eBay Wins Bid To Test Online Media Buying System

eBay Wins Bid To Test Online Media Buying System

by Erik Sass, Friday, May 12, 2006 8:30 AM EST

DAYS AFTER AN AD INDUSTRY task force unveiled plans to test an electronic trading system for buying and selling media, online auction giant eBay has won the bid. "We've looked at a bunch of providers, and eBay came out on top," confirmed Ray Warren, president of Carat Media Group Americas, and a member of the task force. While the task force has met with a number of potential infrastructure providers, including Google, Warren said eBay was chosen "based on their scale and their expertise and their brand name, which comes with some credibility in doing this kind of thing. Obviously, we wanted to make sure we get it right." eBay first pitched the concept to the Association of National Advertisers' Television Advertising Committee in January, and presented the idea again in a more public form earlier this week during the ANA's Financial Management Committee meeting in Naples, FL. Details of the test were not disclosed, but it looks to be fairly substantive. The task force has floated a $50 million budget for the test phase. The idea is still being vetted through the ANA, which is conducting additional surveys of its membership to gauge support, and a formal steering committee has yet to be organized, but the initiative appears to be taking on a life of its own. The concept of creating a Nasdaq-like media trading system was first broached by Wal-Mart's Senior Vice President For Marketing Communications, Julie Roehm, during the ANA's 2005 Television Advertising Forum in New York more than a year ago, while she was a senior marketing executive at DaimlerChrysler. The idea is not without controversy, as some of the largest national advertisers are opposed to the idea, and the ANA is not formally endorsing the pilot program--although it is a big proponent along with the American Association of Advertising Agencies for so-called "eBiz for Media" systems, and it plans to serve as a forum for discussing the idea through its committees and at forums such as the Financial Management Conference. Meanwhile, smaller online ad companies have joined the fray--with an announcement from Bid4Spots, an online ad broker that uses an innovative "reverse auction" model, that it plans to branch out into TV ad sales over the next year, according to founder and CEO Dave Newmark.

Who's Using PDAs? Estimates of PDA Use by Health Care Providers

Who’s Using PDAs? Estimates of PDA Use by Health Care Providers: A Systematic Review of Surveys

Chantelle Garritty^1,2, BA, DCS; Khaled El Emam^1,3, BEng, PhD

¹Chalmers Research Group, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (CHEO RI), Ottawa, ON, Canada
²Department of Public Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
³Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

ABSTRACT

Background: Personal digital assistants (PDAs) find many uses in health care. Knowing rates of collective PDA use among health care providers is an important guiding step to further understanding those health care contexts that are most suited to PDA use and whether PDAs provide improved health outcomes.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to estimate current and future PDA use among health care providers and to discuss possible implications of that use on choice of technology in clinical practice and research.

Methods: This study was a systematic review of PDA usage surveys. Surveys were identified as part of an ongoing systematic review on the use of handheld devices. Reports from eight databases covering both biomedical sciences and engineering (1993-2006) were screened against distinct eligibility criteria. Data from included surveys were extracted and verified in a standardized way and were assessed descriptively.

Results: We identified 23 relevant surveys, 15 of which were derived from peer-reviewed journals. This cohort of surveys was published between 2000 and 2005. Overall, since 1999, there is clear evidence of an increasing trend in PDA use. The current overall adoption rate for individual professional use ranges between 45% and 85%, indicating high but somewhat variable adoption, primarily among physicians.

Conclusions: Younger physicians and residents and those working in large and hospital-based practices are more likely to use a PDA. The adoption rate is now at its highest rate of increase according to a commonly accepted diffusion of innovations model. A common problem with the evaluation of information technology is that use frequently precedes research. This is the case here, in which PDA adoption rates are already high and projections are for rapid growth in the short term. In general, it appears that professional PDA use in health care settings involves more administrative and organizational tasks than those related to patient care, perhaps signaling where the growth in adoption is most likely to occur. We conclude that physicians are likely accustomed to using a PDA, and, therefore, technology expertise will probably not be a barrier to implementing PDA applications. However, there is an urgent need to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of specific tasks using handheld technology to inform those developing and those using PDA applications.

(J Med Internet Res 2006;8(2):e7)
doi:10.2196/jmir.8.2.e7

Cookies in the kitchens!

Extra chocolaty with the addition of peanut butter chips this time!

