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It’s inevitable. We stroll the halls of hospitals galore, confident and nonplussed in our role as healthcare marketing professional. We meet the eyes of the gurney-bound and empathize with their plight as we continue to chatter about the newest expansion, brand campaign, or survey results.

Then our turn comes. And boy do things feel different. Your briefcase is replaced with a plastic bag to hold all of your personal belongings, please. Your sense of control melts into nervousness and vulnerability.

In my case, I was in pain, and grouchy from adhering to the “no food, drink or meds after midnght” rule. I glared at every chatty Starbucks-carrying person I saw.

However, I always try to use my patient experiences as learning tools. I become a mystery shopper, trying to notice every touch point (difficult when caffeine and med deprived). The older gentleman who opened my car door was an angel from above, even at 6 a.m., bless his heart. A huge contrast from the check-in clerk, who got through her litany of monotone questions without once making eye contact with me.

Eventually, a bed to lie in! Heaven! Curtains shut and my own nurse who proceeded to accomplish her myriad of tasks (including many redundant questions). I’m not perky at 6:30 a.m. either, but a little personality, maybe an attempt at some light humor, could have eased my nerves. She was nice enough as she completed her duties, while I laid under the warmed blanket meditating, praying, trying to get a grip. But I can’t say we “connected”.  And I can’t say we had to.

Things brightened considerably when my doc appeared. Relief. Comfort. Reassurance. I like her very much, but my emotions escalated to love at this moment in time. “Save me from my pain. Make me myself again”, I pleaded with my eyes. She held my hand, said she’d see me in a few in the O.R. and it would all be over soon.

I didn’t think it could get better until the anesthesiologist arrived . “Well, HI THERE! How are we doing today? I’m just going to give you a little something now to take the edge off — we’ll roll you down the hall to the O.R. –and then I’ll give you more for the procedure.” Call me shallow, but at this moment, after being in uncontrollable pain for weeks, I think I fell in love on the spot. He was an honest man too! Everything he said was true. I love how you can’t remember the procedure. I just don’t understand why he couldn’t come home with me and take care of the post-procedure recovery pain!

My post surgery nurse was all smiles and perky fun. We shared stories (can’t remember what they were) and she made me laugh. I later pondered how this was likely the result of the high Julia, who was feeling no pain. Yet.

Again, an elderly gentleman escorted me ever so tenderly to my car and wished me well. All that and it was only 9:30 a.m.!

Moral of the story: I’m in hospitals all the time and they don’t bother me a bit, but they really aren’t so much fun for the patient. However, the people and caretakers you encounter do make a difference in every little thing they do.

Another suggestion I would definitely make is to bring in that anesthesiologist a little sooner!

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Have you seen the new Tylenol “Feel Better” spot? It caught my attention. Naked body parts of all ages (G-rated) in rare, interesting angles. From an 80-yr. old elbow to a middle-aged stomach, to a turkey-like neck to a yoga move, a stretch, a push-up.

All very real, mostly wrinkled and imperfect, yet all beautiful. Because of the dramatic sepia-like lighting, the soothing music, the flowing copy. “…Nobody knows your body better than you do…You know what parts are strong, what parts are weak…You know what parts feel young, and what parts ache…”

After it catches you emotionally and you’re wondering what this commercial is for, it moves into the harder sell - the differentiating features of Tylenol (working with your body w/o irritating your stomach or interfering with blood pressure meds). The close brings us to the payoff positioning that with Tylenol, you not only feel better physically, you feel better knowing docs recommend Tylenol more than any other pain reliever. A masterful tie to their age-old claim to fame — with a holistic twist.

While flipping through People Magazine at the hair salon (really, it’s the only place I read it!), I was struck by the unique placement of 3 Tylenol full-pg print ads spread throughout the pub. Again, the very real, tastefully shot, sepia-toned naked body parts, which trigger thoughts of the TV. Curious, I looked on their website, and of course, the campaign is successfully converged digitally as well.

