J&J adopts a "post-DTC" marketing approach

US health care giant Johnson & Johnson is showing growing signs of adopting an on-line focus for its corporate communications and marketing, including becoming an early adopter of technologies compared to other industries, not just in the pharmaceutical field.

A report in the Pharmaceutical Executive notes the adoption by the New Brunswick-headquartered firm of video recordings of employee testimonies that are embedded in the on-line version of the 2006 corporate annual report. According to J&J vice president of public affairs and corporate communications, Ray Jordan, this is a first in the US corporate field. He added that "it's about the migration from print to on-line. It's no surprise that where we're going in the advertising space is consistent with corporate communications."

In 2006, J&J cut its overall marketing budget 10% to $1.9 billion from $2.1 billion the previous year. Marketing costs fell from 34.1% to 32.7% of sales over the same period, with the bulk of the savings coming from reductions in direct-to-consumer television advertising. Among the firm's objectives is to provide non-mainstream media, such as medical bloggers, with its side of stories. For its part, J&J monitors this fast-shifting area, going so far as to host a social event specifically for on-line commentators in March.