November 17, 2010
Almost 90% of Americans who use the internet have gone online to search for health information.
Next to their doctor, Americans depend on the internet more than any other source for health information. And the type of website visited depends on the stage of the
health condition. The MARS Online Behavior Study was recently released and provides a wealth of information about how consumers use the internet as a health resource. The study conducted by Kantar Media reveals that consumers use health information sites more than search engines across all stages of the 40 ailments covered in the study. And the sites most visited are those that offer helpful tools or connect them to a larger community of people with the same condition. Sites that offer access to medical professionals are also generally preferred.
Here are other findings from the report:
- Of the 178 million Americans who go online monthly, 89% have used the internet for health research with the typical user being females under the age of 50.
- The primary reason for going online is to gain general information about a condition (71%) followed by researching specific symptoms (59%).
- 56% stated a healthcare professional recommendation makes a site trustworthy followed by 46% who cited inclusion of academic articles or scientific research.
- 79% believe the internet is very helpful in providing health and wellness information but 74% were very cautious about which sites to access.
For those recently diagnosed with a condition, 77% say they turn to the internet for information second only to 81% who depend on a healthcare professional.
It’s obvious, and no surprise, that the internet is a major source of healthcare information. For healthcare marketers, the challenge is to discover how to tap into this behavior and become a viable source or clearinghouse for Americans who rely heavily on the internet for health information.
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Hospital Advertising, Hospital Marketing, Internet | Tagged: Ad Agency Huntsville AL, Ad Agency Tuscaloosa al, Healthcare Advertising Agency, How Consumers Use Internet for Health Info, Jimmy Warren, Kantar Media, Lori Moore, MARS Online Behavior Study, Nancy Siniard | 
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Posted by Jimmy Warren
October 19, 2010
Americans are watching more, surfing more, texting more and consuming media more! 
Americans continue to consume more and more media. And there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Due to a slow economy, ubiquitous broadband, widespread Wi-Fi access, increased multi-tasking and the proliferation of new devices and technology, consumers are living a lifestyle of almost continuous media consumption. In the past 18 months we watched two more hours of television per week, sent and received half a trillion more text messages and spent 1.3 more hours on the internet. “We’re finding a way to do more of it, watch more of it and take more of it with us”, stated Patricia McDonough, VP-analysis, Nielsen Company.
Beth Snyder Bulik reported in Ad Age some of the latest figures for U.S media consumption.
Television
- 116 million Americans have at least one television
- 55% of households have at least 3 televisions
- There are more televisions than people in the US
- Americans spend an average of 35 hours and 34 minutes per week watching traditional TV
- Another two hours is spent each week watching time-shifted TV, such as DVR
- We spend an average of 20 minutes per week watching videos on the internet
- TV watching is shared with social networking (21%), playing video games (16%), purchasing products online (15%), participating by phone or internet with what’s happening on TV (7%) and tweeting (4%).
Internet
- On an average day, 78% of Americans with internet access go online
- 62% send /receive email
- 49% use a search engine to find information
- 43% get news
- 38% go online for fun
- 38% use social media
- 34% check the weather
- 26% do banking
- 23% watch video
Newspapers
- Only 31% of those surveyed read a newspaper on a given day
- 65 and older – 62%
- 50-64 – 44%
- 40-49 – 39%
- 18-24 – 20%
E-Readers and iPads
- 3.7 million e-readers sold last year
- 10.3 million predicted to be sold this year
- 15.5 million predicted sold next year
- 30 million predicted sold by 2015
- 10 million American’s either already own an iPad (2.5 million) or intend to buy one (7.4 million)
Mobile Phones
- In 2009 there were 286 million wireless subscribers
- 72% of consumers now text
- There are 153 billion texts sent each month
- Teens send and receive an average of 50 texts per day – adults an average of 10
- 42% use their cell phones to access the internet
- 30% do mobile search
- 27% download apps
- 26% use it for buying products
- 15% use their cell phone to purchase products
Social Media
- Linkedin has 75 million members
- Twitter has 100 million members
- Facebook has 500 million members
- 40% of Americans maintain a social-networking profile
- 86% of adults 18-24 use social media
- 47% of boomers use social media
- 26% of adults over 65 use social media
It is clear that Americans consume an enormous amount of media. And it continues to increase. These figures vividly show the power and influence of the media. They are tools, when used wisely, that can deliver our messages to consumers.
