The French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM) has imposed sanctions on Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. The agency considers that their awareness campaigns on obesity and diabetes were, in reality, direct promotions of their drugs, a practice prohibited in France. The fines amount to millions of euros.
The algorithm that disguised drug ads 🤖
Both companies employed complex digital segmentation strategies. Through social media platforms, they identified patients with specific profiles to show them educational content. However, the messages omitted risks and highlighted only the benefits of their products, violating French regulations. The ANSM detected that the labeling of these insertions did not meet advertising transparency requirements.
The awareness that only raised awareness about their actions 💊
It seems the new marketing strategy is to call an ad awareness and hope no one notices. As if selling a product under the excuse of wanting to save the world were a magic trick. The ANSM, which is not foolish, has seen through the trick. Now, pharmaceutical companies will have to find another creative way to tell us their pill is the best without saying it directly. Perhaps the next campaign will be a musical.