It’s hard to break through in the pharma industry and I think Tylenol does a superb job. Check out the commercial below and let us know what you think!

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The recently launched Twin Cities website, Carol.com, puts an interesting spin on healthcare pricing transparency. You can click on a body part, condition or procedure, and voila, a listing of area providers with procedure description and costs. There’s definitely truth to their themeline: “Changing the way you look at healthcare.” But truth be told, I don’t want to look at healthcare this way. Buying it from a menu kinda freaks me out.

I know there’s a healthcare crisis and price transparency is in, but there’s so much more to the purchase decision. Continuity of care. Quality of care. And most importantly, a face-to-face relationship with your healthcare provider. Someone that talks to you, reads your body language, asks some probing questions, gets to the bottom of the issue . Right now, Carol appears to be a work in progress with a very limited listing of services - barely usable from my browsing. But they say there’s a lot of money behind it and it’s being watched by the big guys. Yikes. 

My opinion is it could one day be a useful supplement to the healthcare purchase decision, but in no way a replacement. There is one thing I really like about it — the name. It’s unexpected, memorable, approachable - “like leaning over the fence to get advice from a neighbor.” Cute.  Check it out at www.carol.com and let us know what you think.

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I lost it in Abercrombie. You know the store with all the pre-teen and adolescent clones walking around in Abercrombie-wear amidst loud music, low lights, and large, framed b & w photos of beautiful, perfectly diverse, Abercrombie-clad teens?  My experience changed their “brand image” for me forever. Which is why I’m writing about it, as every marketing person knows negative w-o-m travels 9 times farther than positive.

Really long story somewhat shorter, my 11-year old daughter’s $10 Abercrombie gift card was faulty. After 20 minutes of the machine not working, the PIN number not working, whatever line they called by phone not working, and my usually relatively calm demeanor disintegrating by the minute, I was handed back the card with an ”I’m sorry, there’s nothing we can do,” by a 19-year old Abercrombie clone.  I demanded to speak to the manager. To my horror, I was. She told me I needed to call Customer Service.

Livid, I left the store sputtering (now to my daughter’s horror), “WE WILL NEVER SHOP HERE AGAIN.”

So I called and was greeted by a “Brand Representative” (HA!), with whom I shared my plight. After trying this and that, he too said the dreaded words, “There’s nothing we can do.” Yes, I demanded to speak to HIS manager, and finally, after being put on hold for many minutes, my Brand Representative friend came back with a special PIN number we could use to redeem the gift card. Halleluiah! It only took an hour of my life.

Obviously, it wasn’t the 10 bucks that was eating me at this point - it was the principle.

How much does Abercrombie spend on advertising and brand identity development, only to have that invaluable brand integrity destroyed by inappropriate customer service? My problem should have been solved at the first experience touch point- the retail outlet.

This is called the brand experience and it’s a critical component of any brand. If we take this to the hospital level, there’s a new concept of a “Chief Experience Officer”, responsible for assuring a consistently positive brand experience throughout the entire organization. While superior clinical firsts and onlys are strong differentiators, if a patient has a bad experience with any touch point (i.e. valet parking, phlebotomist, kitchen service), the entire brand is tainted. Hospitals who are embracing this concept are identifying every interaction with every audience and working to exceed experiential expectations. And are thus creating a superior competitive advantage.

It all boils down to our emotions. We remember things by how they make us feel. No matter how much I dislike it, Abercrombie has succeeded in making my daughter feel cool if she wears their name plastered across her body.  So until she outgrows it, I’m gonna have to swallow my pride and go  back in there so my little clone can enjoy her brand experience.

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I was shocked by the research report released this week rating the U.S. DEAD LAST (pun intended) among NINETEEN industrialized nations for “preventable deaths”! PDs are those that could have been prevented by access to timely, effective health care. Heart disease, stroke, cancers, diabetes, bacterial infections, and complications from surgery were the key culprits.

