Pharma & Healthcare Industry Report - Racing for a vaccine: COVID-19 & the evolution of pharma - Talkwalker
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Industry Report
Pharma & Healthcare
Racing for a vaccine:
COVID-19 & the evolution
of pharma
1
Table of contents
Introduction
Part 1 - The crucial role of public sentiment & misinformation
• Overarching conversations: from PPE availability to the hope for a vaccine
• Vaccine conversations: negative sentiment dominates throughout 2020
• The fight against vaccine misinformation
Part 2 - The global race for a COVID-19 vaccine: from approval to adoption
• Pfizer/BioNTech emerges as a clear leader on social media
• How did the world react to the first approval of a coronavirus vaccine?
• First vaccinations continue around the world - first mover advantage for Pfizer?
• Logistics & retailers: the vital cogs in the vaccine engine
• Consumer considerations after approval: safety, effectiveness, distribution and cost
• The importance of influencers in building confidence
• Vaccine conversations: An analysis of Generation Z
• The influence of Brexit on vaccine approvals
Conclusion
Next steps
Methodology
2
Introduction
2020 was a peculiar year for all industries. While parts of
“With many FINN clients in the supply
the economy shut down, society turned its focus on what chain management and pharmaceutical
was deemed “essential businesses” to produce the food, industry sectors, tracking the rapidly
the masks, the hand sanitizers, and the medical equipment evolving online discussions around
COVID-19 vaccines has been crucial to
needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet few were
providing insights to our clients in real
under as much scrutiny as the pharmaceutical companies
time.”
racing for a coronavirus vaccine.
Barry Reicherter, Managing Partner,
Throughout the pandemic, many pharma players have Global Intelligence at FINN Partners
struggled to keep track of how and where their brands
were mentioned, along with their competitors. Especially when it came to false accusations and conspiracy theories
linked to potential vaccines.
The development and approval of a vaccine follows the same process as any other drug, with R&D, preclinical trials,
clinical trials, reviews and approvals, as well as the all-important opinion of the public. With an issue as sensitive as
COVID-19 vaccination, consumer conversations can provide these companies with invaluable, real-time insights on
consumers and their preoccupations on top of reputational risk and regulatory monitoring.
In this report, we use the Talkwalker platform to analyze millions of conversations from social media, news sites, blogs
and forums over several months, regarding the different COVID-19 vaccines and the overall idea of vaccination as a
solution to the pandemic.
In the first part, we will discuss the evolution of public opinion throughout 2020 in relation to COVID-19 and the
development of a vaccine. In the second part, we will tackle the vaccine race itself, with a focus on the perception of
the different vaccines, as well as the communication campaigns put together by government and pharmaceutical
companies to promote adoption since their approval.
When the first vaccines were officially approved in the west in December 2020, key sentiment drivers showed
that the public was happy about the news, but some were still wary that the approvals were rushed
3
Part 1 - The crucial role of public
sentiment & misinformation
Overarching conversations:
from PPE availability to the hope for a vaccine
In 2020, there was next to no conversation about the pharma industry that did not revolve around the pandemic.
Using a data visualization called Conversation Clusters, we compared industry conversations at the beginning of the
pandemic compared to more recent topics of discussions.
In the early stages people were mainly concerned with the availability of medical equipment and testing kits, as well
as the number of cases and social distancing best practices - all things related to the immediate impact of the crisis.
However, there was already chatter about the vaccine, albeit in small proportion.
Fast forward to the end of the year and the healthcare precautions, cases and symptoms were still discussed, but the
conversations about the vaccine had now become dominant. The public largely perceived the vaccine as the ultimate
solution to the pandemic, as well as a way for society to go back to some sort of normalcy.
4
From March to April 2020, the main topics of online conversations related to the pharma industry revolved
around the availability of medical equipment, COVID-19 statistics, and the availability of grocery essentials. In
November and December, the possibility of a COVID-19 vaccine was the most popular topic, ahead of others
such as the need for new COVID-19 regulations and precautions.
5
Vaccine conversations: negative sentiment dominates
throughout 2020
This graph shows us the evolution of the sentiment of online conversations towards the vaccine since March,
and how negative conversations around the vaccine have always been greater in volume than positive ones.
