Gadflies and Gladhanders are on opposite ends of a spectrum of life. I’m a big fan of definitions, so let’s start there.
- Gadfly: a person who persistently annoys or provokes others with criticism, schemes, ideas, demands, requests, etc.
- Gladhander: to greet in an insincerely effusive manner
Custom Illustration by Josh Scott, Senior Interactive Art Director
Both of these types are prevelent in any industry, and Pharma Marketing is no exception. Most people fall somewhere in the middle. Just honest people trying to do the best job they can, and wanting some recognition for a job well done. And let me be clear, I’m not trying to pick a fight. I actually think we need both types.
We need gadflies constantly pushing us to go further, do more, and work harder. We need gladhanders tells us how great and special we are. And we need the regular folks trying to get the job done. Usually it’s the gladhanders that bother me. Overly self-congratulatory people bug me, but this tends to be restricted to industry award nights.
Right now there has been a shift in the cosmic underpinnings of the universe, because it’s the Pharma Marketing gadflies that are driving me crazy. I’ve now spent two years learning the complex world of pharmaceutical marketing. I’ve worked in a lot of industries during my ten years in the interactive space. Each has it’s own unique set of challenges and jargon to learn, but Pharma is it’s own special beast. Not only do most people think you are the slime of the universe for working in Pharma Marketing, but there are also an insanely complex and vague set of regulations that you have to navigate.
Until I started working with this industry, I had no idea why TV commercials listed out every horrifying possible side effect a drug could have, or why every drug commercial seemed to be identical. FDA regulations require us to talk about side-effects, but the regulations aren’t always the clearest. Pharmaceutical company advertising goes through many rounds of medical and legal reviews to ensure accuracy and legality. In some cases you are literally only able to say three things, so you have to find as many ways to say them as possible. In this environment, no one really wants to experiment and risk FDA warning letters.
But, all that beings said, there is movement. Everyone is working to do better by patients and healthcare professionals. Everyone is working to come up with new ideas and better ways to provide “fair balance” in their ads. Everyone is working to better utilize the Web and digital channels to better serve patients. There is more work to do, especially with the new draft guidance released by the FDA.
I guess the gadflies should keep poking us to ensure we don’t get self-congratulatory and turn into gladhanders. But it doesn’t mean we can’t swat back at them.
And special thanks to RTCRM Senior Interactive Art Director, Josh Scott for that great illustration!
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