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Posted by Jimmy Warren
September 21, 2010
Social media is not the answer to marketing woes. But a strong, strategic plan is. 
“TGIF” – that’s Twitter, Google, the Internet and Facebook. And listening to some people you might get the impression the answer to every marketing problem is one or all of the above. We just need to use these four tools, use them more often, invest more money and resources in them and we will become the market leader. There is no doubt these four revolutionary developments have forever changed how we market products and services. But are they the answer to all our marketing issues?
I think not! As powerful and effective as these mediums can be, they are not at the core of what makes brands strong. The most important thing is an effective marketing strategy. Without it, no combination of TGIF can resurrect a bad brand or sustain a good one. Al Ries, chairman of Ries & Ries effectively made this very point in an article in Ad Age. He emphasized that better strategies, not better weapons, win wars. And he gave some compelling examples.
Linen N Things didn’t go bankrupt because it didn’t effectively use Twitter. It went bankrupt because it was a knock off of Bed Bath & Beyond and never differentiated itself from the market leader.
DHL didn’t pull out of the U.S. market because it didn’t buy enough AdWords from Google but because it was the No. 3 brand in a category dominated by UPS and FedEx.
Kmart didn’t go bankrupt because it couldn’t figure out how to use the internet to promote the brand. Rather it went bankrupt because it was caught in no man’s land between low cost Wal-Mart and the high end Target.
Coca-Cola didn’t fail in 3 attempts to build a leading energy drink brand (KMX, Full Throttle and Tab) because it didn’t have a Facebook page but because it waited too long after the launch of Red Bull.
The point is obvious. While TGIF are useful, effective and should be important elements in most marketing campaigns, they will not compensate for a bad marketing strategy. As Ries states, “what wins wars are better strategies.” We sometimes spend a lot of time analyzing and utilizing Twitter, Google, the Internet and Facebook and not nearly enough time developing a strong effective strategy. Without a good strategy, no medium will be effective. With an effective strategy, just about every medium can be effective.
Let’s do the hard work. Let’s focus on our brand strategy. Then we will be prepared to choose the appropriate tactics to win the brand wars.
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4 Comments | Hospital Advertising, Hospital Marketing, Internet, Social Media | Tagged: Ad Age, Advertising Agencies in Alabama, Advertising Agencies in Tuscaloosa, advertising agencies that specialize in healthcare, advertising agencies that specialize in hospital marketing, Al Ries, Alabama, Facebook, Google, Huntsville, Internet, Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, Nancy Siniard, Ries and Ries, Ries.com, strategic marketing plan, strategic socila media plan, TGIF, Tuscaloosa, Twitter | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
September 20, 2010
When a brand is under attack, the reaction is honest and clear communication.
Nestle is one of the latest brands that has come under attack on social media sites. Recently, Greenpeace released a video of a guy eating a Kit Kat and dripping blood from his mouth onto his computer. The tagline was “Give Orangutans A Break” which is a takeoff of Kit Kat’s branding line. The beef was that Nestle purchases palm oil from sources that destroy rainforests.
The video was effective. It started a deluge of complaints. And Nestlé’s response angered consumers even more. And as the harassment intensified, Nestle went quiet. Not the best response. In reaction to Nestlé’s bungling of the situation, Marketing Profs offered a few pieces of good advice:
1. When people attack, don’t see it as a siege. Rather view it as a desire to trust your brand again. People want to eat a Kit Kat without feeling guilty.
2. Be open and honest. Nestle has stated they will try to be 100% sustainable by 2015. Other than that, Nestle has been quiet. Worse, people don’t feel the company is doing its best to remedy the situation. Especially in the face of Cadbury giving up palm oil in 2009 in a few weeks following similar protests.
3. Show your human side. When things go wrong, it’s okay to share your mistakes, regrets and your desire to address the issue(s).
Every brand faces problems and difficulties from time to time. And in today’s environment social media networks will air the problems and perhaps follow it up with a wave of complaints. The social-media seas can be stormy ones. An honest, open and sincere response is generally the best way to navigate the storm.
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Posted by Jimmy Warren
August 7, 2010
Unhappy customers are often finding that using social media sites to complain gets faster and better results than ordinary customer service venues.
A disgruntled JetBlue customer was slapped with a $50 fee for checking a box containing a fold-up bicycle, clothes and some cheese. The box met the height and weight requirements for free baggage but JetBlue’s policy for checking a bicycle called for a $50 fee. The angry customer called the airline’s customer service center but was repeatedly told the fee was company policy and there were no exceptions. But then the customer went online to social media sites and complained. It was soon on Twitter and within three days JetBlue called the cyclist to tell him his $50 charged had been reversed.