Conversations around the vaccine started to grow in
March 2020, when many countries began their own
lockdowns and people were starting to wonder if there
was light at the end of the tunnel. Above we can see
all the results around the vaccine by sentiment, and it is
clear how negative sentiment has been more prevalent
than positive throughout.
Between March and May, people were discussing
whether lockdowns would end once the vaccine was
developed, as others questioned if there would ever be a
vaccine, its potential effects, or even its actual success in
reducing the spread of the virus.
In the summer, we saw a drop in negative sentiment, as
lockdowns were lifted in many European countries, and
travelling picked up for a few weeks. All this ended once
cases began to spike again in July.
6
In November, positive sentiment spiked when pharma companies began seeing breakthroughs,
such as Pfizer announcing their vaccine had initial evidence of efficacy against the virus. By
mid-December, the first vaccines had been administered in places like the UK and the United States, generating a
spike in results with people being supportive and thanking the medical staff, and others sharing their outrage because
COVID-deniers were receiving the vaccine first.
Understanding the big picture can be a way for pharma companies to tailor their message towards those reluctant or
misinformed about their products, and rally behind the positive conversations that people are sharing.
The fight against vaccine misinformation
Another core aspect of COVID-19 vaccine discussions in the months that led up to its development and approval was
the prevalence of inaccurate information in online discussions. Misinformation and disinformation have been a defining
societal factor for several years, but this trend only reinforced itself in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back in March 2020, when lockdowns began, conversations around COVID-19 grew along with fake claims around
the virus. According to a study by the Reuters Institute and Oxford University, “rather than being completely fabricated,
much of the misinformation in our sample involves various forms of reconfiguration where existing and often true
information is spun, twisted, recontextualised, or reworked”.
7
Back in March 2020, creating hashtags was a way for conspiracy theorists to gain support on social media
around their misinformed campaigns.
Looking at hashtags between March and April 2020, around
terms like “Coronavirus is a hoax”, and “scamdemic” we
found many conspiracy theories around COVID-19. Some
of the most renown theories, shown above, include that the
virus was created by 5G technology, that Bill Gates was to
blame, or even that COVID-19 was a biological weapon. As
for those who believed the virus was fake, they created a
movement to share videos of less-than-crowded hospitals
with the hashtag FilmYourHospital.
Soon after, misinformation around COVID-19 continued
through anti-mask movements, which are still active today,
and claim that the use of the mask is not only ineffective but
also dangerous for one’s health. The graph below shows the
various spikes around anti-mask conversations since May
2020, and how the conversation has continued until recently.
Using Quick Search we found that conversations using anti-mask hashtags have grown, especially since
June when masks were available, and started to be required by law in public spaces after an initial WHO
recommendation.
8
We looked at the hashtags linked to anti-mask movements and found some are linked to misinformation. As shown
below, some people who follow this movement believe the pandemic is a scam, share anti-vaccine messages, and
have labeled COVID as a hoax.
Besides the many hashtags against masks, it is also possible to identify hashtags around misinformation such
as #Scamdemic and #CoronaFarsa.
The third way in which misinformation has been present
throughout the COVD-19 conversation has been around
the vaccine. Many false claims have popped up in
conversations since pharma companies announced
they would work on a vaccine, and one of the earlier
misinformation campaigns is connected to a conspiracy
theory that claims Bill Gates wants to use vaccines to
implant us all with a microchip.
With vaccines approved by governments and given to people, misinformation around vaccines has continued to
grow, and companies have begun to take measures to fight false claims. One of the brands that has acted against
the spread of these fake messages has been Facebook. The news around the platform’s fight against vaccine
misinformation went viral, with 63K engagements in only 8 days.
The Independent’s article about Facebook’s updated measures against misinformation was picked up quickly
on social media, with almost 4.5K shares in Twitter and Facebook.
9
Part 2 - The global race for a COVID-19
vaccine: from approval to adoption
Pfizer/BioNTech emerges as a clear leader in online
conversations
Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca are the vaccines that are leading the way in terms of the first to be rolled out.
