GlaxoSmithKine and Johnson & Johnson Launch Blogs
06/17/2007
Two pharmaceutical companies joined the healthcare blogosphere conversation this month: GlaxoSmithKine - alliConnect and JNJBTW - Johnson and Johnson. The launch of these blogs, that differ vastly in tonality and focus, is a significant step in acknowledging the importance of social media in healthcare marketing. Or is it? Are they really in the game?
What first had me questioning was the lack of attention to branding on JNJBTW. Disappointing. J&J is famous for strategic marketing. However, the "skin" of JNJBTW lacks sophistication giving me the feeling that this blog might be a tentative step or perhaps an experiment. Examples - the link "About the authors" profiles one author not multiple authors. Nor is there a link to the parent company. These may seem like minor details but in social media success is in the details.
Sidebar: J&J has reached out to healthcare bloggers hosting dinners in NYC and at the Healthcare Blogging Summit in Las Vegas in March. Bloggy transparency, I attended the speaker's dinner in Vegas and enjoyed in-depth conversations with a couple of folks from J&J.
Although alliConnect is a stronger branded site (the logo is the masthead), I wondered about GSK's commitment to this initiative as well. Neither blog is linked from the parent company website. At least I couldn't find the page. alliConnect isn't even linked from the brand website. So I ask GlaxoSmithKine and Johnson and Johnson what are your intentions? Is this a feel good let's be cool at the next stock holder's meeting or are you in the game?
Launch date: June 2, 2007
Focus: Weight loss product alliconnect and issues regarding weigh loss.
alliConnect is the official alli blog. It's a place for you to have a conversation with us about weight loss issues. Because we work for a drug company we do have to abide by a few rules
Tonality - Conversational
Transparency: Blogger Steve Burton shares an oops experience he had with alli.
Smart Moves: Invitation to alliFirst Team to post comments
Just the facts ..
Blogger/s: VP of weight control, brand manager, marketing director, attorney, consultant (Debbie Weil); photos of bloggers "conversational bios"
Blog Skin: alli logo used as header is the only branding element
Graphic elements: Posts include photos
Social media bookmarking: None
Comments: Open
Trackbacks: Open
Blogroll: Yes, GlaxoSmithKine links only
Blog Search: Yes
Comments Policy is a good reflection of the overall tonality of the blog.
We will do our best to review and publish your comment within 24 hours.
We
reserve the right to reject comments that contain profanity, are
inflammatory or are otherwise inappropriate. We will not publish
opinions that are so far outside of mainstream science as to be
misleading or confusing. We will not permit comments to be disguised
as sales pitches for other products or services.
Please share
your stories and experiences with weight loss, as well as your opinions
- even if they are critical of alli. However, please do not include
your mailing address or phone number. The purpose of this blog is to
stimulate discussion.
Legal Stuff
This blog is written by employees of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare who are authorized to speak on behalf of the company.
Our
posts and answers to your comments reflect our company's point of view.
They are based on the latest in science and what we've learned from
talking to consumers.
When we offer personal points of views, or talk about our experience with alli, we'll make sure that's clear.
Launch date: June 4, 2007
Focus: Corporate/company issues
JNJ BTW, there will be talk about Johnson & Johnson - what we are doing, how we are doing it and why.This
is a big step for us as a company. Anyone working for a large
corporation will appreciate that there are many internal limitations on
what we say and how we say it.
Tonality - Formal
Smart Moves: RSS feed for comments
Just the facts ..
Blogger: Corporate communication media relations; no photo; "business bio"
Blog Skin: Johnson & Johnson logo used in subtitle is the only branding element
Graphic elements: Posts do include photos
Social media bookmarking: None
Comments: Open
Trackbacks: Not indicated
Blogroll: Yes, Johnson & Johnson links only
Blog Search: Yes
Comment Policy is a good reflection of the overall tonality of the blog.
All
comments will be reviewed before posting. Since this blog is about
Johnson & Johnson, comments that don't directly relate to the
Company or to topics covered on this blog won't be posted. That said,
some comments may be forwarded to other people within the Johnson &
Johnson Family of Companies for follow-up as appropriate.
We
generally won't post comments about products that are sold by the
Johnson & Johnson operating companies. Product questions should
directed to the companies that sell them. A list of the products sold
by our operating companies is available on the Johnson & Johnson
website.
Please keep in mind that Johnson & Johnson and its
operating companies work within highly regulated industries. Therefore,
comments that pertain to ongoing legal matters or regulatory issues are
unlikely to be posted. Further information about our policies
concerning content ownership and privacy as well as our responsibility
for the accuracy of comments posted to this site can be found in our Privacy and Legal Notice.
Sidebar: Sometimes the world spins strange synergies. Seems Marc Monseau, blogger for Johnson & Johnson wants to lose a few pounds. "After all, if I could lose a few pounds and reduce my cholesterol, I'm pretty sure that I would not only feel better but I would also reduce my risk of developing heart disease - a condition that plagues my family." Hmmm ... wonder if GSK's blogger relations strategy includes out reach to another pharma company (smile). How about a blogroll link exchange?
Read more from two prominent healthcare bloggers:
John Bell on alliConnect - This step forward into social media will be a huge leap for pharma. It is particularly valuable for this category but others will follow.
Fard Johnmar on JNJBTW - Based on Monseau’s opening post, I get the sense that he is going to be talking about some meaty and relevant issues.
