Hidden agendas?

Jul/13/2007 06:00 Filed in: Media (Internet)
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A hidden agenda? Like when a trade magazine gives out the top 25 DTC marketers to an industry that follows rather than leads and has multiple conflicts of interest preventing the publisher from being critical of an industry that has made more bad judgments than a crooked judge? Now if that's not the kettle calling the pot black I don't know what is. The truth is that I personally love the DTC industry and DTC marketing and I am passionate about my patients..it's that most of my colleagues are not as passionate about patients and doing the right thing as they are in playing the political game to get ahead.



No I am not objective. When I see millions of dollars wasted on DTC campaigns that are more of the same old same old; when I see people at drug companies getting promoted to Director because of the political game they play rather than embracing the concept of the new consumer; and when so many DTC marketers pat themselves on the back and use industry awards for self promotion I know that we have a major problem.


I received the weekly eMail newsletter from Bob Ehrlich at DTC Perspectives and as a pointed response to this authors post on how meaningless the Top 25 DTC marketers are he takes aim at BLOGGERS like this author and my college John Mack. It seems that Mr Ehrlich is a legend in his own mind. I stand by my comment that his trade publication is a joke within the industry because it delivers outdated information and has a relationship that is way too close to pharma.


This industry is under attack and DTC marketing is mostly 20th century while consumers and patients has evolved to 21st century information gathering. DTC marketers still ignore this fact. Cialis for example continues to spend money on TV while ignoring the Web...although they did repurpose a detail aid for HCP's on the site. Over 80% of the traffic to Cialis.com when this author was in charge of the website, came from online media, yet the team would rather spend money on TV because they can't acknowledge that the Web can deliver a more cost effective message to a relevant target. Then their is the Amgen campaign "I'm ready" which has more reach and frequency than the amazing Ginzu knives. Yet Amgen was one of the top 25 DTC marketers...?


Yes I am not objective Mr Ehrlich and I am proud of it. I am passionate about what I do and will continue to challenge this industry which has more allegiance to Wall Street than consumers while promoting company slogans saying "we care". I will continue to speak out against the bad as well as the good which I have done here on this BLOG. I write not to make this BLOG popular but out of passion for an industry that has become more about itself than its patients.
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