But AZ has not translated that into social media mentions, with a number of other pharmaceutical companies winning
buzz. Pfizer/BioNTech being the clear leader has 40% of the share of voice in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Pfizer/BioNTech picks up pace in the fourth quarter of 2020 thanks to their first mover advantage and
dominates SOV with 40%
Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Oxford/AstraZeneca emerged as
the most likely candidates towards the end of the year. As a result,
there was a lift in buzz around these companies and they were
able to move up in terms of share of voice in the last quarter.
It is also worth noting that vaccine popularity seems to vary greatly
depending on the location - Sinopharm, for example, is most
discussed in Spanish-speaking countries, and especially in Latin
America, compared to English-speaking regions.
10While Pfizer’s vaccine was the first to be approved, lesser discussed vaccines, such as the Chinese Sinovac, received
their own authorization in Middle Eastern countries just a couple of days later, and has also been administered to over
4 million people in China. Yet when we compared the amount of discussions in English about the Pfizer, AstraZeneca,
Moderna, Sputnik, and Sinovac vaccines, it is clear that the Russian and Chinese products received much less
attention than their western competitors.
The Pfizer vaccine generated over 5.8 million online conversations between March and December 2020, way
ahead of the global competition.
How did the world react to the first approval of a
coronavirus vaccine?
The United Kingdom was the first country to approve a COVID-19 vaccine, with Pfizer/BioNTech receiving its
emergency-use authorization on the 2nd of December. Conversations in the UK around these two companies
immediately spiked, with news of the approval going viral across media sources all over the world. Pfizer and
BioNTech garnered nearly 170K mentions during this period, with an engagement of 3M. Net sentiment turned
positive soon after the first person was vaccinated on the 8th of December.
Net sentiment witnessed an immediate uptick following the first vaccination in the UK.
News of the first vaccination went viral immediately, as the 90-year old
Margaret Keenan encouraged others to get their shot too, saying “If I can
have it at 90 then you can have it, too”. “Wonderful” - the emotion that was
best associated with the moment, was also mentioned by host of ITV’s
Good Morning Britain, Piers Morgan.
11The NHS’s tweet announcing Margaret Keenan getting the first COVID vaccine went viral across online media.
Although Morgan may be a controversial figure thanks to his strong opinions, this time he drove positive sentiment
when he applauded Margaret, the NHS nurse Mary Parsons, and mentioned Pfizer in his tweet. The post was one of
the top results with 32K engagements, highlighting the importance of identifying the right influencers who may just
sway audience opinions about vaccines.
TV personality, Piers Morgan found it “wonderful” that the first vaccination happened in the UK, and the word
was a key driver of positive sentiment around the event.
Yet at the same time, the early start of the United Kingdom vaccination campaign also translated into some anxious
conversations within segments of the population who wondered if the approval had been rushed, and thus if they
could trust the Pfizer vaccine.
Business takeaway: Messaging from the right influencer is a powerful tool to drive positive conversations about the
vaccine. Fluctuating sentiment shows that people are unsure about vaccines, and identifying the right influencer goes a
long way to build confidence and trust for pharmaceutical companies.
12First vaccinations continue around the world - First mover
advantage for Pfizer?
First vaccinations will continue around the world, with the US following the UK with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, and
surpassing the event in terms of mentions. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has dominated the mentions over time, and
has certainly benefited from the first mover advantage. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was approved for use and
administered in the UK in late December, but has failed to compete in terms of mentions.
Sentiment remained slightly more negative when it came to first vaccinations around the world, with only the first ever
vaccination having more positive conversations than negative. Consumer confidence continues to be the issue for
pharmaceutical companies, with side effects and efficacy driving conversations.
First vaccinations around the world led to spikes in social media mentions, with the first ever vaccination in the
UK and first in the US receiving the most buzz.
Business takeaway: Pfizer/BioNTech may have had the first mover advantage in terms of mentions around first
vaccinations, but players like AstraZeneca and Moderna have the opportunity to be better prepared by observing
the competition. Competitive analysis could prove to be beneficial in the long run, with the reputation of big players
being on the line, as they each hope to have the most effective vaccine.
13Logistics companies and retailers - vital cogs in the
vaccine engines
The pandemic has affected several industries, some adversely like the travel or hospitality industries. But one that has
benefited most is the logistics industry, with online shopping becoming more popular as lockdowns and quarantines
became prevalent. Some delivery services were even unable to manage the increase in demand.
