Interactive Marketing in a Highly Regulated Industry

I have been asked to speak on a panel at the 2010 MIMA Summit in Minneapolis regarding Interactive Marketing in a Highly Regulated Industry. The case study track breakout session is described as follows:

Health care is a highly reg­u­lated indus­try. Let’s say that again with feel­ing: Healthcare is a HIGHLY reg­u­lated indus­try. That heav­ily influ­ences what the mar­ket­ing and public rela­tions folks can say and do. Yet despite the legal­is­tic hand­cuffs and road­blocks, these inter­ac­tive practitioners are cre­at­ing mea­sur­able results. Healthcare pro­fes­sion­als and non-health peeps alike can learn from their expe­ri­ences. If your man­age­ment thinks inter­ac­tive is weird and scary, just look at what these folks over­come with every day to achieve results!

I would have to say that the description of the panel is pretty damned good. The emphasis on "highly regulated industry" is spot on and I couldn't have stressed it better. However, given this environment what are companies like Medtronic, Children’s Hospital, and the American Red Cross doing in Interactive?

I'm speaking for the medical device industry here. Indeed we create measurable results, but evaluating risk is a big factor when it comes to pushing the envelope. The risk-averse nature of our industry and the lack of clear guidance from the FDA (so far) in the area of marketing and advertising in interactive media can encumber innovative marketing. The paradigm shift the Internet represents to our industries is inevitable and these challenges will have to be contended with in one way or another.

I believe my fellow panelists agree that we have to look to the positive in our efforts. We will continue to educate our organizations and work with the regulating bodies to have the engagement and dialog with our markets the online channels promise.

Interactive marketers are fighting the good fight in regulated organizations - It's been 10 years since the Cluetrain Manifesto - are we taking delivery yet? To find out attend our breakout session - Interactive Marketing in The Healthcare Industry