In the past, a customer complaint was handled usually with a phone call or maybe by email and the matter in question was handled either satisfactorily or unsatisfactorily. It was done quietly and just between the customer and the company. But now, consumers have at their disposal, social media. Now a dissatisfied customer can let the world know about his complaints. And companies now monitor those online comments and in their desire to stop the flow of bad blood and demonstrate their responsiveness will quickly satisfy an angry customer. Companies are much more likely to give a favorable response to a customer who has broadcast his complaint over the internet than one who follows the traditional lines of customer service.
Michael Bush addressed this issue in an article in Ad Age. He cited the above incident as an example of how companies are training customers to take their complaints to the web. He concludes that those who publicly flog a company on the internet by using social media get faster and better resolution to their issues.
He quotes Pete Blackshaw, EVP of Nielsen Online Digital Strategic Services. “The consumer sees two completely different faces, and ultimately that kills credibility, erodes equity and more.” As a defensive measure brands are much more likely to favorably satisfy a customer complaint that comes through the web than through traditional means and that is creating a huge credibility problem with the brand.
Perhaps companies are training consumers to whine about them on the web. Why shouldn’t they? They get a quick and favorable response. But that is a dangerous precedent. Complaints that come through traditional customer service channels should receive the same treatment as those that appear in social media. Otherwise we are inviting unhappy consumers to take their dissatisfaction to the web. It’s much better to address and resolve consumer (and patient!) issues in private through traditional customer service channels than to be unresponsive and read about it, on the internet. Along with the rest of the world.
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Posted by Jimmy Warren
May 19, 2010
Facebook has surpassed Google as the most visited site in the US.
Facebook had flirted with it on several previous occasions. Facebook was the most visited site on Christmas Day, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. And Facebook took the top spot during the weekend of March 6th and 7th. But according to Hitwise, the week ending on March 13 was the first full week Facebook was the most visited website.
And to indicate Facebook’s rapid growth, the marketshare of visits to Facebook.com increased 185% over the same week in 2009. While Google’s increase was only 9%. Facebook.com and Google.com accounted for 14% of all US internet visits during the week.
Until recently no one could conceive of any site taking over the top spot from Google. It is quite remarkable that Facebook has done just that. It is yet additional proof of the popularity and power of social networking.
And it emphasizes that any healthcare marketing strategy must include serious consideration of social media. Despite the fears, pitfalls, worries and concerns healthcare marketers have for social media, it cannot be ignored. There is just too much traffic and too much engagement on Facebook to dismiss.
Of course participation on Facebook by a brand is not necessarily easy. Just to be there is not sufficient. The nature and use of the social media site requires marketers to use different strategies. It requires engagement, conversation and participation. It also requires brand confidence and perhaps some courage too.
But when done right, the rewards can be significant. Marketers are trained to go to the marketplace…where the consumers are. And they are certainly gathering on Facebook.
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Posted by Jimmy Warren
May 18, 2010
Research helps identify how to make banner ads more effective.
Dynamic Logic measured ad effectiveness for 4800 web banner campaigns and found that size is not an important factor in whether a banner ad was effective. In Abbey Klaassen’s article in Ad Age, she offers a few tips from Dynamite Logic’s research for making online banner ads more effective.
1. Simple flash is overused. Better choices are rich media with video. For every branding goal Dynamic Logic studied, simple Flash performed the weakest.
2. Try to avoid ads that border content. Those are the banner ads that are most easily ignored.
3. Publishers should consider mixing up ad placement from page to page. By placing the same ad formats in the same place on every page, consumers become trained to avoid the ads.
4. Not all attention is positive. Avoid flashing, blinking or annoying ads
5. Ads that cover content and don’t have a “skip” or “close” button are by far, the most annoying formats.
These tips are helpful in trying to maximize a hospital’s effectiveness using web banner ads. The internet is where people are. Hospital marketers should be there too. But they must pay special attention to the research to learn best practices.
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Posted by Jimmy Warren
March 20, 2010
The internet is now used more than newspapers and radio as the source of news for Americans. And how they receive the news is now more from mobile phones and social media. 
