The social media impact of top 10 pharma CEOs in 2024

03.10.2024 | Insight

The social media impact of top 10 pharma CEOs in 2024

Last year, CREATION.co analysed the social media impact of the top 10 pharma CEOs. By continuing to monitor their digital activity and influence in 2024, CREATION.co has witnessed shifts in their social media impact.

All of the top 10 pharma CEOs, apart from Pascal Soriot (AstraZeneca), used social media professionally and were predominantly followed on LinkedIn. Emma Walmsley (GSK) saw a substantial 61% growth in her LinkedIn following over the past year, closely followed by Joaquin Duato (Johnson & Johnson) and Robert Davis (Merck), both of whom experienced a 60% increase.

Social media following of the top 10 pharma CEOs in 2024

While research from CREATION.co shows that X (formerly known as Twitter) is the preferred public social media platform for healthcare professionals (HCPs), only Vasant Narasimhan (Novartis) and Albert Bourla (Pfizer) had an X account. Narasimhan, however, has not posted on X or Instagram in the past year.

Between June and July 2024, Albert Bourla was the most active CEO on social media, yet he posted 50% less than he did in the same study period in 2023. The Pfizer CEO posted across LinkedIn and X and often shared the same message on both. As the chart below demonstrates, Bourla posted more consistently in the latter half of the study period.

Social media activity of the top 10 pharma CEOs

Seven out of nine CEOs posted at least once about their financial results for the second quarter of 2024, celebrating sales, medical advancements, and the real-world impact of their medicines.

CEOs with the most engagement on their posts typically posted more personalised content. Vasant Narasimhan received the most likes and comments when sharing a family photo celebrating Swiss National Day. Similarly, Chris Boerner’s post about Bristol Myers Squibb’s ‘Quiet Week’ and his enjoyment of barbecuing also received significant engagement.

 Typical social media post from Vas Narasimhan, CEO, Novartis

Typical social media post from Chris Boerner, CEO, BMS

HCP online conversation about the pharma CEOs

CREATION.co specialises in analysing and understanding the online voice of HCPs. Alongside observing the social media activity of the top 10 pharma CEOs, we also monitored online discussions where HCPs mentioned the CEOs.

HCP mentions of the top 10 pharma CEOs on X

Bourla was the most mentioned CEO on X and HCPs frequently tagged him in their posts. While a few HCPs shared his posts, other HCPs posted their reactions to his comments on COVID-19. The other CEOs were mentioned mostly in news sources which were reposted by HCPs. These posts were neutral in sentiment and highlighted the CEO’s comments.

As highlighted above, HCPs are key amplifiers on social media, often reposting and replying to the comments of CEOs. Posting content that resonates with HCPs can be one way that CEOs can engage with HCPs in the hope that their posts are shared and reach a wider audience. Replying to comments is another way that CEOs can address the concerns of HCPs and build deeper relationships with HCPs and stakeholders.

Social media impact score

CREATION.co has created a bespoke scoring tool for ranking the social media impact of each of the top 10 pharma CEOs. The score for each CEO takes into account the following metrics:

  • Followers across platforms
  • Frequency of posts
  • Number of comments the CEO made
  • Number of comments the CEO received
  • Likes received on posts across platforms

The chart below demonstrates that Vasant Narasimhan had the highest impact score. With a vast following across LinkedIn, X and Instagram, the Novartis CEO has the potential to wield a greater online influence than those of other companies, provided that he posts consistently and remains active on these channels. While he posted less frequently than Albert Bourla, he received much higher engagement on his posts in terms of likes and comments. 

Social media impact scores of top 10 pharma CEOs 2024

While Vasant Narasimhan, Albert Bourla, and Paul Hudson had the highest impact scores among the top 10 CEOs in 2024, their impact scores are lower than the scores they received in 2023. Although their social media following grew this year, they posted less frequently and received less engagement overall than in 2023. 

While having a large follower count on multiple social media platforms can help predict how impactful a CEO’s social media usage can be, other behaviours, like consistently posting personalised content and actively replying to comments on posts to continue the conversation, also contribute to how impactful a CEO is on social media.

Notably, only Joaquin Duato replied to comments on his posts, commenting seven times over the study period. This kind of behaviour provides an opportunity for CEOs to build relationships and engage meaningfully with HCPs and stakeholders. 

Thomas Schinecker’s social media impact score increased the most since the past year. Between June and August 2023, the Roche CEO did not post on social media despite having over 10,000 followers on LinkedIn. One year later, in the same study period, we saw that Schinecker posted five times and received a total of 9,526 likes and 141 comments. Moreover, Schnicker’s following on LinkedIn grew by 55%. All of these factors contributed to positively developing his social media impact.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this analysis demonstrates that CEOs’ social media impact changes over time and varies due to key several factors; including consistent posting, audience engagement, and the size of their follower network.

To effectively engage with HCPs, we recommend the following tactics:

  • Recommendation 1: In order for CEOs to grow their social media HCP following, we recommend that CEOs are active on the channels where HCPs are active.
  • Recommendation 2: We recommend that CEOs take a deliberate approach to their social media presence by taking into account; frequency, topic and nature of their posts. This will enable CEOs to receive greater engagement on their posts.
  • Recommendation 3: In line with the previous recommendation a CEO’s online presence is a significant communications opportunity in 2024, therefore, the number of comments made by the CEO as well as received could provide powerful insights when analysed systematically for patterns and sentiments.

When used effectively, social media allows pharma CEOs to collaborate with and influence HCPs and other stakeholders, driving innovations within the industry through these interactions.

 

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Meet the Author

Jessica Fernandes

After attaining a 1st class degree in Theology from Durham University, Jessica returned to Kent to join the graduate programme here at CREATION.co. She uses her research and analytical skills to inform health strategy and serve clients.

Outside of work, Jessica loves to travel and visit historical landmarks. She also enjoys mini-golf and going out for brunch with friends and family.