My colleague, Lauren, blogged about medical homes a couple weeks ago. This started a conversation with our friends at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, initiator of the largest Patient-Centered Medical Home program in the country. 1200 designated docs. Hundreds more clamoring to get in the medical home door. The 10% incentive is a motivator.

Another motivator is the PCP ideal of why they got into medicine — to deliver Quality Care. Actually sitting down with patients. Wrapping their minds around every aspect of the patient condition they can uncover. Rather than donning their jogging shoes to swoosh in and out for the highest patient per hour medal.

I love the medical home concept. Coordinated, convenient, patient-centered care. My doc at the helm with yours truly in the center, all part of a winning team, all focused on moi! Better outcomes and efficiency — I’m not sure why it isn’t part of the stimulus package like EMR.

Call me a healthcare marketer, but in all honesty, what I really like best about the medical home is the name. I want to go to a “medical home”. It makes me feel all warm-fuzzy like I’ll get better care. Like there will be furry slippers and pillows and no antiseptic smells. Like someone will watch over all the boring clinical details, so I can relax and feel at home.

That’s not the technical definition, just the feeling it illicits for me. My adhoc survey here at Brogan reveals lots of confusion re: the medical home concept: “they come to my home”…”comfort”…”treat you like being at home”…”treat you like family”…”place to go for whatever type of treatment” (close)… Even, “old folks home”! I think there’s lots of opportunity here to claim the medical home position and make a powerful brand statement.

That’s the interesting thing about healthcare marketing. So many new innovations and technology, and we get to translate it into lingo that accurately connects with the consumer. It’s down home fun.

Let us know how you’ve translated some healthcare terminology into something people can understand.

Are your ads getting lost in a world of traditional advertising?  Consumers are bombarded with countless advertisements each day, you want your ads to stand out and to connect with them.  One way to do this is by utilizing non-traditional advertising. 

One of the hardest demos to target these days is  men.  When we were faced with the challenge of targeting men 18-34, we thought outside of the box and used projection advertising, cinema advertising, and in-game advertising.  Based on our research, we know that men are more likely to be going to the movies, playing video games, and attending sporting events versus watching early morning programming or daytime television.   Projectors were placed outside of sports stadiums and in downtown areas busy with nightlife, cinema ads appeared in the summer blockbusters, and ads were served in popular Xbox games like Guitar Hero. 

It is ideas like these that get your brand noticed.  Need help standing out in the crowd?  Brogan and Partners can help you do that.

Long before the world wide web, there have been interactive ads. I remember the Big Mac campaign that had me recite “2 all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce cheese, pickle, onions on a sesame seed bun” first to our Magnavox then to my friends. Any ad can be interactive when it truly involves you and pulls you in to experience it. And for social marketing, involving other human beings to participate and get into what you’re talking about can be a powerful thing. This campaign below for the Children and Adolescent Reference Center, is a powerful use of the magazine medium. It asks you to turn out the light, and reveals what happens in the dark.  Pretty brilliant using glow in the dark ink to communicate a pedophilia message. If this boogey man freaks you out, imagine how a child would feel. Have you seen any cool ads that are interactive without being on a computer screen?

COPY: Turn off the lights and help Annie overcome her fear of the dark.
Pedophilia. You might not see it, but it could be happening. 70% of child abuse cases take place in their own home.

This blog post is #4 in my series of 21 creative social marketing examples.

Bill Bernbach, the legendary  and inspiring founder of Doyle Dane Bernbach, started the creative revolution that changed how people did advertising. He was smart, ethical, funny, thoughtful, insightful and quotable. Infinitely quotable. Really. You have to wonder who followed him around and took down all the terse eloquence left in his wake. It’s dandy somebody did because his words still work. And keep in mind they were said starting in the ‘50s.

Try this:
“You cannot sell (to) a man who isn’t listening.”

Now, there’s a lot written about the current creative revolution: Social Media. Social Media provides interesting new, creative opportunities for talking to people. Social Media is very one-on-one. Very personal. Very instantaneous. Also very congested. How do you get someone to listen? Same way as always. Be interesting to them. I’ll guess you’re getting a lot of messages that you can’t delete fast enough because the sender isn’t talking to you. It’s artless. It’s like they think if they just lay all the merchandise on the sidewalk, the world will flock to them. When I’m doing the searching, I go past what seems to be nothing special to find something exceptional. Something that calls out to me for some reason.

