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While Pfizer has rapidly elevated its standing in life sciences social media circles, the announcement today that it is creating a “social media channel” on SlideShare suggests that the company may be over thinking its social media strategy. I have nothing against SlideShare (I even have some of my own presentations on the site) but SlideShare isn’t exactly a “household name” in social media circles. And, IMHO it isn’t exactly the most flexible or interactive social media platform available today. 

Ray Kerins Pfizer’s Vice President for External Affairs and Worldwide Communication proclaimed in as statement prepared for the channel’s launch: 

"This channel offers an integrated social media experience, delivering a variety of content -- presentations, video, blog posts -- via the largest online resource for sharing presentations.”We’re pleased to be the first company in a regulated industry to create a custom channel on SlideShare." 

Its launch was announced today at the 6th Annual PR & Communications ExL Pharma Summit being held this week at Pfizer’s New York world headquarters. After learning about the launch I visited the “channel” to have a peek.

Expecting a treasure drove of Pfizer blog posts, videos and other content I was sadly disappointed to find only a handful of PowerPoint presentations about Pfizer’s finances and quarterly results at the site (there were no blog posts, no videos, no followers and no tweets as promised). Also, it appears that the comments and wall section are currently disabled (I logged into my SlideShare account and was still unable to comment on the Pfizer site although @skypen managed to post a comment there). Although Pfizer may think it is leading the pharmaceutical social media vanguard, the launch of its SlideShare channel has already violated one of the basic tenets of social media— no over promising. And, for now, it appears that the Pfizer channel has been set up as a broadcast medium rather than an interactive one—another big no-no in social media circles. 

Maybe I expected too much of Pfizer (after hearing Ray talk at several social media conferences) and I am being too critical. But, launching a social media channel devoid of content and interactive feature is no longer de rigueur on the social web.  If this is what the world’s largest, and possibly one of the most social-media savvy, pharmaceutical companies has to offer, then we may be in for a long and bumpy social media ride in the life sciences industry!!!! 

Until next time... 

Good Luck and Good Viewing!!!!!!!

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Mary Canady who writes the Comprendia Blog and helps to manage the San Diego Biotechnology Network has crafted a number of useful social media lists for scientists and others who work in the life sciences industry. 

Videos are de rigueur and you can find a plethora of science video websites on Mary’s comprehensive list (almost, she forgot BioCrowd). 

Many life sciences and technology companies are experimenting with social media; primarily by writing corporate blogs. Check out Mary’s list of corporate life sciences bloggers to find out what they are thinking and blogging about. 

Finally, wikis are growing in influence and importance in the life sciences. There are a number of well crafted sciences wikis out there that may be useful. Click here to see the list.

Hat tip to Mary!

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!

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While pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have been reluctant to use social media, Bio-Rad, Applied BioSystems and other life sciences reagent and instrumentation companies have jumped on the YouTube video train with reckless abandon.

A quick perusal of the molecular biology-related videos on YouTube reveals several scintillating titles like “Do the Double Helix,” “DNA Replication Rap,” and my personal favorite from Bio-Rad, “The PCR Song” (see video below)

Until next time....

Good Luck and Good Watching !!!! 

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Mark Sendak, author of the incisive EyeonFDA blog and social media enthusiast, has been keeping a watchful eye (pun intended) on the growing number of pharmaceutical companies that are adding channels and videos to YouTube. 

On his blog today, Mark reviews several new channels developed by Novartis, Johnson and Johnson, Teva, Boehringer Ingelheim and AstraZeneca. While a growing number of pharmaceutical companies continue to add new channels on YouTube, Mark contends that the “success of these channels has varied greatly and several companies have obviously developed the channels without any idea of what they would like to do with them and some of the channels show obvious signs of neglect.”

To learn more about pharma’s incursion on YouTube, read Mark’s post!

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Video Watching

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