Good intentions, excellent execution poor communication
Ive always said that pharma does so much good that goes unnoticed performs or sponsors so many socially responsible deeds that it doesnt toot its own horn about. Sure, some of the industrys good works are outlined in corporate responsibility reports or included in financial summaries. But in my opinion, so much of what pharma does so well when it comes to promoting health and wellness, it leaves to chance for people consumers and the general public, especially to discover..or not.
Case in point: Not in My House, a parent-focused outreach and educational site sponsored by Abbott Labs in cooperation with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (see www.drugfree.org/notinmyhouse). The site is aimed at helping parents recognize and address even pre-empt prescription drug abuse among teenagers. It does, in my opinion, an outstanding job of educating, empowering and calling parents to action to prevent the potentially tragic outcomes of teen prescription drug abuse. What a noble and commendable good deed.
But what, I would argue, Abbott hasnt done a good job of, however, is getting the word out about this valuable resource.
Let me tell you a little story about me...
I am the parent of a 15-year old daughter in her first year of high school in a fast-growing suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the US. Shes a great kid incredibly intelligent, responsible and grounded but like all young people her age, under a lot of peer pressures to conform and be cool.
We have a great running dialog, share a lot of laughter and love, and I feel pretty comfortable that she knows and trusts that she can talk to me about absolutely anything. Weve had frank discussions about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse among other things. But I dont kid myself about the raw fact that shes vulnerable and impressionable and that keeping her safe means constantly staying in touch to help her make good, informed choices and resist the temptations she encounters daily. After all, there are 2,500 young people at her school, most of whom are older and many dont have the safety net I try to give my daughter.
Bottom line, Im a very involved parent. Im very active in the high school band boosters, which leaves me chaperoning football games and marching contests every weekend during the Fall, and shuttling my daughter and her friends to concert performances the rest of the year. For my dedication, Ive been dubbed Band Mom by 200+ young people who look to me now for everything from band-aids (pardon the pun) for blistered feet to help with homework or a sympathetic ear when they hit a bump on the road to true love.
Im also a tireless volunteer to the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) at both my girls schools. As the president of my younger daughter's PTA, I get incredible volumes of paper and email information on every aspect of raising healthy, well-informed, well-prepared children for both my own use and to pass on to other parents.
My point?
It is quite simply that you would think, with all of the time that I spend participating in organized, sanctioned, time-intensive activities with and for my children, Id be one of the first to know about the great work Abbott and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America have done on the Not in My House website. But the sad fact is that one of my colleagues at eyeforpharma brought the site to my attention a colleague that lives half a world away from my daughters' schools in the DFW Metroplex, a colleague who is not a parent and has no daughters or sons to lose sleep over - yet.
My point is that I didnt know it was there. I couldnt tell other parents about it. And if it went undetected by someone like me, who spends each and every day wrapped up both in my children and what the industry is up to, what chance do other parents have of stumbling on it?
After searching, I found a press release on the site's launch back in July but no fanfare to draw the attention of the very audience it is designed to serve or to give due credit to Abbott for the great service its efforts could provide if the word actually got out about "Not in My House."
Modesty can be an admirable and desirable quality. But in this case, its not helping pharma or those that its trying so hard to serve. And Im not singling out Abbott. Theyre not alone. As a whole, the industry does a very bad job of tooting its own horn and directing attention to its good works.
Abbott and the Partnership have done a great job of building this incredible resource for parents. But this is not simply a case of build it and they will come pharma has to let those who stand most to benefit from it know that its there.
Forego another DTC ad on the latest sleep aid or heartburn treatment, and sponsor a series of 30-second ads during primetime letting me know about this great pharma contribution to my childs continued health. Knowing youre trying to add to the strength of my childs safety net builds far more brand loyalty with me than having the key benefits of yet another cholesterol-lowering medication rattled off at lightning speed in between the day's stock market results and the weather report.
Just my two cents