Apparently, you have a much better chance of staying alive if you are French, Japanese or Australian. France rates best with 64 PDs per 100,000 people. Japan is 2nd with 71.2 and Australia is a close 3rd at 71.3. The U.S. trailed at 109.7 PDs.  If we did as well as the Top 3, we’d save 101,000 Americans per year.

As I read on, I realized this data is really not all that startling. It’s all about access — and the 47 million people who lack health insurance. So the message here is not that we have bad healthcare. Just that it’s really bad that so many people don’t have it.

To make matters worse, other countries are improving faster than us. Their numbers have improved over the last ranking, while the U.S. is falling even farther behind.

Makes me think Massachusetts may not have such a bad idea with their mandated health insurance. In MA, health insurance is kinda like car insurance.  You have to have it. You’re penalized if you don’t. Maximum penalty was $219 in 07 and may quadruple to $912 in 08. It seems to be making a difference as 290,000 residents have signed up since the law went into effect 6 months ago. In coming years, it would be interesting to see how MA compares with the rest of the U.S., the other 18 countries, and its past in the PD ranking.

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Mirror, mirror on the wall…what makes us different from them all?

Coming up with a real differentiator in healthcare can be daunting. How do you differentiate from all the other healthcare ads with happy, healthy-looking people doing happy, healthy-looking activites? Or the stethescoped docs looking professional and caring? Or the carefully crafted overmix of high tech with high touch? (I’ve never met a healthcare client who didn’t want both.) 

By taking a long, hard look in the mirror to come up with the most original, unique truth. Just like humans or snowflakes ( I live in Michigan), no two hospitals or health organizations are exactly alike! Which is what makes our lives as healthcare marketing professionals so exciting! We have to don our detective hats and delve for that “first”, “most”, or innovation, whether it’s related to product, volume, research, treatment approach, doctors, nurses, staff, facility, access, price, etc.

After specifying what makes you pleasingly different, it’s time to define the “True Connection”. If that sounds like relationship lingo to you, you’re absolutely right. We can’t just spout features and hope to be heard. The messaging must emotionally connect with our target.

Where I work, no job gets through the door of the Creative Department without a thoughtful definition of the True Connection. Our 1-page creative brief boils down the key strategic facts culminating with this magical statement, which is the basis for communication that is noticed and heard. You worked hard to find it. Be sure your differentiator looks the target right in the eye to make that memorable True Connection.

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How do you distinguish your healthcare event from all the others? Same idea as effective break-through advertising. You must create an emotional connection with your target. Something I thought the Rainbow Connection did very well with its “Celebration of Dreams” event last Sunday night. If you’ve never heard of it, this organization makes dreams come true for very sick children. 120 in 2007, to be exact. With trips to Disney World, Sea World, the Oprah Winfrey Show, whatever the youth desires. One 17 year old yearning for his independence on many levels received a brand new car this year.

There was the typical silent and live auctions, food, drinks and socializing. But what warmed my heart on this chilly evening was the involvement of the Wish Kids in a Fashion Show. Coifed and excited, the 4 to 15 year olds strode proudly down the runway, looking as healthy and normal as can be, their families and supporters cheering them on. We shared a table with one Wish family and when their 7 year old jumped on stage in his Spiderman PJs, there was such pride and joy on their faces. Something the Rainbow Connection is good at creating. This family had just returned from a glorious week in Florida fulfilling their son’s dream of trick-or-treating at Disney World.

From a marketing perspective, the Fashion Show was a brilliant display of the Rainbow Connection’s most positive and differentiating asset: the Wish Kids. The personal touch of the children and their real-life stories created an emotional connection for me. I always knew this was a good cause, but that night I felt it. So what will happen? I will remember the event and the organization in a very positive light. I will spread the word. And I will hug my daughter a little longer when I tuck her in at night.