Study shows AZ prostate cancer site among the best on the Web

AstraZeneca's prostate cancer Web site is among the six best sites on the topic, according to a study of online prostate cancer information published in the May Journal of Urology. The study showed that online prostate cancer resources often fail to provide balanced information about screening and treatment, according to Reuters. The review of 39 prostate cancer Web sites showed that only nine had been updated in the past six months and only 18 included a disclaimer stating that the patient should discuss the information with a healthcare provider, according to the report. The strongest sites provided extensive coverage of multiple aspects of prostate cancer, whereas weaker sites with little information tended to promote products or address only some aspects of the disease, reports Reuters. ---- ABSTRACT BELOW (I have purchased the full article for those that want to see it) ---- Prostate Cancer on the Internet—Information or Misinformation? Received 11 June 2005 Purpose We assessed the quality of information available to patients on prostate cancer on the Internet. Materials and Methods The search engine Webcrawler® was used with the search term “prostate cancer” to generate a list of 75 websites which were reviewed for currency, disclosure, attribution, interactivity and content. A rating tool was designed including 50 elements considered essential for a comprehensive review of prostate cancer, and each website was judged for degree of coverage and accuracy (each rated on a scale of 1 to 3) of information for each element. Results Of the 75 sites 39 contained information about prostate cancer. Only 9 sites indicated a date of last update within 6 months. References were rarely given (in 5) and a disclaimer was provided on less than half of the sites (18). The sites covered a mean of 24 elements (range 6 to 43) with a mean coverage rating of 1.0 to 2.6 (1.8 overall). Of 943 elements covered on 39 sites, 94% were completely correct, 5% were mostly correct and 1% was mostly incorrect. Conclusions The information on the Internet is of sufficient quality to aid in patient decision making. However, there are numerous shortcomings especially related to currency, disclosure and attribution. Degree of coverage is highly variable and there is a deficiency in balance of evidence found on many sites. The urologist needs to be aware of such shortcomings when counseling patients on prostate cancer.

 

So Is Television a Dying DTC Medium?

So Is Television a Dying DTC Medium?

No. It is not. Bob Garfield, noted Ad Age critic, said recently at the 2006 DTC National that television as we know it will be a dead medium. He did not say exactly when but sooner than later. I just do not believe this is true. Yes, I read the Tipping Point, and I know that things can happen with lightning speed.

I know the Internet is thriving. I know drug companies want to reach patients with targeted relationship programs. I agree that the Internet and direct marketing will boom. I just do not agree it will result in the death of television, at least sudden death. Television may eventually die of natural causes, but no sudden heart attack in its middle age.

It is true that television is fragmented and network share is declining. It is also true that digital video recording is a threat to commercial viewing. These trends will continue to erode television effectiveness, and network television will face problems justifying higher ad rates. But it will take more than a decade to see a major shift.

Our DTC target audience is generally older than the Internet and TiVO early adopters. My daughter at 20 is a classic Ipod and Internet user. She does not watch much television. My mother-in-law does. Yes, she uses AOL once in a while but still watches television every night. The baby boomers like me are somewhere in the middle. I admit to watching Lost, American Idol, 24 and much more of those less than intellectual shows. Most people watch a lot more commercial television than is fashionable to admit.

The fact is that television commercials are filled with wasted viewers who do zap and TiVo. The fact also is that despite this, television still creates advertising awareness quickly and effectively. Advertisers may have to run more frequently to overcome zappers and TiVo'ers. This creates a higher true CPM than the network ratings indicate. Over time that wasted user base will force networks to lower ad prices. All this will happen slowly and there will be no sudden Tipping Point where marketers will have to scramble to figure out how to reach consumers. Garfield expects a period of media chaos after the death of television.

Sorry Bob, it will not happen that way. The implications that new DTC reach vehicles will replace or compete equally with television are probably true. This does bode well for DTP/Internet and Point-of-Care companies. But time is there for a smooth transition. I know if Garfield reads this he will think I am a conservative dunce who cannot see the future. I am conservative, true, but I am a good marketer, as are most of my drug company colleagues. Garfield is a writer, an observer of trends. He has the luxury of being a grand thinker, and as a grand thinker he must make grand predictions. Those of us who must run businesses deal in realities, and one of those will be the continued importance of television including the networks. We may be conservative knuckleheads sometimes, but I am willing to bet Bob a nice dinner that somehow NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX will still be doing well in 2016.

Bob Ehrlich, Chairman
DTC Perspectives, Inc.