The vaccines have not only provided a boost to the general public, but have also provided a further boost to logistics
companies. With vaccine approvals coming thick and fast, their distribution has become a vital factor in the next
phase of combatting COVID-19. Conversations around delivery services acting as distributors for the vaccine grew on
social media, with mentions peaking in the second week of December, when the Pfizer vaccine was approved in the
US.
Lufthansa has also upped their efforts to transport the vaccine in their cargo planes. They are already equipped with
capabilities to manage transport of pharmaceuticals, and are preparing to ship 10 million doses a day. A Business
Insider video featuring Lufthansa received nearly 12 million engagements, showing that folks are also curious about
how the vaccine will reach them.
A bubble chart of themes around distributors shows that “Dry ice” dominates the conversations when it comes
to the logistics surrounding the vaccine.
14The packaging and storage of the vaccine will be of great importance for pharmaceutical companies since most of
them have to be stored at sub-zero temperatures. Therefore, the role that the major logistics companies play is vital for
the success of the vaccines. In fact, “Dry Ice” which is used to store them at the optimum temperature, is the top theme
in relation to vaccine distribution, with sub-zero temperatures necessary to store them at the vaccination centers.
Walmart is one of several companies who will be administering vaccines in its 5,000+ stores across the US. The
retailer is preparing its pharmacies with freezers and dry ice to store the vaccines at the right temperature.
Walmart is also already equipped with healthcare staff who already administer other vaccines, making them
uniquely positioned to get many Americans vaccinated. The centers are not likely to be associated with any particular
pharmaceutical company, but will be entering into agreements with state governments to offer vaccinations. News of
Walmart’s preparation went viral online particularly on Twitter and in blogs in the second week of December, as the
country prepared for their first vaccination.
Virality map shows news of Walmart’s preparations to administer the vaccine going viral online across media.
Business takeaway: It would be wise for
pharmaceutical companies to track the
conversations not only about themselves, but
also about their partners who are crucial for the
successful implementation of vaccines. With
uncertainty looming around the industry, social
intelligence keeps companies informed.
15Consumer considerations after approval -
safety, effectiveness, distribution and cost
To gauge the vaccine’s ultimate success it is essential to understand what consumers consider to be the most
important aspects of the vaccine. With this information it’s possible to anticipate any potential setbacks or obstacles.
When the vaccine became available at the end of last year, conversations revolved around four main themes: safety,
effectiveness, cost, and distribution. We created theme panels around these categories to segment conversations on
social media, and find the most talked about topics at the time.
The most discussed topic was the vaccine’s effectiveness,
with many people praising the efficacy of the Pfizer and
Moderna vaccines. A large portion of the conversation
here was led by doctors and medical professionals who
publicly supported the use of the vaccines. In the same
topic however, we also found accounts questioning the
need for the vaccines, and their effectiveness.
Using theme panels we selected main terms within the four
themes and found that effectiveness and safety were the most
relevant topics at the time.
Distribution became more important as Pfizer-BioNTech’s
vaccine was being approved in different countries. The
main discussion point with regards to this aspect was
the temperature requirement for the mRNA vaccine,
which creates several logistical issues for the general
distribution of the product. One of the most prominent
posts in India, with 27K engagements, was from Rahul
Gandhi, member of the Indian Parliament, who claimed
that the specific conditions required by the Pfizer vaccine
posed a logistical challenge for the country.
16The importance of influencers in building confidence
At the beginning of December, the vaccine was to become a reality in the western world and vaccination was the next
stage in the fight against the pandemic. One of the challenges present at a global level was public confidence in the
vaccine. Various public figures decided to face the challenge head on, showing their support for the vaccine and later
sharing photos of them getting the shot themselves, to build assurance.
Zooming into the United States, we saw that according to Gallup’s poll in late October, only 58% of Americans would
get inoculated, and some important figures decided to vouch for the vaccine. Barack Obama, George W. Bush and
Bill Clinton, former US Presidents expressed their interest in getting the vaccine on camera as a way to inspire public
confidence in the vaccine’s safety.
