When I was a kid, I remember seeing schoolteachers out and about (i.e., store, restaurant) and just couldn’t believe it.  What?  They let them out of the school?  Shouldn’t they be in the classroom – clapping erasers, reading the dictionary or putting the border on the bulletin board?  It was hard to imagine them as everyday folks doing everyday things.  I find I do that with physicians.  Shouldn’t mine be at the office – reading scans, looking through a microscope or discovering cures?  Nope.  Turns out they get to lead normal lives too.  And boy do they.  A study from Manhattan Research found 64% of physicians own smartphones and that this number is expected to rise to 81% by 2012.  And can you find them updating their status on Facebook?  Yes, 88% of them have visited the site.  But, odds are you won’t find them tweeting – with about 16% of them using Twitter, which is a bit less likely than the U.S. adult population at large. 

As a recent advertising graduate, I can honestly say that one of the most influential books that I’ve read in the past year was not a textbook on advertising but instead, The Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation by Frans Johansson.  Those who have heard of this book or had the pleasure to have read it understand why I believe this book reinforces the basic reason why most of us enter the field of advertising.  We all have ideas, perspectives, creative minds, or experience that has led us to believe that we would best be suited in an innovative and always evolving atmosphere.

In the Medici Effect, Johansson discusses how merging two completely unrelated fields produces breakthrough innovations that come together when old ideas intersect to create entirely new thoughts and perceptions.  This book not only discusses how to find such intersections but also gives real life examples of how some of the biggest ideas have come from some of the most unexpected places.

In the advertising world, generating new ideas for our clients and thinking of innovative ways to get a message across are consistently things we are trying to improve and conceptualize.  As Johansson points out, “creation comes from a combination of different concepts in a unique fashion and it is difficult to trace the origin of insight,” (p.67).  I think that as a person in advertising, I need to be open to new ideas no matter where or whom they come from in order to continue to grow and succeed in my profession.  After a while, people tend to build up associative barriers that can hinder their willingness to keep an open mind.  For example, this book has pushed me to be more open to experiencing new things when choosing what I eat, how I spend my free time, the places I visit, and even the acquaintances that I make along the way.  The Medici Effect urges people to interact with the unfamiliar. It is about breaking down old barriers and becoming submersed in new atmospheres, diverse people, and assorted occupations to come up with a truly new idea.

We’re currently developing a hospital branding campaign for one of our newest clients, Otsego Memorial Hospital (OMH).  It’s a community hospital located in Gaylord, MI, a beautiful city famous for it’s skiing and amazing landscapes.  Which brings me to the question, how do you brand a community hospital?

As healthcare marketing and branding experts, we’ve seen one of the most common and greatest obstacles many community hospitals are faced with is how to re-position themselves in the community.  Most already know the hospital name, they know the location, but they are stuck in the mentality that the only thing the hospital can handle is a broken arm.  When in reality, community hospitals are more than just that now.  They are stepping up to their game; hiring leading specialists and providing more comprehensive services.

Below is a community hospital brand campaign example from Danbury Hospital in Connecticut:

Their campaign goal was similar to many community hospital goals: convince consumers to look past their old-time preconceptions and see the hospital as a high-care provider.  The imagery is a nice blend of humanity and high-tech and so far, the brand campaign results deem it pretty successful.

As a team, we’re having a lot of fun working on the concepts for OMH and I look forward to sharing them with you in a few weeks.  I will also share some insight on how and why we recommended the strategy used to develop the campaign and continue to update on its success.

In the meantime, have you seen or created any powerful community hospital brand campaigns?  I would love to see them.

As with most people, I have zero patience for slow drivers during my morning commute. So while following the line of cars passing the offending driver this morning, I was fully prepared to give the stink eye… until something caught my attention.

Ok, I lied, two things caught my attention. First, the vehicle was wrapped in an advertisement for a weight loss product and second, the driver’s reason for going under the speed limit? He was texting!

This got me thinking (shock!). Does the behavior of the driver affect potential consumers’ feelings towards a brand?

