S. Regulatory Affairs Marketed Products at sanofi-aventis. See Mark's LinkedIn profile.

Mark served as the regulatory lead on sanofi-aventis' Social Media Task Force, which was responsible for advancing the company's engagement in emerging digital media.

Mark was also a leading member of the adhoc Social Media Group, which was comprised of individuals from several pharma companies. This group submitted comments to the FDA regarding regulation of social media (see “A Pharma 'Social Media Working Group' Submits Comments to FDA” and “Pharma's Social Media Working Group: Who It Consists of, How It Formed, and What Its Objectives Are”).

Sounds like Mark qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Mark received by people who nominated her:

Vote for Mark and add your comments here.

Alex Butler

Alex Butler is Digital Strategy and Social Media Manager at Janssen-Cilag. You can find Alex on Twitter(@Alex_Butler and also @JannsenUK).

According to his LinkedIn profile, Alex has worked in pharmaceuticals for over ten years. Be sure to check out his blog, open pharmland.

"My passion and understanding of social media, digital marketing and communications and broad technological innovation is routed in healthcare and practical application in a highly regulated environment," says Alex.

"We should not let regulation become a smokescreen for our lack of engagement with healthcare professionals, payors, patients and the general public at large.

"I am determined to spread this message as far and wide as possible through my own blog and twitter, and through articles in well known pharma and marketing related publications."

Sounds like Alex qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

The Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Comments about Alex received by people who nominated him:

"Alex has not only pioneered social media in the UK in Janssen but has also had impact in the European region and is seen as our own internal expert. He truly experiments and is persistant even in the face of challenge and ambiguity."
"He is a genuine inspiration-has made me question many of the beliefs I had about pharmaceutical companies. He passionately stands up for patients and the public and is on the vanguard of a new conversation between pharma and the public."
"Alex Butler has always discussed what is in the patients best interest and shows a real understanding of how voluntary organisations improve holistic healthcare - he genuinely wants to find ways in which to communicate more effectively with all stakeholders in healthcare." -- Andrew Langford, Skin Care Campaign
"Alex bravely led and has successfully maintained a balance of risk, uncertainty, regulation, intangible and unknown benefit, with the desire for engagement and transparency and I applaud him for it." -- Marianne C Paterson, pharma employee
"having worked closely with Alex on internal projects I have witnessed his passion for using 'new' channels to engage with patients. His drive and tenacity to breakdown external and internal barriers to achieve this goal has been remarkable - he is a true social media pioneer" -- Gary Monk, Janssen Cilag
"I have worked with Alex on numerous social media campaigns. Despite the regulated nature of the industry, Alex refuses to deliver anything other than a transparent, open and ultimately engaging user experience. He understands that technology is simply a platform and chooses to focus on the development of a coherent strategy to deliver campaigns that add real value to all stakeholders."
"He is passionate about driving a new open and transparent converstaion. I have seen how determined he is about making this happen." -- June Ileomoh, Johnson & Johnson
"Alex has shown great innovation on leading on the social media front at JC. I think we may be leaders in the UK because of his work." -- Laura Wells, Janssen Cilag
Vote for Alex and add your comments here.

Rich Meyer

Rich Meyer, Executive Director/Principal at Online Strategic Solutions; formerly Senior eMarketing Consultant at Eli Lilly & Company and Senior eMarketing Manager at Medtronic-Diabetes. See Rich's LinkedIn profile.

Rich has been an ePharma Pioneer for quite some time. Here's only part of his story:

"Four years ago I moved out to California so that my wife could take a position with Amgen in Global Marketing. I worked for Medtronic Diabetes for two years but decided to leave as I tend to be passionate about Internet marketing and did not feel that Medtronic was willing to invest in online patient solutions to support the number one brand of insulin pumps while competitors were investing more dollars in online marketing solutions.

"I currently have my own consulting company but it is my hope that someday I will be able to get back to work in pharma Internet marketing. My BLOG on DTC marketing and Internet marketing have over 500 daily readers and I also write a column for PM 360 magazine. I hope that I never stop learning and sharing what I learn because to me it's all about patients."

Sounds like Rich qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for Rich here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Rich received by people who nominated him:

"John, I would like to nominate Richard (Rich) Meyer. He was a colleague of mine at Medtronic in our diabetes division for a time. I also happen to know that he worked in pharma for Eli Lilly prior to that. I believe you know him. ... I think Rich is a true social media pioneer. I have met very few people as passionate about how Fortune 500 companies should deal with the paradigm shift the Internet has caused. Rich was a force early in our company to marshal the forces necessary to build towards a major medical device manufacturer to use social media to connect. He left the company before he could effect much change in upper management. He shares his learnings with us consistently in his blog. Thanks for considering my nomination. Regards, Ward Tongen, wardogram.com, @wtongen"
Vote for Rich and add your comments here.

Jim Lefevere

Jim Lefevere, Global Group Manager, Commercial Marketing at Roche Diagnostics. See Jim's LinkedIn profile.

"Jim Lefevere has been instrumental in developing a Social Media Strategy for Accu-Chek, including training, tools and roll-out plan for the local web managers to implement in their local efforts," says Jim's colleague and co-award candidate Sabine Kostevc.

Check out The Health Strategist, Jim's blog on digital marketing and social media topics relating to healthcare.