Most of the terms in the word cloud revolve around promoting public confidence in the vaccine and with its safety.
The news received over one million engagements, and as shown on
the word cloud above, much of the conversation revolved around the
importance of promoting the vaccine, generating confidence, and
showing that its a safe procedure.
A few weeks later, the then President-elect Joe Biden posted an image
of himself receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, saying “...And to the American
people — know there is nothing to worry about”, a message that was
clearly intended to calm those who are undecided or against receiving it.
The tweet went viral and received over 350K engagements.
17This virality map shows not only the speed at which Joe Biden’s vaccine tweet got picked up by different media sources,
but the longevity it’s had.
Across the ocean, English actor Sir Ian McKellen received the vaccine as well and recommended it without hesitation.
With over 160K engagements at a global level, he has joined the group of vaccine ambassadors, repeating a similar
trend to the one imposed by Elvis Presley in 1956 when he got the polio shot to encourage vaccination.
Ian McKellen’s tweet went viral at a global level, given his renowned career in films that have touched generations across the board.
In more recent developments, various countries have begun to invite social media influencers to be part of their first
wave of vaccinations, in order to boost the government’s communication strategy around the topic. In Indonesia, TV
personality Raffi Ahmad was invited to get the vaccine alongside 1.5 million health workers, as a message against the
wide skepticism around the safety and efficacy of vaccines in general.
Involving influencers like Raffi Ahmad in vaccination awareness campaigns is one of the latest ways in which governments
and organizations are encouraging people to get vaccinated.
18Vaccine conversations: An analysis of Generation Z
The weight of different vaccine topics varies depending on many factors. We divided the conversation into four
generations: Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers. We took a deep dive into Generation Z given that they
showed to be the most negative of the four.
Over a 30-day period between November and December, we were able to find that Generation Z was feeling more
fear and sadness than the other generations, and was showing the least amount of joy and love.
Amongst the four generational groups, we found that Gen Z has the highest
percentages for sadness and fear and the lowest for joy and love.
To have an in-depth understanding of the emotions shown by the youngest population group we created
Conversation Clusters. Confirming the share of emotions from the graphic shown before, fear was predominant
throughout, especially with regards to COVID-19, the vaccines, and the potential side effects that these may bring.
19According to our Conversation Clusters, questions and doubts are a large part of the conversations from
Generation Z, and can be seen throughout the different clusters.
20The Conversation Clusters showed us that this generation is very vocal, and this can be seen on the various questions
around the mRNA vaccines. The conversations in favor and against vaccines potentially becoming a requirement in
the future, and discussions on different conspiracy theories.
One of the largest clusters was that of anti-vaccine
conversations, where we found comments in favor
and against the movement. On one side, we saw
posts that misinterpreted efficacy and survival
rates, and on the other we saw people trying to
explain how anti-vaxxer groups organize and use
harassment to spread their message.
The influence of Brexit on vaccine approvals
Multiple representatives of the UK government have claimed that Brexit accelerated the process of vaccine approval.
This is not the case, since the approval was permitted by provision under European law which exists until the 1st of
January 2021, as clarified by the MHRA.
Social media was also quick to decline the notion, with Channel 4 News FactCheck being the top result related to
Brexit and vaccines. Their tweet was the most engaged with, and also received a number of similar replies. Further,
sentiment analysis showed that the dominating emotion around Brexit and vaccines was anger. Vaccine approval or
authorizations were also key sentiment drivers of the 31% negative sentiment in Europe.
C4 News FactCheck was the top post busting the Brexit myth, and quickly generated a thread of tweets echoing
the negative sentiment around the notion.
21Business takeaway: Social listening not only helps to identify misinformation, but also shows the dominating
opinions and sentiment around misinformation, helping companies to tailor their messaging to answer potential
concerns, as well as to make more informed decisions.
Anger was the top emotion, with vaccine approval and authorization being key drivers of negative sentiment
around Brexit and vaccines.
Client Testimonial
“During the initial development stages of our COVID-19 vaccine education initiative, it was critical
for us to understand how Americans felt about receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. Through
Talkwalker’s social listening platform, we were able to identify the hesitancies giving Americans
pause and examine the most frequently asked COVID-19 vaccine questions across the nation.