 

Ads Don't Cut It in New GSW Worldwide Campaign

Ads Don't Cut It in New GSW Worldwide Campaign

Agency brings life to "Ad Guy" and Pharmaceutical Advertising

COLUMBUS, April 27, 2006 - In pharmaceutical advertising, ads don't cut it. They don't work. At least, not the same old way. That is the story behind a new self-promotional ad campaign launched this week by GSW Worldwide, an inVentiv Health company (NASDAQ: VTIV), and one of the largest healthcare advertising agencies in the world.

The first ad in the multimedia campaign, launched on Thursday, April 20, features a print advertisement that directs readers to <http://www.adsdontcutit.com> www.adsdontcutit.com where a video introduces viewers to "Ad Guy," a walking, talking, typical pharmaceutical ad, trying to "connect" at a speed dating event. Despite promises of a "big logo" and the ability to "work fast," Ad Guy is barely even raising awareness. A second ad, also launched on April 20, continues Ad Guy's adventures in China at <http://www.theworlddoesntunderstandyou.com> www.theworlddoesntunderstandyou.com. With a few cosmetic changes, Ad Guy tries to go global, but unfortunately, his message gets a bit lost in translation.

"Working in the pharmaceutical industry, our clients are faced with new challenges every day," said Bruce Rooke, worldwide creative director for GSW Worldwide. "Complex regulations and constantly changing market dynamics require novel approaches, not the same old thing. That's what this campaign is about-finding creative ways to change beliefs and behavior."

The ad campaign is expected to run through the end of 2006 with print placements in several healthcare marketing publications.

Based in Columbus, Ohio, GSW Worldwide is one of the largest healthcare advertising networks in the world. A full-service agency, GSW Worldwide provides liberating ideas that generate new energy around products, build stronger connections with customers and create impact brands for clients across the globe. For more information, please go to <http://www.gsw-w.com> www.gsw-w.com.

About inVentiv Health

inVentiv Health (Ventiv Health, Inc., NASDAQ: VTIV) is the leading provider of commercialization and complementary services to the global pharmaceutical, life sciences and biotechnology industries. inVentiv delivers its customized clinical, sales, marketing and communications solutions through its three core business segments: inVentiv Clinical, inVentiv Communications and inVentiv Commercial. inVentiv Health currently works with over 175 unique pharmaceutical, biotech and life sciences clients, including all top 20 global pharmaceutical companies. For more information, visit <http://www.inventivhealth.com> www.inventivhealth.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks that may cause Ventiv Health's performance to differ materially. Such risks include, without limitation: changes in trends in the pharmaceutical industry or in pharmaceutical outsourcing; our ability to compete successfully with other services in the market; our ability to maintain large client contracts or to enter into new contracts; and, our ability to operate successfully in new lines of business. Readers of this press release are referred to documents filed from time to time by Ventiv Health, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission for further discussion of these and other factors.

Rachel Escusa Account Supervisor GSW Worldwide 500 Olde Worthington Road Westerville, Ohio 43082 Direct: 614-543-6444 Cell: 614-327-3830 Fax: 614-540-3200 E-Mail: rescusa@gsw-w.com www.gsw-w.com> www.gsw-w.com

Marketers Embrace User-Generated TV Commercials

Marketers Embrace User-Generated TV Commercials
New York Times
Ad agencies beware: major marketers are beginning to embrace user-created content in their marketing plans. The latest to join the trend is Sony Electronic, which will soon run a TV spot created by a 19-year-old from Minneapolis who won a contest the marketer sponsored on cable network Current TV. The contest, which asked viewers to create their own TV commercial for Sony, drew dozens of entries. "User-generated content is sort of the word of the day," said Anne Zehren, the president of sales and marketing for Current TV, which was started last August. "And I think smart marketers will start harnessing that." Sony is not alone. In coming weeks, user-generated ads for companies like L'Oréal and Toyota will also run on Current TV, and several other companies have experimented with it in the past, often successfully. For example, the athletic shoe marketer Converse solicited homemade videos that depicted Converse owners with their sneakers, which the company turned into ads. The videos became an Internet hit after Converse posted them on its Web site. Also, MasterCard introduced a Web site, where consumers were asked to write advertising copy for two commercials, ending with the kicker, "Priceless," from their long-running ad campaign. Mike Fasulo, CMO for Sony Electronics, said consumers were demanding that marketers allow them to define brands on their own terms. "The trick is that you have to let go," he said. "We're used to dictating our messages and we're used to being in control."