“There is practically nothing that is not capable of boring us.”

Oh boy. Dullness. Yada, Yada. Blah, blah. Everything I always wanted to tell you about me and then my hat and then more about ME. Plus, there’s just so much of everything out there. And between my ADD and the volume of stuff people are vying to get me to read, I’m overwhelmed.  It’s like being in a constant ad blizzard.

“Adapt your techniques to an idea, not an idea to your techniques.”

It’s how you cut through any medium. Think about your products and/or services. What is unique to them will start pointing the way to interesting, fresh, creative ways—ideas, IDEAS!!– to develop a deeper, two-way relationship with your audience. And maybe de-mystify some of how Social Media and any media can work harder for you.

“The magic is in the product.”

Yes. It is. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting opportunities that new (and old) media might have to make your magic interesting to more people. Contact us.

Scary Jawless Lady

With Photoshop being a household name nowadays, everyone seem to be experts at retouching their grandparents old photos or adding some cool glow effect to their love ones picture. It’s like handing cousin Joe a painting pallete to do the Sistine Chapel. Just because you have a paint brush, doesn’t mean you’re Michelangelo. So, you exspect to see bad retouching attempts from family friends, but to see it end up on ads is utterly priceless.

Here’s more, curtesy of Makefive.com, enjoy:

Trigger Finger

Standing on 1 leg

Flipper Arm

Plastic Eye

Handless Swordsman

Diversity Model

Eddie’s Body Double

Beyonce’s Third Arm

I’m not sure what to say about this one,
tight deadline?

If you don’t have something non-traditional in your media mix you may want to re-think your strategy.

As Courtney Walker blogged about 2 weeks ago in “Is Non-Traditional the New Traditional?” people are now expecting bigger, bolder, more interactive and most certainly more innovative.

Television, radio, cable and now online are normal forms of advertising. You need to cut through the clutter and hit your target audience with a wow factor that will keep a long-lasting impression embedded in their brain.

For example if you’re trying to target Women 18+ you might catch them at the mall, shopping.  A perfect non-traditional ad in the mall is not the normal kiosk or backlit posters…but a floor cling.  You will surely grab their attention as they are walking!

We’ve placed a pretty cool “wow ad” as you can see below.  If you’re in need of a cool innovative media campaign that includes non-traditional media in the mix, Brogan & Partners is your agency!

I try to blog about relevant healthcare marketing, current trends or hot topics in the industry, but I thought this heart-felt example of innovative medicine was worth sharing.

Insurance companies are cutting coverage.  Employers are cutting benefits.  Patients are not getting the care that they need.  Nothing will change, unless someone breaks the mold.  Decides, “I can do something about this.” 

Dr. Nick Spirtos, of Nevada, did just that.  He saw patients that couldn’t afford the care they needed and did something innovative.  He opened his “closet” to these people.  He and his partners took on the cases, pro-bono.  He got funds for chemo from the County.  One man – with a unique vision… saving lives.  It’s inspiring, especially in these times. 

Think differently.  Think creatively.  See what happens.

What do Denzel Washington, John Cougar Mellencamp, Queen Latifah and Bill Clinton have in common? They are all alumni of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). All kids wonder what they want to be when they grow up, this advocacy campaign for the BGCA calls kids to BE GREAT in whatever they do. And calls America to help these kids BE GREAT. The American Dream is that you can be whoever you want to be no matter where you come from. This inspiring campaign gives living proof of what is possible for those who dare to dream and believe in themselves. It is a simple concept, masterfully executed, using the power of words and truth.

This blog post is #4 in my series of 21 creative social marketing examples.

In a recent blog post, Laurie Hix explained quite clearly the difference between social media, social marketing and cause marketing.  She’s covered some great social marketing examples and our sister company, Ignite Social Media, has lots of examples of great social media marketing.  But we haven’t talked too much about cause marketing. 

