The Digital Landscape
New media and digital technology have created powerful communication platforms that allow individuals and organizations worldwide to create and share unique perspectives, messages and ideas in a global and interconnected marketplace - pretty clear assertions at this point.

This online collectivism is changing the way in which people transmit information to others and educate one another. It also has created unique opportunities for organizations, allowing them to amass ideas and opinions from a pool of talent that transcends borders to conceive, develop and distribute products and services in new efficient ways. By using these platforms, companies also have the unique opportunity to protect and promote their brands by engaging directly with individuals through conversations on a nano-targeted level.

By connecting with people through the expanding number of Internet-based communities and embracing principles such as participation, sharing and transparency, many companies are discovering the benefits of collective intelligence, as well as the direct access to target audiences, that digital technology and social media provide. However, for an organization to succeed in today's digital age, leaders must first think differently about how to compete in the new environment:

• Executive leaders and managers need to embrace and understand the value of the new online culture;
• They need to integrate the appropriate digital strategies that resonate with their business objectives; and
• Continually advocate and support the digital shift of their organizations' internal culture through training, development and encouragement.

It is not just about setting up a Facebook fan page, Twitter feed or YouTube channel and hoping for the best. It is about taking the time to really understand an organization's niche community online and develop a strategy using the appropriate digital tactics to participate in a way that brings real value to the community.

After those initial investments are made, and a company understands its respective community, it can begin to participate and engage with individuals appropriately - creating content and expanding discussions that relate to their products, services and, most importantly, their brands. The level of engagement will vary based on the organization, its goals and comfort level; however, when done appropriately and strategically, benefits can be reaped regardless the level of participation.

Companies that decide to ignore the conversations altogether, though, will miss out on the insights that could provide a competitive advantage, and will essentially leave their brands in the hands of millions who have no stake in its reputation or future - a risky proposition in and of itself.

Not All Industries Are Created Equal
Although the benefits of monitoring, participation and engagement are many, it is important to note that not all industries are created equal within the realm of digital media. For instance, most industries are not inhibited by the regulatory restraints that pharmaceutical companies are constrained by, including the requirements to allocate advertising time to possible adverse events (AEs) and side effects associated with their products.

A conversation that ignores these restraints and associated risks would be a futile exercise; however, that does not mean pharma should forgo social media initiatives and disregard the conversations altogether. What it does mean is that the industry must tread lightly, engage softly and think strategically to attain the benefits that the new online landscape provides - direct access to target audiences; collaborative intelligence; a means to protect brands; the list goes on. 

To put things into perspective, a survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that about 75% to 80% of Internet users have looked online for health information. In addition, Pew found that 39% of patients use online support groups to discuss treatments or medications with other patients. Lastly, patients who feel they have a lot at stake in terms of health are more likely to engage intensely with online resources, according to the survey.

In light of these statistics, pharma is faced with unnerving, but answerable questions: how to balance a variety of risks - such as the risk of AEs - with the principles of social media, and is it worth it?

Stepping into the social media environment can be daunting when working under a complex regulatory framework, but it is not impossible. As noted above, there are various levels of engagement with varying levels of risk that an organization can experiment with, from simple monitoring of conversations to participating or initiating them.

In the end, the more an organization experiments - internally or externally in the digital landscape - the more comfortable it will become with digital media and the better it will understand what real value is attainable based on the risk it is willing to take. A balance can always be struck, so take baby steps, because online communities will only grow in number and complexity. As such, the skills to imbed and engage in communities and the experience acquired today will be invaluable and necessary tomorrow. You do not want to miss out.

Chris Rottler, Digital Strategist