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In the market for a unique Christmas gift for that hard-to-buy-for Aunt Betty? Well, Highmark (no, not Hallmark) has the answer. The PA-based insurer teamed up with Visa to introduce the first ever Healthcare Gift Card earlier this month. She can use it for whatever suits her healthful fancy - from co-pays for doc visits and scripts to gym memberships and botox. Critics say the fact that there is a market for this card speaks to our inadequate reimbursement and insurance system. The Canadians would be astounded. And I’m sure Michael Moore could have a field day “interviewing” Highmark execs on this topic.

It’s unfortunate that we have to shoulder more of our own healthcare costs, but I for one think this is a grand marketing idea, especially in our gift-obsessed culture. No more Tower of Treats for the Aunt Bettys on my Christmas list. Why not give a gift that can encourage healthfulness, rather than decadence? (Not so sure botox fits that category, but my elderly relatives would never go there…) It could also be a useful gift for college students, low income moms, the “giving tree” at church…and from the looks of him, I think Michael Moore could use a Healthcare Gift Card or two himself!

 What do you think? 

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Half-hour appointments where your doctor actually sits down, looks into your eyes and listens to all of your problems without interruption. House calls. Same-day appointments. Nicer, uncrowded reception areas (not “waiting rooms” as waiting is a no-no). Cell phone and email access to your doc. Even travel to your locale if you become ill or injured while away.

 Do all those competitive advantages seem too operationally good to be true? Well, they aren’t, as long as you don’t mind paying. Concierge medicine, or “boutique” medicine as it’s often called, ranges in an annual retainer fee of $1500 to $20,000. But providers and takers alike are quite taken with it. Concierge docs are so booked, and with satisifed repeat customers, that it’s often hard to get in. Doctors limit their patient load to about 600 (down from typical 2500), allowing them to see fewer, (richer),  patients. They make more. They feel better about life. And so do their patients. Critics argue this will hamper Medicare patients’ ability to find a primary care doctor. Already true in Naples FLA. And less than 8% of med school grads chose family medicine this year, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.  However, the Government Accountability Office issued a report in 2005 stating that concierge medicine was not yet a problem, just something to be monitored.

I think it’s a free country and there is a place for concierge medicine. (It’s why private pay Canadian patients flock to the states to get more immediate care.)  But I also think it’s sad that today’s healthcare system doesn’t allow for these Dr. Welby type amenities to occur naturally. Remember Doc on  Gunsmoke? Okay, I’m dating myself and actually I’m quite grateful doctors are no longer removing those goll-durn bullets with just a swig of whiskey… but does YOUR doctor throw on her boots and ride across town when you have aches and pains? It’s that very personal doctor-patient relationship, the genuine caring, bedside manner, that is truly hard to find. It’s frustrating for both doctor and patient to be rushed through the system. And a shame that what used to be more of a given is now more of a luxury for the privileged few.

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This past Sunday night, I had the honor of being with a lot of really nice people who graced me with really nice memories of my Dad. It was the Michigan Parkinson Foundation’s Annual Cabaret event, a fancy dinner, silent auction and jazz entertainment affair, with a goal to raise $60,000 for this very important cause. My Dad had this cruel disease for 20 years, from the time he was 55, until he died at 75. That’s why I chose this cause to be involved with as the “community involvement” part of my healthcare marketing job.

I talked to many caregivers who so wanted me to give them hope as I relayed my Dad’s story. I tried my best to provide words of encouragement. I saw many tuxedoed older men who are “living with Parkinson’s” (we don’t call them “patients”!) who were probably very tired, yet looking so great! I smiled in remembrance of my father’s composure and strength in battling his disease. I noticed “Dr.” on some name badges and thought how wonderful it was that they cared enough about their patients to attend. I saw many donated auction items by people living with Parkinson’s, their caregivers, and people who are touched by this disease. I said a little prayer for them all, and for my Dad whose struggle with this disease so touched me.  

