For the recent Social Media Day, Germany’s Merck decided to go a lot further than simply posting a GIF and instead revealed its social media team.
Pharma companies are typically known for being highly private, and this tendency extends even further when it comes to social media. Unlike tech companies, which often focus on promoting their own brand, pharma companies prefer to highlight their products as the primary brand.
There are many regulations pharmas can fall foul of, especially in Europe where the Merck Group is based, and they carefully control what public comments can be viewed on their social media pages. That’s why we never really know who’s behind the keyboard.
But now, dovetailing with Social Media Day, Merck is showing us a rare behind-the-scenes video of its three social media managers: Elsa, Romy and Nadine. Speaking in English, the three women introduce themselves as the ones who read and reply to the social media comments across the Merck Group’s posts.
“Have you ever wondered who’s behind the post on this channel and the replies to your comments? Wonder no more: It’s us!” says Nadine, with all three then revealing who they are.
They have been handling Merck’s posts “behind the scenes” for the last few months but are coming out from behind the keyboard and into the camera. “We want you to know we are not just a team,” explains Elsa, “we are a community.”
“Your engagement, your feedback and your stories inspire us every day,” says Nadine, as Romy adds: “We are here to listen, connect and make a positive impact.”
The video is, perhaps intentionally, not overly slick. There are some slight sound and editing issues on the video, which has been aired on the company's Instagram page and has more than 500 likes.
Juts last month, the Merck Group launched a new campaign exploring the mechanisms behind “cancer’s wall of resistance to treatment” ahead of the planned launch of a pipeline drug the pharma is working on, amid hopes to win an approval in the future.