This past weekend, I walked the Michigan Breast Cancer 3-Day.  That’s right 60 miles over the course of 3 days and yes it was pushing 90 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.  Since I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I always support companies that support breast cancer.  I think most people touched by this disease feel the same way.  BTW, I don’t limit my support to breast cancer.  If a company is donating to any charity that’s important to me, I feel they deserve my business. 

As I was walking, I thought about the impact of the recession on charities. (I had lots of time to think about all kinds of things.)  The Michigan Breast Cancer 3-Day raised 4.7 million dollars this year.  Seems like a lot but it’s under 70% of what was raised last year.  They have some great national and some local sponsors too like Superior Ambulance–the 3-Day wouldn’t be the same without them.   

But overall, what’s happening in the cause marketing world and what does the future hold?  Are companies pulling their support in tough economic times and is this a smart marketing move?  I decided to do a bit more research on this topic and found an interesting blog post about the Power of Cause Marketing.  I’m happy to see that consumers feel very strongly about corporate participation with charities.  But I hope the companies continue to see the value.  What if they don’t see an immediate lift in sales? Is brand recognition and brand preference equally as importat today as it once was?  These are tough questions.  I’m quick to buy anything with a pink ribbon but do the masses feel the same way when money is tight?   How can non profits help show for profits the value gained by their relationship?  Post a comment and share your thoughts with me. 

According to the CDC, people visit the doctor an average of 3 times a year. If you’re not a hypochondriac, it’s usually only when necessary. Now it seems you might not even have to leave your house to get the most out of your doctor’s visit.

The E-visit or digital doctor appointment is a new trend. Not only is your own primary doctor privy to your health information, but also specialists who can help you with everyday wellness, preventing you from spending more money at the doctor’s office. Test results can be seen, prescriptions ordered, and tips for dealing with your ailments are provided. Seems like a great idea for those illnesses you just don’t want to drag yourself to the doc for. Or for agoraphobia? Insurance companies, such as BCBS in Florida, Aetna, and Cigna, agree and are starting to cover for e-visits.

Some definite marketing potential here. Private practice docs can differentiate themselves with this convenient visit alternative. Just add it to the menu – shared medical appointments, concierge or digital appointments. Our healthcare division would love to get our hands on this competitive differentiator!

40% of doctors already do communicate with their patients in some way via the Internet. Your doctor visit could be one click away…Would you do it? Tell us what you think.

Don’t waste paper.  Use water sparingly.  We have all heard what we are supposed to do to preserve our planet, but does everyone remember to only take one paper towel when it comes time?  Probably not.

How can we, as advertisers, enforce these helpful tips where they really count?  What do you do when a commercial, billboard or banner won’t suffice?  It is time to turn to non-traditional forms of media.

Hit the target with the message right when they need to hear it.  Please only use one of these paper towels, please throw your garbage right here or please think about what that smoke is doing to you and those around you right now.  I know I would be more likely to give my actions a second thought if I was left without my ‘I forgot’ excuse.

Driving a consumer to have a second thought also makes them feel more accountable for their actions thus making it less likely they will proceed with the unfavorable behavior.

Need help discovering the best way to reach your target? Whether it is a new non-traditional approach or the tried and true traditional tactics, we can help!

They say a stroke is a silent killer. When actually, it can announce itself quite audibly by kicking you in the head, pulling your legs out from under you, messing with your mind, and muffling your cries for help, before it strikes.  There are signs. It’s just most of us are not listening. In fact, reports say 84% of people don’t know all five of the warning signs of a stroke and to call 911 immediately. Last year, our agency worked on a campaign for the North Carolina Department of Human Services to build awareness of the five warning signs. While I do believe our award-winning spots Game Show and Paramedic Mind Reader are a strong example of creative social marketing, I thought I would be unbiased and single out the Ad Council campaign for the American Stroke Association.  I think it really emotionally connects with how a lot of us feel. We may feel something is wrong with us, but often we shake it off and ignore it. We hope it just goes away. God forbid, we postpone our 2:00 meeting to avoid meeting our maker! Warning signs shouldn’t be ignored. This is a creative and humorous way to put it all in perspective.