For those companies looking at web 2.0 as a means of brand building and marketing, take notes on this collaboration.
Pfizer’s just hooked up with social/medical networking website sermo.com, which boasts 30,000 members and 2,000 new doctors signing up per week (USA only at this stage).
Sermo’s business model doesn’t include advertising or sign-up fees. It says:
“On Sermo, there is no cost to physicians to participate. In fact, Sermo also enables physicians to be financially rewarded for their astute observations and clinical insights. The source of the rewards is financial institutions who access a stream of fresh and actionable information on emerging trends and market-changing events in healthcare. A cash reserve is set-aside to compensate physicians for observations that are deemed highly relevant and valuable. ” sermo.com/about
And: “Sermo’s community of physicians will have access to Pfizer’s clinical content in tangible ways that allow for the transparent and efficient exchange of knowledge.” Sermo/Pfizer press release
You’ve got to give to get?
Let’s see if this social networking model works.
NB. For more on medical communities and web 2.0 see Clinical Cases: Medicine 2.0 as a start.
>Pfizer takes a leaf out of Facebook, Financial Times, 141007
>Drug company wants to poke your doctor, Valleywag, 151007