 

Eli Lilly polishing corporate image with photos of real people

Eli Lilly polishing corporate image with photos of real people

Eli Lilly is rebranding its corporate image by showing more "real people" in its ads, reports IndyStar.com. The photos feature everyday people doing ordinary things, such as a man fishing or children doing a science experiment, and will be used in upcoming Lilly ads. The ads are an effort to let the public know that Lilly focuses on patients and that its drugs "provide better patient outcomes," Lauren Cislak, Lilly spokesperson, told IndyStar.com. The company also marked its 130th birthday by sending employees brochures and DVDs containing historical information about the company to energize employees after a stretch of negative news about the drug industry, according to the report. In other news, Lilly is one of several companies that announced it will extend its patient assistance programs for Medicare-eligible patients who are not yet enrolled in Part D.

Yahoo! and Telemundo partner for co-branded Hispanic portal

Yahoo! and Telemundo partner for co-branded Hispanic portal

Yahoo! and Telemundo are teaming up for a new co-branded Web portal that will focus on extending Telemundo's existing TV content online, reports Advertising Age. The site, unveiled yesterday, will replace Telemundo.com and Yahoo! en Espanol. According to the report, the site will also offer Telemundo's TV content, made-for-broadband video, and user-generated content. Programming for the portal will be in both English and Spanish. The Hispanic online population is hot--according to an eMarketer report, there were 15.7 million Hispanic Internet users in 2005 and that number is projected to reach 16.7 million this year.

New tool on WebMD health search delivers tailored results

New tool on WebMD health search delivers tailored results

WebMD has added Health Scan, a compliment to its new health search platform, it reports. In addition to search results from WebMD and across the Internet, health search users will see Health Scan, which provides at-a-glance information for more than 800 of the most frequently searched health terms. The information is categorized by condition types, medications, tests, related conditions, and patient communities. For example, typing "migraine" into the health search will yield a Health Scan box containing a link to WebMD's headache and migraine homepage and drop-down menus listing medical tests that are performed on migraine sufferers, related conditions, and medications that can be used to treat migraines. Selecting any of the topics from the menus will take the user to more information about that topic. WebMD is in the process of relaunching its WebMD Health portal.

 

New platform encourages patient adherence, brand loyalty

New platform encourages patient adherence, brand loyalty

In an effort to improve medication adherence and brand loyalty, a new program provides physicians with reports indicating whether patients adhere to their medicine and understand their treatment. The Treatment Educator from pharma services provider InfoMedics is a multi-pronged approach to adherence. At the point of prescribing, patients get information about what to expect from the drug, the importance of adherence, and how to enroll in the program, Sarah Reddington, InfoMedics spokesperson said. After the prescription is filled, patients complete surveys about whether they're taking their medicine as directed. Surveys can be completed online, via e-mail, or by phone. Physicians receive reports on the survey results, which foster more personalized, efficient dialogue between patients and doctors, says Reddington.

 

Physicians want more interaction, multimedia from e-details

Physicians want more interaction, multimedia from e-details

E-detailing needs to evolve to meet the needs of physicians who want a more interactive, multimedia experience, according to a Lathian survey of physicians. Physicians want e-details to emulate live events, Joe DeBelle, Lathian's senior director of marketing, tells ePharm5. For example, 71% of physicians said featuring key opinion leaders in e-detail videos adds significant value. DeBelle says the pharma industry still tends to think of e-detailing as a static type of tool, such as a sales aid splashed onto a Web site. However, physicians want the opposite, with nearly 60% preferring e-details with streaming video and audio content and more than 60% saying they like games, quizzes, and puzzles. The on-demand quality of e-details is also important: 70%-75% of programs are done outside of physicians' office hours, says DeBelle.

 

694 Million People Used the Internet in March

694 Million People Used the Internet in March

In the recent announcement of the launch of comScore World Metrix, by comScore, they included data representing 694 million people, age 15+, from countries that comprise 99 percent of the global Internet population. This 14 percent of the world's total population in this age group used the Internet worldwide from all locations in March 2006.

The comScore World Metrix includes measurement of the major Asian countries, including China, Japan, India and Korea, which represent nearly 25 percent of the total worldwide online population (or 168.1 million users), and which, in the aggregate, are 11 percent larger than the U.S. (152 million users).

Peter Daboll, president and CEO of comScore Media Metrix, notes that "Today, the online audience in the U.S. represents less than a quarter of Internet users across the globe, versus ten years ago when it accounted for two-thirds of the global audience."

