Why big pharma really cares about One Direction and marshmallows

It’s no secret that big pharma is ‘listening’ to patients on social media. Now, a new study reveals what’s actually being said

Pulsar, an ‘audience intelligence platform’ for marketers, has just released Viral, a social insights study on flu.

The study discloses a range of insights related to flu including seasonality, the impact of celebrities with the flu on social media, sentiments around the dreaded flu jab and how people globally use over-the-counter drugs versus home remedies to beat the virus. 

Some of the findings are surprising, indicating that many individuals reach for a bag of marshmallows when they’re ill with the flu.

Other insights show that flu as a social media topic will trend when a famous pop star falls ill with the virus.

A notable example referenced in the report took place in August 2015, when chatter around flu spiked due to a member of the boy band One Direction falling ill.

This type of social buzz provides huge opportunities for pharma companies to cash in on social-savvy marketing.

And, according to Pulsar, upon closer inspection of the most talked about over the counter drugs, it’s evident that ‘being most talked about’ does not necessarily mean being the most popular.

Insights like these can be extremely useful for planning both brand communications and general health campaigns.

Pharma companies are increasingly tuning in to social commentary to develop new marketing strategies.

The full report can be downloaded here.