The Implications of X Rebranding for Pharma Marketers 

The change from Twitter to X has been covered by news outlets around the world. News and visible changes of this update began on Sunday, July 23rd and have continued since then. New Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino shared her vision for what the future of Twitter, or X, may look like: “X is the future state of unlimited interactivity — centered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking — creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services and opportunities. Powered by A.I., X will connect us all in ways we’re just beginning to imagine.” 

While these bold ambitions may or may not come to fruition eventually, what does it mean right now for pharma marketers who want to utilize social media for HCPs? In this POV we will explore the reaction of healthcare professionals (HCPs) to the rebrand, what the rebrand may mean for pharma marketers, what remains uncertain, and what brands should be doing now. 

Industry & HCP Reaction 

The HCP conversation, as monitored by our Audience Intelligence team, offers interesting insights around this rebrand. In the few days following the rebrand announcement, there has been an influx in HCPs sharing their opinions of the rebrand and nostalgia over their beloved Twitter bird, including a few HCPs who mentioned plans to make the switch over to Threads and other social platforms. They also questioned their new role on X and how they will continue to set their content apart from other users on the platform. Twitter jargon is the main example of this, with HCPs wondering what the new ‘lingo’ will be and what will replace “Tweets”; if #MedTwitter will now be #MedX etc.  

Exemplars of HCP tweets (posts?): 

Overall it seems that, like the rest of us, HCPs are waiting to see what the future holds for Twitter/X. 

What the Rebrand Means for Pharma Marketers and What Actions Brands Can and Should Take Now 

Posts and Ad Units 

Posts and ad units will continue to look the same with the main visual changes being logo and app icons. Twitter has implemented a visual change holdout for pharma brands which gives some piece of mind to allow brands enough time to pivot and/or route any changes through regulatory review ahead of any visual updates to remain compliant. 

Paid Campaigns 

Ultimately, it is not clear if the pivot of branding from “Twitter” to “X” will have immediate impact on how paid campaigns are delivered or engaged with, but there are callouts that advertisers should continue to monitor: 

• Availability of audiences as users decide to stay on the platform or migrate to a competitor and continued campaign performance will impact future commitments to the platform. 

• If the availability of key audiences decreases or if campaign performance continually declines due to lack of activity or users on the platform, it will be necessary to reevaluate platform investment on a case-by-case basis. 

• In addition to monitoring platform usership, modifying keyword targeting to reflect how HCPs and patients are adopting branding changes (referring to “tweets” as “posts” or “X’s”, replacing mentions of “Twitter” in hashtags with “X”, etc.) and referring to the community in their content will ensure campaigns maintain relevancy and scalability. 
• Due to recent changes to how much content users can view, it is important to ensure precise targeting to avoid wasted impressions and maximize ad dollars while assuring you are reaching the right audience. 

How the Change Impacts Hashtags and Platform ‘Lingo’ 

The idea of new hashtags brought up by HCPs on Twitter/X could be an important development down the road for users looking to tap into and engage with likeminded individuals around a shared hashtag and can also impact paid campaign targeting utilizing keywords. Currently there are no signs of a decrease in the use of #MedTwitter, in fact quite the opposite, with a steady increase over the days immediately following the rebranding.  

With the visual changes already in effect, the question remains: what will happen to the Twitter “lingo” as we know it? CMI Media Group’s social intelligence team will closely monitor the conversation landscape should brands and users move away from using common Twitter language (i.e.: tweets, tweeting, etc.) and adapt to updated TBD X-specific verbiage such as “posts”, “reposts” or “Xs”. This will be important to understand as HCPs commonly use specific hashtags with the word Twitter in it that could impact a brand’s organic approach or even targeting. 

While we know HCPs are questioning the future of #MedTwitter, many might be wondering how quickly they should scrape any mention of Twitter to X. After all, it probably lives in countless content submissions, brand plans, guidance documents and the like. We suggest phasing these updates through the rest of the year. Many are still reluctant to refer to the platform as X because the change was so sudden and it can take time to adjust. As the transition trickles down to things off platform, enterprises may want to refer to X as Twitter/X for a period of time.  

Continue to Keep an Eye on Threads 

When Threads launched in early July there were over 100 million signups within the first week (in part due to the ease of creating a profile), but now the app has seen a nearly 70% decline in engagement since July 7^th per market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. With the app still in its infancy stage, the significant drop in engagement should not be viewed negatively, at least not yet.  

While Threads has started to roll out platform updates to enhance the user’s experience, it seems the majority of Meta’s users are playing the “wait and see” game before fully investing into another platform. Despite this, Zuckerberg recently stated “…that we’re going to be able to pour enough gasoline on this to help it grow.”   

With that in mind, it’s safe to assume we can expect a lot of updates to Threads to make it more attractive to both the consumer and business in terms of investing their organic presence, with the idea of advertising capabilities in the near future. 

To Activate or not to Activate? 

As our clients navigate a path forward with or without Twitter/X, we will continue to provide up to date information to our clients to make sound decisions that are in the best interest of their respective organizations. Over the past year we have seen brands pull their budgets as a result of the volatility and the unknown, with a few of those returning to the platform earlier this year because safeguards and assurances that were put in place. From the CMI Media Group perspective, for brands that are currently active on the platform, we have not seen or experienced any disruption to clients’ Twitter/X organic presence or ad campaigns as a result of the rebranding. Brands can continue to maintain their presence, with some of the caveats/callouts listed in the above POV. 

For clients not yet active on Twitter/X, it is best to maintain a wait and see approach while the dust settles from the changes that continue to make its way to the platform. Although Twitter/X has promised at least 6 weeks holdout for Pharma brands for any changes on the platform, it may be difficult to establish presence with things very much on the move at Twitter/X. 

Our Social and Audience Intelligence teams will continue to keep a pulse on any new developments, but as always please reach out to your lead if you have a specific question about these changes.