Top 15 Worldwide Online Populations by Country, Among Visitors Age 15+
	Unique Visitors (000)
Worldwide Total	694,260
United States	152,046
China	74,727
Japan	52,100
Germany	31,813
United Kingdom	30,190
South Korea	24,645
France	23,884
Canada	18,996
Italy	16,834
India	16,713
Brazil	13,186
Spain	12,452
Netherlands	10,969
Russia	10,833
Australia	9,735
Source: comScore World Metrix, March 2006
Excludes traffic from public computers such as Internet cafe and, access from  mobile phones or PDAs.

The report also shows the top 15 countries ranked by average hours spent online per visitor for March 2006. Israel led the list, with the average user spending 57.5 hours online during the month - twice as much time compared to the average person in the U.S, which did not rank in the top 15 countries.

Average Monthly Hours Online per Unique Visitor in Top 15 Countries (Visitors Age 15+)
	Avg. Hours per Visitor March 2006
Worldwide	31.3
Israel	57.5
Finland	49.3
South Korea	47.2
Netherlands	43.5
Taiwan, Province of China	43.2
Sweden	41.4
Brazil	41.2
Hong Kong	41.2
Portugal	39.8
Canada	38.4
Germany	37.2
Denmark	36.8
France	36.8
Norway	35.4
Venezuela	35.3
Source: comScore World Metrix, March 2006
Excludes traffic from public computers such as Internet cafe and, access from  mobile phones or PDAs.

And, in a sneak preview of the top 15 media properties worldwide, the release notes that MSN- Microsoft Sites topped the list with 538.6 million global users, while Yahoo! Sites led all global properties in page views with 137.2 billion page views during March.

Mr. Daboll commented, "While the "big three" properties remain consistent among worldwide and U.S. audiences, Wikipedia has emerged as a site that continues to increase in popularity, both globally and in the U.S. ..."

Top 15 Online Properties Worldwide (Visitors Age 15+ March 2006)
	Unique Visitors (000)
Worldwide Total	694,260
MSN-Microsoft Sites	538,578
Google Sites	495,788
Yahoo! Sites	480,228
eBay	269,690
Time Warner Network	241,525
Amazon Sites	154,640
Wikipedia Sites	131,949
Ask Network	127,377
Adobe Sites	115,774
Lycos, Inc.	109,394
CNET Networks	107,589
Apple Computer, Inc.	98,622
Real.com Network	78,104
Monster Worldwide	74,152
Wanadoo Sites	73,446
Source: comScore World Metrix, March 2006
Excludes traffic from public computers such as Internet cafe and, access from  mobile phones or PDAs.

 

Magazine Execs Chart Plan To Challenge TV Online

Magazine Execs Chart Plan To Challenge TV Online

by Erik Sass, Thursday, May 11, 2006 6:00 AM EST

DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES AND broadband penetration will allow magazines to compete with established TV industry players on the Web, executives said at a conference Wednesday hosted by the Magazine Publishers of America and the Independent Magazine Group. "From a business standpoint we hope to take dollars from television, not cannibalize print," said Steve Hedlund, president of the Ehlert Publishing Group, which produces multiple titles targeting "power sports" enthusiasts including aficionados of cars, motorcycles, boats, jetskis, and other recreational vehicles. "We'll try to capture what we do in print, but now with sound and movement--because our enthusiasts are all about the sound and movement." Hedlund said that the Internet gives his company the means to achieve a longstanding goal--video programming. He said the company had tried to get into traditional TV programming in the past, but was held back by high production costs and "painful" negotiations. "Ultimately the networks work against you," Hedlund said. "They start talking to your sponsors, and they always find a better deal just outside your own shows." The move to broadband video is shaking up the world of text journalism too, other panelists said. Steve Waldman, CEO, founder, and editor in chief of Beliefnet.com, which began as a text-only online publication--said that one of the company's most recent new employees came from HBO, compared to earlier, when the first 10 staffers came from magazines and newspapers. Waldman added that video ads command far more than text-based ads. "We're getting about $25 per CPM for video, and $3 per CPM, so that tells you where advertisers are now heading, and what direction we're going to be scurrying as we go forward."

