Pharma Industry Whistleblower Dr. Peter Rost Joins BrandWeek
Dr. Peter Rost, who has made a name for himself publishing controversial and widely-read information about the pharmaceutical industry, has joined BrandWeek’s blog, BrandWeekNRx.
Rost replaces Jim Edwards, a longtime BrandWeek staffer who was selected for the prestigious Knight-Bagehot fellowship program, conducted by the Columbia School of Journalism.
Edwards is known for his witty and hard-hitting examination of pharma industry marketing practices. It is likely that Rost, who has extensive marketing experience at Pfizer and other drug firms, will be expected to provide insights into corporate and product promotional strategies. This will be especially valuable as the industry struggles to understand and interact with its Internet empowered stakeholders.
Right now, Rost and BrandWeek are taking things on a “day by day†basis. As Rost will discover, being responsible to an editor and publication with a well-regarded reputation and editorial standards will require him to temper his strident tone and carefully select the topics he covers. What also remains to be seen is whether industry executives will participate in interviews with Rost, as he is not well-liked at many drug firms.
All in all this is an interesting move for Rost. Will the Rost-BrandWeek partnership pan out? Who knows, but it should be an interesting ride.