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Why do I feel so lucky to specialize in healthcare marketing? Simple. Because it’s about people, not widgets. It’s about saving lives. Improving lives. Making a difference. And using my God-given talents towards something of real value.

Not only that, but I find there are many caring, nurturing professionals in the healthcare field who are truly committed to helping others. They inspire me. Then there are the brilliant scientists and physicians pioneering new ways to give people better, longer lives (ok, ok, some could use a few tips in humility, but once you get beyond that, they are far from boring!) You get to build new brain cells daily as you learn about amazing new high tech advancements. And there are other health benefits as you’re always well-informed on the latest and greatest prevention screenings and disease symptoms. (Warning: healthcare marketing is probably not the best field for hypochondriacs!)

I must admit there are some days I feel a twinge of depression as I tour yet another CCU, patients hooked to machines, their families surrounding them in despair. Or worse, witness yet another elderly patient lying painfully alone, staring up at the unchanging ceiling. Of course, I’ll never forget the first time a cute, bald, little pediatric patient was wheeled by me on his way to the MRI. My day was rudely interrupted by involuntary tears rolling down my then oh-so-young marketing director cheeks.

And maybe that says it all. The content of what we communicate about wakes us up. This is about life and death and it reminds us of all that we have. Our health, our kids our parents, siblings, friends. A sunny day, a bubble bath…all those wonderful things in our everyday life that we tend to take for granted. Not so easy when you’re in healthcare marketing! Behind the heartbreaking stories you find heroic healthcare professionals and patients who revive you. I can’t get that emotional lift from marketing home equity loans or cars.

To each her own, but I’m sticking with healthcare. How about you? Why are you in healthcare marketing?

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Dan Heath, coauthor of “Made to Stick”, and Director of Corporate Education at Duke University, was my favorite keynote speaker at the SHMSD conference. Aside from being annoyingly young (!!!), he was funny, full of his own stickiness, and had 4 strong key points (which will save you from having to read the whole book):

1. Break Decision Paralysis.

We all have too many decisions to make. Case in point:       When physicians were given the option of trying new Medication X or doing hip surgery, 47% tried the new med. Give the docs a 3-way decision - either Medication X, Medication Y, or hip surgery and the percentage decreases to 27%.

Another example: He cited a hospital that touts its 11 Core Values. Yes, ELEVEN. ” A hospital with 11 Core Values is like a country with 11 prime ministers!” he cajoled. Much chuckling, then a downward shift of the eyes among the audience…many of us guilty of way too many core values…!

2. Violate a Schema.

He had us close our eyes and imagine a picnic. Hotdogs, hamburgers, plaid tablecloth. Then we imagined a diet - celery, carrots, bland food, hunger pains. This is why the Adkins Diet was such a huge success - it “violated the schema” of a diet.  A California hospital that is marketing its posh, dorm-like rooms is another example of an unexpected schema that is working.

3. Be Concrete.

Be specific and sensory in your description. He quoted hospital websites that use overused, nonwords that mean absolutely nothing to our consumers…”tertiary service areas…best practice guidelines…strategies to enhance the continuum of care.” Yikes.

Even funnier was his match.com example. With thousands competing for attention, how do you stand out? He contrasted two entries. One said, “I can make you laugh.” Another said, “The guy above me is married. The guy below me is a stalker.” Which one is more sticky?

4. Connect Emotionally.

Of course, this is my favorite. We in healthcare are guilty of droning on about the newest high tech, thingamajig cyberknife or 64 CT Slice. His point is that we must first get our audience to CARE, to NOTICE our communication. See how we handled promotion of the DaVinci Robot for our client, The Christ Hospital, below. Consumer benefit and umbrella hospital brand is first. We toyed with including a visual of the robot, but as you probably know, that thingamajig looks so scary and impersonal! Our client was wise enough to keep it out.

All in all, Dan Heath’s talk was worth getting up early for!

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