TiVo Taps Brightcove For Broadband Content

TiVo Taps Brightcove For Broadband Content

by Gavin O'Malley, Thursday, May 11, 2006 6:00 AM EST

TIVO SUBSCRIBERS WILL SOON BE offered niche broadband video from Web TV startup Brightcove, the companies said Wednesday. The broadband video will be available to subscribers at no additional charge, but the companies haven't yet said exactly what programming will be available--other than that it will be different from what viewers can find on TV today. Financial terms were not disclosed. "You can expect content from new brands and specialty video," said Tara Maitra, vice president and general manager of content services at TiVo. Maitra said TiVo subscribers will be able to fast-forward through any broadband content they receive. "There will be the same functionality here for broadband video as there is for everything else." Brightcove's network of content publishers presently includes Dow Jones & Co., Oxygen Network, Hearst Corp.'s SmartMoney title, and The New York Times Co.--which includes video clips from About.com. Executives from both Brightcove and TiVo said it was likely that TiVo would offer content from Brightcove's network, but neither company would elaborate. Maitra did say, however, that TiVo is not limiting itself to one content provider. "TiVo has a whole strategy of bringing broadband video to subscribers from many different sources beyond Brightcove." One existing broadband deal for TiVo is with the digital technology publisher CNET. CNET, it was announced in April, will offer TiVo subscribers a range of content--including gadget reviews, news reports, trend stories, and user-generated video. The deal comes upon increasing pressure on TiVo to expand beyond standard DVR capabilities--now a near-ubiquitous service offered by most cable and satellite providers. Founded by Internet pioneer Jeremy Allaire in 2004, the Cambridge, Mass.-based Brightcove has aggressively recruited a management team of experienced media executives, including hires from Allaire, Macromedia, ATG, Comcast, Lycos, and News Corp. In November, the company announced the hiring of Adam Gerber, formerly head of new media strategy for MediaVest and tier-one clients like Coca-Cola Co. and Procter & Gamble.

Google Unveils New Search Services, Software

Google Unveils New Search Services, Software

by Shankar Gupta, Thursday, May 11, 2006 6:00 AM EST

GOOGLE WEDNESDAY UNVEILED A NEW feature that allows users to search for detailed information--including content created and annotated by users--in a variety of categories. Initially the feature, dubbed "Google Co-op," will be limited to the health and city guide categories, but eventually it will include 16 verticals. The health service--which company executives demonstrated Wednesday--allows health care professionals and experts to annotate Web pages; users can then subscribe to the service and receive the notes in their main search results page. Google executives announced the new services at the company's annual "Press Day," which was held at its Mountain View headquarters, and also streamed live on the Web. In his opening remarks, CEO Eric Schmidt said that Google intended to focus on consumer-generated media. "People have a lot to say," Schmidt said, adding that Google wanted to help users generate content, and also organize and search for work created by fellow users. Marissa Mayer, vice president for search products and user experience, added that Google hopes to leverage the expertise of its users to better organize pages. "We asked 'what could we do that would leverage the expertise of our users and partners to make search better?'" Mayer said. "We're excited to take the Tom Sawyer view, and see how our users paint the fence." Greg Sterling, principal analyst for Sterling Marketing Intelligence, said Google's emphasis Wednesday on consumer-generated content marks a turning point for the company, which traditionally has been relatively weak in the medium. "They didn't anticipate the rise of MySpace, and I thought that that was an area where Yahoo was investing very heavily," he said. "Every new company that comes into view has some sort of social layer, and they really hadn't done much. This seems to be a much broader and bigger push and a recognition of that." Google also announced several other new products: A new version of Google Desktop Search which adds new "gadgets" to the desktop program; Google Notebook, which allows users to save search results onto a page which can then be saved and transferred into other applications; and Google Trend, a search function that enables users to track how often terms are searched for on the main search page. The cornerstone of the new beta release of Google Desktop Search, 4.0, is "Google Gadgets," a collection of mini-programs that can be attached to the Google Desktop sidebar. Similar to Yahoo's "Widgets," the Gadgets can include news, weather, media players, and games. Users can also create their own Gadgets, similar to the modules on the Google Personalized Home Page. Google Notebook is a simple add-on to the main search page, which adds a small window to which search results can be added. The window can then be expanded to full-screen to rearrange and annotate the saved search results. MSN's Virtual Earth product included a similar "scratch pad" function, which allowed users to save locations and local search results on a small window. Google Trend is an extension of the Google Zeitgeist feature, and allows users to perform trend searches on any set of keywords, showing how often the given terms were searched for over a given time period. The results can be further broken down by geography.