Jim Lefevere is an award-winning marketing and technology leader for the healthcare, medical device, and consumer goods industries. His breadth of expertise spans traditional marketing and pioneering initiatives that have increased profits, engaged customers, and promoted cohesive brand awareness for start-ups to Fortune 100 companies.

In his current roles as Global Group Manager/Commercial Marketing, and Head of Interactive Marketing for Roche’s Diabetes Care Accu-Chek brand, Jim is the strategic architect for global brand Websites and all interactive marketing. He has led numerous international marketing campaigns and product launch efforts across multiple geographies.

Sounds like Jim qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Jim from people who have nominated him:

"Jim has been instrumental in developing a Social Media Strategy for Accu-Chek, including training, tools and roll-out plan for the local web managers to implement in their local efforts."
Vote for Jim and add your comments here.

Gary Monk

Gary Monk, Product Manager (Marketing) at Janssen Cilag . See Gary's LinkedIn profile.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Gary has already won a few awards such as: The "2009 PM Society Digital Awards - Triple Award Winner (1) Best overall promotional solution (2) Best Integrated Campaign (3) Best Edetail."

Gary is the person responsible for Janssen-Cilag's "Living with ADHD" YouTube site, which features a video is entitled "ADHD: A day in the life by Janssen-Cilag Ltd." See "How One Pharma Company Successfully Manages YouTube" and "Will Janssen-Cilag's ADHD YouTube Video Go Viral and Win an Award?"

Sounds like Gary qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Gary received by people who nominated him:

"I have collaborated with Gary for many years, delivering some truly innovative digital solutions. Gary collected, two out of three, best in show at last year’s inaugural PM Digital Awards, which highlights his combination of innovation and strategic vision. Gary is committed to delivering valuable, personal and engaging conversations to all users and continues to see his campaigns delivering real return on investment."
Vote for Gary and add your comments here.

Kai Gait

Kai Gait, Digital Commerce Marketing Manager at GlaxoSmithKline. See Kai's LinkedIn profile.

Kai describes himself as a "known authority in pharmaceutical online marketing at both global and local levels and speaks at international conferences on changing the traditional marketing mix by using a multi-channel approach."

While at GSK, Kai provided expertise in pharmaceutical digital marketing to the business and brand teams, "gaining commitment from the business for a change to the traditional marketing mix." Specifically, Kai also identified opportunities to reach customers using social media.

For more about Kai, see here.

Sounds like Kai qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Kai from people who have nominated him:

"uk based just doing the same as everyone else with less regulatory guidance to go by"
Vote for Kai and add your comments here.

Sandra M. Shpilberg

Sandra M. Shpilberg, Senior Director of Marketing at BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

Sandra's specialties include: "Commercial and marketing strategy; professional and consumer marketing, online marketing; public relations strategy; publications strategy"

According to Frieda Hernandez (Siren Interactive) -- whose opinion I trust -- "Sandra pioneered one of earliest (circa 2005) and certainly the most substantial pharmaceutical foray into social media to date." See Frieda's comments at the end of this post for details.

Sounds like Sandra qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for her here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Sandra from people who have nominated her:

"Sandra pioneered one of earliest (circa 2005) and certainly the most substantial pharmaceutical foray into social media to date. See the private PKU community she was responsible for building at http://www.pku.com/ as well as Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/PKUcom/87508566464) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/pkuawareness) presences. Sandra generally stays out of the limelight but made a great presentation recently at Digital Pharma West "
Vote for Sandra and add your comments here.

Len Starnes

Len Starnes, Head of Digital Marketing & Sales, General Medicine at Bayer Schering Pharma. See Len's LinkedIn profile.

Len has been a member of the ePharma Pioneer Club for a long time. Len is a healthcare and pharmaceuticals digital marketing and sales thought leader, champion and coach.

Len has survived the dotcom bust and at least one company merger as an eMarketing evangelist and innovator. It takes more than luck to survive these days -- you must be a profit center for the company as well.

For more about Len, see here.

Sounds like Len qualifies for a Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award. What do you think? You can vote for him here and/or add comments to this post.

Awarding Excellence in Social Media Marketing Leadership

Sponsored by ExL Pharma and the 4th Annual Digital Pharma East Conference

Comments about Len from people who have nominated him:

"Len, a recognized digital thought leader was sufficiently and sincerely motivated by his commitment to social media to take on the challenge at all levels including the highest of his company, welcoming and or organizing various events, encouraging related projects."
"I think Len is the leader of the pharma 2.0 movement as he organizes important events and initiates new projects that the whole pharma 2.0 community can benefit from. He is an excellent speaker and is really open to new ideas." -- Dr. Bertalan Mesko, Webicina.com
Vote for Len and add your comments here.

ePharma Pioneer Club™

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Announcing The Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award

Nominees for The Pharmaguy Social Media Pioneer Award

Sabine Kostevc

Colin Foster

Dennis Urbaniak

John Pugh

Cynthia Phillips

Brad Pendergraph

Michael Parks

Ambre Morley

Marc Monseau

Ray Kerins

Melissa Katz

Rene Hansen

Rob Halper

Shwen Gwee

Mark Gaydos

Alex Butler

Rich Meyer

Jim Lefevere

Gary Monk

Kai Gait

Sandra M. Shpilberg

Len Starnes

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