Measuring Share of Voice in a digital age

In a sector defined by constant growth and evolution, pharma companies have always had to be adaptable, swiftly responding to external pressures and market shifts. Now more than ever, they must pick up the pace and seize the opportunities digital adoption can bring. 

Here, advanced analytics that identify how, when and where people are talking about you and your research play an essential role. They allow brands to understand their perceived image and customer sentiment, as well as any unmet needs or potential sources of dissatisfaction, and act on these with speed. Today’s decision makers crave this kind of contextual insight – the ability to find out not only how much people are talking about their research but also the context in which it’s being discussed, which is far more nuanced. 

For example, analysing the response to a publication, is someone critiquing the article itself? Are they critiquing the company’s drug within that article? Or is it the role the pharmaceutical company has played in sponsoring the article that’s being questioned?

‘With altmetrics, pharmas can gain a better measure of the broader societal impacts of their research and products.’

Scientific Share of Voice

One well-used key metric has been Scientific Share of Voice (SSoV) – an analysis that looks at the appearances in research literature for one company’s products in comparison to its competitors. The focus in the past has also been the dissemination of clinical data in what could be seen as a silo of specialist abstracts and journal papers, plus medical conference reports. Extra weight accrued if mentions come from recognised Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs). 

Yet in an era of digital transformation for the pharma industry, this manifestation of SSoV misses key audiences – such as Health Care Professionals (HCPs) and patient advocate groups. These individuals are likely to engage more with social media and other emerging online channels, rather than simply interacting in the world of peer-reviewed specialist outlets.

In this more digitally aware view of reach and influence, the impact of Digital Opinion Leaders (DOLs) becomes important, and through them increased prominence for a broader range of factors, such as the ‘tone’ of online conversation around a product, or a company itself. As such, supplementary metrics are required that provide insights into the non-traditional publication arenas having an ever-increasing influence on wider perceptions – this includes digital platforms such as:

• X (Formerly Twitter)
• Bluesky
• Facebook
• Clinical guidelines
• YouTube
• Online news
• Blogs
• Forums
• Podcasts 

Read our report ‘Building a bigger picture to’ to find out more about DOLs and how you can engage with them.