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!
Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve undoubtedly heard about the launch of Apple’s new ipad. Apple (and everyone else) is touting the new device a cross between the laptop and the iphone. I’m not going to go into the details of the ipad and it’s features and capabilities, however I do want you to think of the advertising capabilities that will be viewable now on the ipad’s large screen and smart interface.
Since the development of the smart phone, app developers have come out of the woodwork to capitalize on these phones’ capabilities. Now, with the larger display size of the ipad, a screen size of 9.7 inches (similar to Amazon’s Kindle), but with 1024X768 Pixel resolution, app developers and rich media moguls are going to be salivating at the potential opportunities that await them. Imagine your ad on someone’s ipad, growing to a size not seen before on a device that has such mobility since the laptop. Imagine your ad animating, growing, moving, talking – persuading the reader In (technological) ways not even devised yet. The ipad doesn’t (yet) have flash capabilities so if you try to view something built in flash you’re going to get the annoying little icon that you’ve seen before on your iphone, however, I’m sure web developers and app makers are going to devise ways around this downfall by deploying messaging in ways that nobody has even imagined yet. I’m imagining that when an ad is viewed on an ipad, the ad will “know” that it’s being viewed on that device and display appropriately. (versus if it’s displayed on a smart phone) That opens up a lot of opportunities to ad builders like myself, and advertisers like you.
I don’t think that the ipad will ever replace the mobility and usability of a smart phone nor replace the effectiveness of mobile marketing. Also the fact that ads on the ipad can be geotargeted will be a huge differentiator from ads served on laptop computers. As an art director I can see many benefits to this new frontier of viewing ads, although the jury is still out whether this device will be a hit or not. Do you see any new opportunities here? Shoot me a quick comment.
I love when I get a social marketing assignment. Because instead of selling capitalism with my creativity (not that there’s anything wrong with that), I get to sell people on the idea making the world a better place. Some of the best creative has come from public service announcements. What makes this campaign for the United Way Toronto special, is that it was not just a brilliant idea, it was brilliantly executed. That takes commitment, passion and know-how. Kudos to the production team that pulled it off (no pun intended)!
If you have any other creative social marketing examples to share, please do!
This blog post is last in the series, 21 creative social marketing examples.
Before becoming a mom, my knowledge of toys consisted of about 3 things: Sit’ N Spin, Big Wheel and Play-Doh. When realizing my dance rendition of Single Ladies by Beyonce and what I feel was a very well-thought out and entertaining reading of “Goodnight Moon” wasn’t quite enough to entertain my toddler for more than a few minutes, I entered a new realm – securing imaginative, stimulating kids toys. A trip to Toys “R” Us for me was comparable to a couch potato running the Boston Marathon. I almost passed out. There was no finish line in sight. I didn’t even break in my sneakers but I did break out in a sweat. I high-tailed it out of the store and headed home and jumped online. How many toy kitchens can there be? Seriously? Hundreds! Pure panic. Until I hit “read customer reviews” and felt immediate calm. Moms, just like me. Ones who have bought the product, took the time to write a review, and were kind enough to share it with millions of online users including little ol’ me. The one that I thought looked the best in the photo had terrible rankings - they had about 5 categories along with side notes, followed by complete reviews. So, thank you Katie from Minnesota, the anonymous grandma from New York, the mom of 3 from Wisconsin for your reviews, and the many more moms who saved my little one from having to endure my somewhat rusty dance skills. I knew which products were flimsy, which ones were hard to put together, seemed too big, and didn’t function well. I ended up with a fabulous Step2 kitchen which I found in stock using the store locator feature. I am no longer green to kids toys. In fact, I’m a rewards member now at Toys “R” Us – and I must say they send great coupons (read Jo’s blog about coupon use)! And really, Step2 has gained a very loyal customer via good feedback from current customers. I have quite a few Step2 products now – like the easel and outdoor climber. Reviews are important. And if your aiming to hit moms, pay close attention to what is said about your products online. Women are the primary purchase decision makers and word-of-mouth goes right to the pocketbook. Make it part of your marketing strategy. And if words aren’t enough, check out some stats in this blog by Robert Gorell, I can only imagine these stats have increased in terms of the power of customer feedback.
I didn’t suggest this first. One of my bosses at DDB said it to me many years ago. I don’t know if it was original to him. (John Noble. A funny, smart, irreverent man who said lots of good stuff. May he rest in peace.) It may have come from Bill Bernbach (May he rest in peace.) who was infinitely quotable and said many things worthy of stitching on a pillow or tattooing on your arm.
It has recently been reported that coupons are on the rise for the first time since 1992. The concept of a coupon dates back to the late 1800s. They gained popularity in particular periods of time including the Great Depression and the advertising glory days of the 1950s and 1960s. Not surprisingly, the latest recession has created increasing demand for paper and paperless coupons. Companies such as Wendy’s and Sam’s Club are experimenting with mobile coupons where cashiers scan coupons on cell phones. Not only convenient but quite eco-friendly, mobile coupons are likely to rise significantly in the next few years as the smart phone market increases. If there is a good app for this, I’m game.
