Understanding pharma’s trust paradox: The role of social listening and strategic engagement

In 2024, the pharma industry found itself with a growing “trust paradox.” While innovations like gene therapies and rare disease treatments were being celebrated, skepticism surrounding accessibility, pricing, and ethics dominated social conversations, significantly shaping public perception in complex ways.

While innovation fueled optimism, it was negative sentiment that consistently carried more weight, charged by narratives around healthcare inequities, and ethical concerns and it is these trends that highlight the importance of effectively positioning a pharma brand on social to counter misconceptions and build trust with audiences.

Trending narratives and polarizing conversations

Social listening across 2024 revealed continued and consistent trends contributing to this trust paradox and understanding these drivers is vital for crafting counter-narratives that address audience concerns.

• Access and affordability: High drug costs and perceived restricted access to life saving treatments frequently sparked frustration, with viral posts often highlighting patients crowdfunding efforts for treatments or medications they couldn’t access through healthcare systems.
• Healthcare inequities: Conversations highlighted disparities, emphasizing that cutting-edge treatments and innovations are often perceived to be inaccessible to underserved and lower income communities.
• Ethical concerns: Continued ethical debates extend to the influence of pharma lobbyists and decision-making tied to profits instead of patients.
• “Pharma should be banned”: Negative social sentiment often centred in on the subject of direct-to consumer (DTC) advertising prescription drugs, with many believing these ads prioritize sales over genuine patient education.
• Profit over cures: There was a persistent perception across social that pharma brands were prioritizing treatments that manage symptoms over investing in cures, particularly for diseases like cancer or chronic illnesses.

These ongoing challenges emphasize the need for pharma brands to actively reshape the narrative through transparency, patient and people-first initiatives, and consistent community engagement.

How pharma brands can overcome negative narratives using the BEAT Method

Building a strong, trusted social presence requires the adoption of a patient and people-centric strategy to navigate the complexities of healthcare-related conversations. Our BEAT framework provides actionable steps for healthcare brands to create meaningful connections online:

1. Build trust: Create first person-point-of-view content through patient voices and partner with advocacy groups to demonstrate your intent and commitment to patients and the disease state.
2. Engage communities: When you respond to a direct question or comment from a patient on social media, a human connection forms. It’s a differentiator, responsiveness encourages more conversation, and it helps build a strong relationship.
3. Address concerns: Proactively responding to negative narratives with action can help tackle misinformation. Fully understanding the message before responding can create a change in attitude and perceptions.
4. Transform narratives: Share stories of impactful innovation and accessible advancements to ensure positive outcomes are not overshadowed by negativity and misinformation.
    

Looking ahead: What to expect early in 2025 and beyond

Several developments in the coming quarter are likely to influence social conversations, challenging healthcare brands to respond strategically:

• Post-2024 election impacts: A new administration in 2025 will spark debate and increase conversations on healthcare policies. With RFK Jr.’s influence on sentiment among his supporters, we can expect significant increase in discussions across the world of social.
• Breakthrough approvals and launches: The focus on obesity prescription drugs is expected to dominate conversations as the demand increases globally. This could lead to supply challenges with limited access and insurers potentially refusing coverage, which is likely to polarize sentiment on these types of prescriptions.
• Drug pricing announcements: Q1 often marks the announcement of new drug pricing structures for the year. With any significant rise in pricing, we’re likely to see an increase in conversation with negative sentiments.
• Focus on marginalized communities: Access to life-changing medications in marginalized communities is sure to remain a central topic. There will be a mix of sentiments, including both advocacy efforts and frustration over perceived inactions.

Why social listening is vital

Navigating these challenges requires harnessing the full potential of strategic social listening frameworks. Monitoring and analysing conversations can uncover nuanced insights into patient and HCP perceptions, enabling brands to:

• Track sentiment shifts over time.
• Proactively address concerns before they escalate.
• Benchmark strategies to optimize messaging across campaigns.

Better engagement starts with listening and it’s critical to have a specialized team that can align social listening frameworks with understanding of compliance, cultural nuances, and evolving market dynamics.

Achieving strategic success with ICUC

Global healthcare conversations are happening around the clock, spanning diverse languages, cultures, and time zones. If your in-house resources are stretched too thin, consider partnering with ICUC. Our industry expertise in brand safety case monitoring, combined with our 24/7 presence and global team specializes in integrating social listening strategies, delivering deep insights, and empowering brands to navigate healthcare’s trust paradox effectively.

Connect with ICUC today to build a social media brand safety or social listening strategy that puts patients and providers first.