Fifty Ways to Do the Digital: Pharma CEOs Must Start "Carrying the [Digital] Bag"

After posting about "Pharma C-Suite Social Media Dummies," I got into a Twitter discussion with my friend Paul Tunnah (@pharmaphorum) who asked "do C-level need to use social media directly, or just see value within their org and ensure others manage?"

I answered "Yes: Used 2 b CEOs rose from ranks 'carrying the bag' as they said. They now need to 'do the digital' - I say :-)"

It used to be that most pharmaceutical company C-suite executives started at the "bottom"; i.e., as sales reps, carrying the bag and learning the business. Some still do.

But the days when face-to-face customer interaction was the best way to learn the business may be coming to an end. These days and going forward "non-personal" -- i.e., digital -- communications may be the way to learn the business and executives need to have experience "carrying the digital bag." Maybe so, said Paul, "guess before too long all C-level will know #sm anyway as they grow up with it!"

But why wait for those youngsters to grow up? There must be "Fifty Ways to Do the Digital," which I put into lyrics based on the song “Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover” by Paul Simon:

Fifty Ways to Do the Digital
(Sung to the tune “Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover” by Paul Simon)

"The problem is all inside your silos", said my consultant Michael
The answer is easy if you have less FDA concern
I'd like to help you in your struggle to be modern
There must be fifty ways to do the digital

He said it really IS my habit to intrude
Furthermore, I hope my meaning won't be lost or misconstrued
But I'll repeat myself, at the risk of being crude
There must be fifty ways to do the digital
Fifty ways to do the digital

You just post a tweet, Marguerite
Get a page on Facebook, Brook
You don't need to be a lawyer, Lloyd
Just get yourself digital
Hop on the YouTube, Rube
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the 2253 form, Norm
And get yourself digital

He said it grieves me so to see you in such pain
I wish there was something I could do to make your marketing shine again
I said I appreciate that and would you please explain
About the fifty ways

He said why don't we both just sleep on it tonight
And I believe in the morning you'll begin to see the light
And then he took me golfing at the Doral and I realized he probably was right
There must be fifty ways to do the digital
Fifty ways to do the digital

You just post a tweet, Marguerite
Get a page on Facebook, Brook
You don't need to be a lawyer, Lloyd
Just get yourself digital
Hop on the YouTube, Rube
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the 2253 form, Norm
And get yourself digital