We all did a double-take last week when the formerly-infallible Tiger Woods was involved in a somewhat mysterious car accident outside of his Florida home, followed by seemingly daily allegations of infedility. The notoriously private superstar golfer became fodder for gossip for what is likely the first time in his public life. And speculation ensued - would he lose his sponsorships with Nike, Gilette, TAG Heuer, and others. To date, his sponsors are standing behind him. Based on the popularity surge that many celebrities experience following embarrassing public announcements, that’s probably a good call (fiscally speaking). But I wonder what our reader’s think - should Tiger’s sponsors reconsider, or do they continue to quietly support him through the malstrom?
Not only is it hilarious, but it serves as a healthy reminder to anyone or any company trying to build a brand or a meaningful customer relationship. Reminder - you don’t want to be the guy looking at your own reflection. Bottom line, your marketing efforts won’t work if you don’t know what your consumer wants, needs, feels, desires. How do you figure that out? Do your research. The more you know, the better your outcomes are going to be. Don’t have the budget in this tough economy? Do your own mini focus groups. Just don’t go in blind.
Have you seen any advertising recently that you feel just hit the nail on the head? That just proved the company was really listening and understood what their target was saying? Share it with us.
What is it with miniature and oversized objects that fascinate us? Mini bottles of Coca-Cola, mini cars, mini dogs, the pieces in a game of Monopoly (I always want to be the hat), mini tacos, oh and mini m&ms. Just tiny enough for us to say, “How cute.” On the flip side are oversized objects. They aren’t necessarily ”cute”. But they are unexpected. So, they grab our immediate attention and create a much different connection – such as, “Wow!” Check out how some of the photos below where companies used non-traditional, oversized objects as a form of advertising.
Healthcare. One of Brogan & Partners specialties and what brought me to the internship program. Being an intern at B&P, I was thrown into everyday life right away, which helped me quickly realize what it meant to be in the “account world.” I certainly can say I’ve had real world experience now. Everyday life here is much more exciting than the hit TV show, “The Office.”
As the account management intern, I learned a lot about the wonderful world of advertising. And now that my internship is wrapping up, I thought it might be helpful to share some insights to those that may come next.
Top 5 Insights from a B&P Account Intern:
1. Photo shoots are not all glamour. It may seem exciting and glamorous (it is very cool), but let me just tell you it is a LOT of work and a LONG day. (Especially when it’s an 8 hour shoot at 3 different locations and 90 degrees out!)
2. Communication is key. Learning the way to interact with clients based on their various personalities is important to sustaining a good relationship. It also helps in making sure everything goes smoothly and everyone is happy!
3. Practice makes perfect. Or close to it. The first time I tried binding I messed up. And then I just got better. I can now proudly say I’m the fastest binder in town (or at least at B&P). But this along with everything else I learned all began to come with ease after a bit of practice.
4. Smile often. Sitting by the back door to greet everyone in the morning is underrated. How nice it is to have a steady flow of smiling faces bright and early! It makes the morning much more enjoyable…and brings some joy to my co-workers.
5. New Business is your best friend. When I was first asked to start developing a new business database, I felt a bit out of my element. But after doing a ton of research, finding good new biz opportunities, and helping create the new biz letters, I realized how important the task was. I can’t even tell you how awesome it was when one of the letters I sent helped result in a NEW CLIENT!
Leaving this internship, I’ll take with me a whole set of new skills/experiences, a greater interest in healthcare marketing, and a ton of memories. Will my next job be as challenging and rewarding? Hopefully! Will I enjoy myself as much with the people and environment? Fat chance.
Are you an intern or looking for an internship? What other insights can you share?
My fiancé and I recently started re-drywalling our house. While I trust that he can tear down walls, and lift heavy things, I didn’t feel as confident about his mudding, taping, and actual installation skills. After a long debate he admitted that someone trained and seasoned would be better at doing the job. While it hurt his ego a little bit … the end result spoke for itself.
It’s funny how much the story relates to the lives of healthcare marketers across the world. Many of you deal with a similar issue day-to-day with your internal audiences. Too many of them think they can do your job. I’m sure many of you have received a call from a Dr. saying he didn’t like your recent marketing campaign. And this pretty much sums up the feelings on that ….
So, how do you prove to them that you are the expert and that they can allow you to do what you do best?
Here are a few ways that may help guide you:
Be confident. This is your turf. You have been doing this for x amount of years. You went to school for this. You’ve launched x amount of campaigns that have resulted in a great ROI. Think of it this way, would you trust a doctor that sounded like he was second-guessing his capabilities?
Build a sound strategy. We all know a campaign won’t work if you don’t have a smart, thought through strategy with specific outcomes stated. And remember, no one can argue the right strategy.
Get buy-in. Explain your strategy to those that matter and get their buy-in before you develop a campaign. Meet with them, gather their input and use it to help strengthen your position.
Remind them who the target audience is. Sometimes it’s hard for them to remember that they are not the target audience. It always helps to verbally tell them to take off your “Doctor hat,” and think like the target audience. Then have them ask themselves – does it connect with me, does it breakthrough to me, will it make me take action? After they do that exercise, they tend to get it.
Tout your successes. If a Doctor didn’t talk about her outcomes, how would anyone know she’s a leader in her field? Make sure you shout your positive results from the rooftop. Let them know when your marketing campaign successfully increased web traffic, brand awareness, calls to the call center, etc.
Do you have any more hints? I would love to hear what you have done to help establish yourself and your team as the marketing experts within your healthcare organization.