Study shows DTC ads increase discussions with docs

Study shows DTC ads increase discussions with docs

Despite the recent spate of doctors in DTC ads, 69% of surveyed adults say seeing a doctor in an ad makes no difference in whether they believe the drug is effective. Prevention, Men's Health, and Women's Health magazines conducted the survey of 1,500 adults with technical assistance from DDMAC. Disease awareness does seem to be on the rise, with 42% of respondents saying they were more aware of a disease because of viewing an ad, up from the usual rate of 32%-35%, according to the survey. In general, 41% of consumers reported talking to their doctors about advertised prescription drugs, an increase from the typical rate of 31%-34% of respondents. However, 75% of those people are not asking for the drug, but simply discussing it. The publisher is presenting full survey results to industry leaders tomorrow.

TiVo launches ad search tool for viewers

TiVo launches ad search tool for viewers

To counter the advertiser hoopla over DVR users skipping commercials, TiVo launched Product Watch yesterday, a service that allows viewers to search for on-demand advertising content, the company reports. Consumers can create searches, select advertising content, and have it delivered to the Now Playing section of their TiVo service. Users can also create searches based on their favorite brands. TiVo says ads will range from one to 60 minutes and will come from more than 70 advertisers and 100 brands. According to the Wall Street Journal, TiVo will charge marketers only for viewers who download an ad, similar to the pay-per-click style of search engine ads. As if to punctuate the need for TiVo Product Watch, data released last week from Jupiter Research shows that 53% of DVR subscribers skip commercials. TiVo announced the Product Watch service late last year.

 

Web site encourages healthy choices for African American women

Web site encourages healthy choices for African American women

African American women are the target of a new Web site and public service announcement (PSA) to educate them about avoiding cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. The site and PSA are part of a joint effort by the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and Advertising Council. The site, everydaychoices.org, encourages a healthy lifestyle through the small, everyday choices women make about diet, exercise, visiting a physician, and choosing not to smoke. Resources on the site include healthy diet guidelines, smoking cessation and exercise tips, interactive quizzes and calculators, and ways for women to work together for their health. The site is also available in Spanish.

 

Put your online content everywhere consumers go for health info

Put your online content everywhere consumers go for health info

When creating online content, pharma's goal should not be to get consumers to their Web site, but to get them to interact with the information, Melanie W. Kittrell, PhD, Merck's executive director of e-business strategies and solutions, said Wednesday during the HMC Council's May Industry Forum in Philadelphia. She said pharmas should create content and put it everywhere consumers go for information. For example, if an online tool is working well on one of your Web sites, put that tool on other sites as well, said Dorothy Gemmell, senior vice president at WebMD. Kittrell said it's important to spread the information wherever consumers search, not just on "brand.com."

 

Reach out to message board moderators to disseminate Rx news

Reach out to message board moderators to disseminate Rx news

Questions about how pharma can reach consumers on Internet message boards and chats were fired around the room Wednesday during the HMC Council's May Industry Forum in Philadelphia. According to Lydia Worthington, vice president of client services and healthcare practice leader for Nielsen BuzzMetrics, reaching out to the group's moderator is the best bet. She suggested that pharma send press releases to the moderators the same way they would send releases to a newspaper. Melanie W. Kittrell, PhD, Merck's executive director of e-business strategies and solutions, agreed. She said the moderator may disseminate the release, and may also choose to provide links to more information or tell the group whether the information is helpful. However, the downside is that the moderator could present the information with a negative spin.

 

MBC survey shows pharma moving toward educational DTC

MBC survey shows pharma moving toward educational DTC

Medical Broadcasting Company (MBC) and DTC Perspectives magazine collaborated on a panel survey that shows an emerging shift to an educational approach in DTC advertising, MBC reports. The survey shows that the focus of DTC messages will move toward more disease education, and the industry plans to increase the use of search engine marketing, Web sites, online advertising, and e-mail campaigns. "The Internet has definitely emerged as a primary communications channel in healthcare, and marketers are increasingly using the Web to craft deep, involving, targeted experiences," Larry Mickelberg, MBC senior vice president of strategy and enablement, tells ePharm5. "We expect digital channels to command north of 20%-30% of marketing budgets into 2007 and 2008." More than 85 representatives from pharmas, ad agencies, and other marketing services companies participated in the survey. Approximately one-third of the panel was made up of vice president-level or higher participants and 44% consisted of product managers and director-level titles. Click the supporting link below for more information about this study.