In my marvelous morning mood (say that 3x fast), I immediately disregarded the brand, I can’t even recall the name of the product. I felt as if the driver was a reflection of it, just as a salesperson would be. If they could hire someone so unsafe on the road, how were they capable of making a safe product?

So I ask, should an advertiser make sure they have a superb driver before wrapping a vehicle? Or does this not have an impact on the effectiveness of an ad?

Well you aren’t alone; I myself was one of those lucky graduates who was sent into the real world jobless. Many college seniors and recent graduates are on the lookout for a job in Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations and Communications and are stuck in a rut. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has some promising news to share. Employment in media communications fields is on the rise slowly but surely. Does this mean you can sit back and wait for your dream job to fall out of the sky into your lap? No of course not, but if that works let me know. So how do you go about landing the dream position? Well in one word, ENTHUSIASM.

If you stay positive and motivated that’s the key to getting a gig you love. And if you are one of those college seniors or recent graduates seeking something in these fields go off and show your skills as you are applying! If you are applying for a job in marketing do something to differentiate yourself and show that you can MARKET yourself. If you are seeking a creative position at an ad agency do some research on their big clients, if you know you will be working on the McDonald’s campaign why not submit your resume in a “Happy Meal” box? That means get to thinking, develop a brand image for yourself and make it noticeable so employers will have to meet the mind behind that brilliant resume.

Just in case you haven’t been told by every college professor, your parents, friends and the random guy at the coffee shop, you must NETWORK! Okay, go to career fairs, ask dad to talk to his colleague but it also means whenever you meet someone mention you are on the hunt and you never know their Uncle Andy may have a job opening at his PR firm that just happens to be awesome for you!

Now go out there and get that job that will actually make you want to get out of bed before noon!

Through my work in organ donation healthcare marketing over many years, I have learned that organ donation is a topic that people either don’t want to think about - or one that is near and dear to their hearts. I fall into the latter category. You can’t hear the life-changing stories from organ recipients and families of organ donors and ever be the same. Which is why I’m so excited about the opportunity to use social media tools to extend the Donor Drive 2010 message for our long-time client, The Gift of Life Michigan.

Part of the problem with getting people to sign up has been getting them to take the time to register online (btw, just signing your driver’s license is not enough!). Hence, this quick-read, yet multi-functional microsite is designed to make it VERY simple. The widget allows you to sign up right there. You can share the widget via Facebook and Twitter. Email messages can be sent to family and friends letting them know you’ve just registered and encouraging them to follow suit. You can see the total count of registered donors, even by county. Compelling recipient and family donor video testimonials and opportunity to share your own organ donation story provide the emotional connection to seal the deal.

It’s only been a couple of weeks and already over 5000 widget impressions and over 125 widget installs. Help share the gift of life. Sign up on the widget below and share the widget.

And know that you’ve made a difference. Just one donor can save or improve the lives of 50 people. And there are thousands in Michigan just waiting for your help.

Let us know your thoughts on this social media strategy and any other successful cause social media strategies you’ve used.

Social Media and the Olympics combine to form the Twitter Olympics 2010.  How amazing is this, athletes providing behind the scenes comments and photos that only the most elite competitors have ever been able to experience.  But of course there is a catch with all of this, four pages of catches. According to Eddie Pells, the International Olympic Committee released an addendum that says blogs are permitted, so long as they are diary-like in nature, don’t include live action or ceremonies and don’t give “newsy” updates, such as injury reports or information about rivaling countries.  The athletes can only report from a first person perspective , which has caused some confusion, and they can’t display any photos that include any of the sporting events taking place. 

So what does this mean for the Olympics?  Will the popularity of the Olympics increase because athletes are twittering about what is going on behind the scenes?  Or is the information too restricted?  Will you be more inclined to tune in because Shaun White is twittering about the weather?

Healthcare marketers are often challenged with to how to participate and ultimately lead health conversations through social media channels. In this highly regulated market, even marketers armed with great social strategies can find that they face seemingly insurmountable barriers thrown up by administration and information technology departments.