These insights not only reinforced the urgent need for an education-based effort, but also helped
shape our communications strategy moving forward.
The Ad Council, in partnership with COVID Collaborative and an unprecedented bipartisan group
of cross-sector partners, have now embarked on one of the largest communication initiatives in
history, with the goal to effectively educate, inform and motivate action that will turn the tide of
the pandemic and save hundreds of thousands of lives. It’s the research and insights our teams
are developing now that will ensure this effort’s success.”
Nicole Dib, Director,
Insight & Analytics at Ad Council
22Conclusion
In an unexpected year of crisis, society turned to the pharmaceutical industry for solutions. There are now fully
developed vaccines, and vaccination has started in several countries. But pharmaceutical companies will need to
continue to adapt and innovate in 2021 to fully tackle the challenge presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, relying on
insights from consumer conversations on a global scale.
Key takeaways for pharma & healthcare beyond COVID-19
• In the midst of a pandemic and a race for vaccines, competitive benchmarking becomes crucial for a changing
industry. Brands need to not only analyze themselves but also keep an eye on competitive conversations, to learn
and adapt to come out successful.
• Public opinion can make or break products. It is key for pharma & healthcare companies to understand their
target audience and anticipate their needs and worries with regards to new products or procedures to ensure
success.
• The fight against misinformation must continue, and in an industry where fake claims are prominent and can
significantly drive down adoption, brands must not only monitor conversations to identify fraudulent statements,
but lead the conversation with relevant data and examples that educate consumers.
• Sentiment can play a major role in the success of a drug or vaccine. Understanding different positions will allow
pharma companies to create a communication strategy that includes not only praise of the positive aspects of
the product, but also responses to common concerns.
Want to make the most of these key points?
We can show you some ways in which you can do when your brand is in
the spotlight.
23Next steps
Looking at how the pharmaceutical industry has gone through an express evolution, here are a few ways in which a
unified platform such as Talkwalker will help you take your business to the next level, beyond the consumer insights we
presented in this report.
Connect influential conversations to business impact for better decisions
As demonstrated throughout this report, there are a multitude of channels where a brand interacts, directly or
indirectly, with its customers and the public at large. This information can be analyzed all together to extract brand,
industry and consumer insights, as well as connected to other business KPIs, to better measure reputational impact.
Correlating business KPIs with social data metrics allows for immediate analysis of key areas of your business.
For example, one way to use business impact metrics would be to correlate the market impact with social
conversations about your company after an important announcement. As seen below in this sample graph, the stock
price of a given company can mirror upticks in positive social mentions after a major company announcement.
Analyzing stock prices alongside social media mentions helps a company understand the impact of an
important announcement and the buzz it created.
24Next steps
Keep your finger on the pulse of the market with customized dashboards and
reports
One of the most valuable aspects of online data compared to traditional market research is that it is real-time data,
which means that it is possible to create custom dashboards to monitor any aspect of your brand or product that you
want to monitor, from your brand reputation to the tracking of side effects of a given drug.
You could for example set up a full dashboard to track the potential side effects of the different COVID-19 vaccines
available on the market.
Scheduling dashboards and reports is the best way to get an updated snapshot of your industry and stay
informed in a dynamic market.
25Methodology
Insights for this report were taken from Talkwalker Analytics and Talkwalker Quick Search between March 2020
and January 2021. Given the focus on vaccines, and that distribution began by the end of year 2020, a large focus
was given to the news that occurred between November 2020 and January 2021.
Mentions of topics were gathered from a variety of sources including news sites, social media channels, forums,
and blogs.
Sentiment analysis, video analytics & image recognition are powered by the Talkwalker AI Engine.
Sentiment analysis is performed with an average of 90% accuracy, with the ability to detect sarcasm and ironic
comments.
Images are compared to a database of over 30,000 brand logos, to help identify brands in social media photos
and videos.
Queries were used to identify the topics discussed such as first vaccinations, anti-vaccine messages, and
pharmaceutical brands involved in the process. In some cases, these may have been improved using Boolean
operators, to help remove false positives. Filters were used in order to narrow down results for specific places,
categories, or demographics.
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