 

Tips for dealing with incorrect online info about your drug

Tips for dealing with incorrect online info about your drug

Panelists at the HMC Council's May Industry Forum in Philadelphia Wednesday fielded questions about what to do when false information about your drug starts spreading on the Web. Kevin King, vice president of Edelman Interactive Solutions, said this can be particularly challenging for pharma companies because of the time it takes Web copy to be approved by legal departments. Nevertheless, King says it's essential for pharmas to put correct, scientific information online. Melanie W. Kittrell, PhD, Merck's executive director of e-business strategies and solutions, also suggested that companies consider educating consumers about how to recognize credible health information. For example, the Viagra Web site has a section called Buy Real Viagra, which gives tips for avoiding fake Viagra and educates consumers about Viagra spam.

 

John Kamp: Be aggressive, transparent, careful, and proud

John Kamp: Be aggressive, transparent, careful, and proud

The pharma industry should adhere to the "Four Bs:" be aggressive, be transparent, be careful, and be proud, said John Kamp, executive director of the Coalition for Healthcare Communication, during the HMC Council's May Industry Forum in Philadelphia last week. He said pharma needs to be aggressive with good product marketing and ensure that policymakers fully understand the industry's platform. In being transparent, companies should always be truthful and straightforward because the brand of pharma is in trouble. "If we're not truthful, our brands are dead," he said. The industry needs to be careful about current and emerging laws, public policy, and public perception. Finally, despite the backlash from the media and policymakers, the industry needs to be proud and tell its critics that marketing is not a sin. "A pill is just a poison if it's not surrounded by information," said Kamp. The Coalition for Healthcare Communication filed a Citizen's Petition with the FDA last month proposing new rules for pharma DTC.

 

Firms partner for behaviorally targeting in-stream video ads

Firms partner for behaviorally targeting in-stream video ads

Calling it an industry first, behavioral targeting network TACODA and video ad firm Tremor Network are teaming up to provide behaviorally targeted in-stream video advertising to both companies' networks. Through the partnership, Tremor will be able to collect audience metrics about in-stream video campaigns, such as audience interaction and historical behavior. Tremor will also be the preferred technology vendor for in-stream video ads on TACODA-enabled Web sites, which include iVillage and About.com. A study from TACODA earlier this year showed that behavioral targeting ads generated an average of 17% more looks than contextual targeting ads.

 

New Yahoo! search engine platform unveiled yesterday

New Yahoo! search engine platform unveiled yesterday

Yahoo! unveiled details yesterday about Project Panama, its redesigned search marketing platform, which it says will help advertisers achieve better overall return on their search investment. The platform's new features will include a simpler control panel that allows advertisers to understand their search campaign's performance and modify campaigns at any time. The Ad Testing feature will automatically rotate different versions of ads to determine which is most effective and eventually will display the highest performing ads more frequently. The Visible Quality Index will score ads based on quality, bid, and other variables for optimizing placement. The platform will also include Fast Ad Activation with streamlined content review and enhanced geographic targeting, according to Yahoo!. The new platform is slated to launch during the third quarter of this year.

 

While it's still not good, public perception of pharma improving

While it's still not good, public perception of pharma improving

Public perception of the pharma industry is up for the second year in a row, after bottoming out in 2004, according to Harris Interactive's annual survey. That's not to say the public thinks highly of the industry: Pharma companies had a net positive rating of only 25% in 2006. Still, that's up from last year's 13% and 2004's low of minus 4%. According to Harris Interactive, the public's perception of pharma has been more volatile than any other industry, plunging steadily until last year from a 60% net positive rating in 1997. Although Vioxx was pulled from the market in 2004, unfavorable publicity about drug prices--not drug safety--that likely fuels the public's dissatisfaction with the industry, according to Harris Interactive.

 

Pharma spending more on consumer ads, despite ad guidelines

Pharma spending more on consumer ads, despite ad guidelines

Instead of scaling back on consumer advertising after the new PhRMA DTC guidelines went into effect January 1, pharmas instead spent more, channeling their dollars into unbranded, disease awareness campaigns, reports Brandweek. According to data from Nielsen Monitor-Plus, pharmas spent $680 million on drug advertising during the first two months of 2006, compared to $613 million during the same period in 2005, an 11% increase. Of that, $108 million was spent on unbranded campaigns, such as the Men's Facts campaign for Levitra and the Just Ask Today campaign for Viagra. Budgets once dedicated to reminder ads, which the new DTC guidelines eliminate, are now redirected to other forms of consumer advertising, Peter Pitts, senior vice president for global health affairs at Manning, Selvage & Lee, told Brandweek.