So how can you become part of the conversation when the thoughts you express could create a liability or privacy concern for your organization? Here’s one idea: borrow third party expertise. Turn the conversation away from your organization, your doctors, your services, and tap into some of the rich public health resources available online.

Why not get familiar with the major public health research publications such as Environmental Health Perspectives (fd: Brogan & Partners publishes and markets EHP on behalf of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences). Stay ahead of the competition when it comes to understanding the major health concerns of today and tomorrow by commenting on the research or news provided by these publications and the esteemed researchers that contribute to them. You can then draw connections back to your service lines as a way of providing additional information.

You’ll appear smarter and better informed while fostering a feeling of goodwill among consumers because your organization is taking the time to help them understand how to live healthier lives. Got other ideas on how to insert your organization into the social sphere while limiting exposure? We’d love to hear them!

Is traditional going to become non-traditional media?  Well it seems that the ever-evolving social media is the latest and greatest form of marketing and advertising.  Newspaper is close to extinction, TV and cable spots can be fast-forwarded and people are tuning into satellite radio.
I went to MSU’s career fair earlier this week.  All the students were familiar with social media and a few of them seemed to have a better grasp on it than others.  What I’m really trying to say is -  it should become a staple class among advertising college courses today.  And it should be integrated into media buying courses as well.
I know it changes daily  - but that’s the purpose of classroom discussions.  Keeping it fresh!

During the Mad Men hiatus I use cable on demand for episodes I missed or want to see again.  A recent one showed a secretary being hit on and verbally swatted by a group of tipsy account guys.  She walked away with personal dignity; but how did she come back day after day to face the same people and the potential of the same humiliating treatment?  Remember that this TV show takes place in the early ‘60s before there were any sexual harassment laws, before there was any consciousness of the corrosive effect on women’s careers.

Not only was a woman personally degraded by sexual harassment but her career was also degraded.  Who can rise in an organization, who can become a leader if she is seen as a victim, as a potential plaything instead of any type of professional?

These days things are quite different in most workplaces thanks to activists and feminists of the recent past.  However for many men and for some organizations treating women fairly is not done out of a raised conscience but only because of the raised cost of violating new legal standards.

Many organizations continue to diminish women even if they keep to the letter of harassment and equal opportunity laws.  Let’s look at the largest and most influential groups in the world—the Catholic Church.  Women cannot take any post of meaningful leadership, as they are not able to be priests.  And why is this?  Certainly there is no commandment from God or proclamation by Jesus on this subject.  It is simply that the men of the church do not want to share the power and the riches.  And sadly there is no legal, moral or societal pressure to make them share it.  Which not only keeps women out of that workplace, it fosters that attitude of women as “less than” and second class.  And directly results in policies that are contrary to the best interests of so many women.  Birth control except for the unreliable rhythm method is still completely prohibited for anyone for any reason.  As is abortion.

Of course, Mad Men hasn’t got into ecclesiastical gender politics; but it clearly and powerfully shows the historical position of women in the corporate workplace.   And it makes me  feel really good about all the positive changes.  And makes me a raving mad woman about all the organizations, people, attitudes that are still wallowing in the patriarchies of the past.

Maybe it’s the New Year that making me nostalgic, maybe it’s my upcoming wedding … not sure exactly, but something has got me reminiscing.  Funny that during this time, I saw an influx on Twitter about old-school advertisements, and ran by a nice photo homage dedicated to vintage healthcare ads.  Looking through the images, I am amazed to see how much the healthcare advertising rules have changed.  Take this ad for example:

The copy reads, “For prompt control of senile agitation.  Thorazine.  Thorazine can control the agitated, belligerent senile and help the patient to have a composed and useful life.  Can you imagine being a pharmaceutical company and running this print ad now?  The AARP would be outraged!

Not sure if the changes are good or bad though, I feel like now as healthcare marketers, we have to walk such a fine line.  What do you think?