According to a study by the Pew Internet and Life Project, Americans have significantly altered the way they get news. The most popular news sources are still national and local television. But the internet has now surpassed newspapers and radio as a source for news. Sixty percent of the respondents indicate they get news through the web.
The study found that sixty percent of Americans don’t have a single source for news. About half of the respondents access news from four to six sources in a single day. “They seem to access news when the spirit moves them or they have a chance to check up on the headlines”, stated the report.
Cecilla Kang, in an article in the Washington Post , cited from the report that described news consumption as “portable, personalized and participatory”.
- 33 percent get news from mobile phones
- 28 percent have a customized home page with news feeds
- 37 percent have posted, linked, shared or commented on news stories on Facebook and other social networking sites.
The report also states the landscape continues to change with the internet and social networking increasingly becoming the preferred choice for getting news.
As hospital marketers seek to effectively communicate our messages to the media and the public, it’s clear that old strategies will not suffice. We must update our methods and develop new strategies that encompass the habits and behaviors of consumers.
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Posted by Jimmy Warren
March 17, 2010
Even though The Mayo Clinic has an extremely strong brand, they are not conservative when it comes to their participation in social media. In fact, they are just the opposite.
The Mayo Clinic is one of the strongest healthcare brands with an incredibly strong reputation. So some would argue they should be conservative and not risk their brand to social media and it’s potential pitfalls. Well the Mayo Clinic feels completely differently. Mayo is heavily involved in social media. In fact, they are one of healthcare industry’s leaders in social networking.
Examine their participation:
- Facebook – More than 13,000 fans and used as a forum to distribute content and provide a venue for conversation and patient input.
- YouTube Channel - Over 600 videos that have been viewed 1.5 million times. Most of the videos provide patient education and patient testimonials.
- Blogs and Podcasts - For consumers, researchers and physicians.
- Twitter - Over 24,00 followers.
Stewart Gandolf referenced Mayo’s acceptance of social media in a a recent blog and gave Mayo the following credits:
- It’s gutsy. They are confident in their brand to put its reputation on the line.
- It’s realistic. Consumers will be having conversations about Mayo. Now Mayo can join in those conversations.
- It’s brand building. Mayo is a leader in everything they do.
- It sells. There is a call to action (“To request an appointment”) on their Facebook page.
Many healthcare marketers are wondering if they should subject their brand to the dangers of social media. And if they should put their brand at risk by providing a forum for consumer-driven conversations. No one has more to lose than the Mayo Clinic. Yet they are leading the way and using social networking tools to enhance their brand even more. Maybe more of us should follow the leader.
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Posted by Jimmy Warren
March 6, 2010
With the increased penetration of smart phones, consumers are becoming more and more dependent on their cell phones for just about every form of communication. 
This presents opportunities for companies, hospitals and brands to market themselves to consumers.
Over 82% of Americans now own a cell phone. And 60% of those phones are less than a year old. The increase in smart phones is growing exponentially. And smart phones are equipped with more and more communication and information options. Soon the cellphone will be used for almost all forms of communication and information gathering – texting, emailing, internet search, GPS, electronic coupons, and more.
Consumers are connected to each other and the world via their cell phones. This creates opportunities for brands to market themselves to consumers via mobile marketing. One of the compelling advantages for mobile marketing is its omnipresence. Frank Powell recently discussed omnipresence as one of the advantages of mobile marketing in an article in Mobile Marketer. He cites that mobile phone users are within arm’s reach of their phone 90% of their waking hours. And much of this time is when other media are not available. Mobile phones are not location-centric but are person-centric. They are where the owner is.
Powell cites in his article two main reasons why mobile marketing can be so powerful
1. Customers can always be reached.
2. Customers can almost always be interrupted.
Although the invasive nature of cellphones cause heartburn for many people, it is a medium that cannot be ignored. Just as social media has begun to be included in hospital’s marketing plans, we must turn our eyes to mobile marketing and be ready to take advantage of the unlimited opportunities it will offer. Never before has there been a medium that is so ever-present with our customers and patients. And there has never been a medium upon which our customers and patients have been so dependent.
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Posted by Jimmy Warren
health condition. The MARS Online Behavior Study was recently released and provides a wealth of information about how consumers use the internet as a health resource. The study conducted by Kantar Media reveals that consumers use health information sites more than search engines across all stages of the 40 ailments covered in the study. And the sites most visited are those that offer helpful tools or connect them to a larger community of people with the same condition. Sites that offer access to medical professionals are also generally preferred. 
