February 10, 2011
Baby Boomers who provide care for aging parents are heavier users of social media than boomers in general.
Baby boomers are embracing social media. Faster than any other segment. According to Pew Internet the number of 50-plus who use social networking sites grew 88% during the past year. Now practically half of the adults over 50 regularly use social media. In the more narrow 50-65 age group its almost three fourths. Healthcare marketers are learning that social media can be a very effective way of reaching and connecting with baby boomers.
But those boomers who are caregivers to aging parents are even more likely to embrace and use social media. Age Lessons partnering with Comscore found that approximately 15.5 million of the 78 million boomers are caregivers. They are split 60/40 female to male and the level of care ranges from daily phone check-ins to live-in help.
As reported by Matt Carmichael in Ad Age these boomer caregivers use social media an average of 150 minutes a month and view 70% more pages than average internet users. They are dependent on social networking sites for information because they have so little time for other types of socializing. Their free time is limited and they are often restricted by the demands of caring for their parent(s). It is often the easiest and fastest way to stay connected with family and friends. They also use social media to validate and reinforce their feelings by finding others in similar situations and communities that provide support and encouragement.
The study also found this group is more likely to use the internet to find information, conduct research and make purchases. The top sites for boomer caregivers are Facebook with a 91% reach, Amazon with 76% and Wal-Mart at 41%. Twitter has 21% reach.
These caregivers are important influencers and decision-makers for not only their own immediate family’s health concerns but also for their parents. This makes this group especially important to healthcare marketers.
Marketing to niches can be very effective. They are more easily identifiable and the message can be very focused. The use of social media, especially Facebook – whether in the form of a page or ad, can be extremely useful tools reaching this key demographic.
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Hospital Advertising, Social Media | Tagged: Ad Age, Ad Agency Huntsville, Ad Agency Southeast, Ad Agency Tuscaloosa, Advertising Agency Alabama, Advertising Agency South, Age Lessons, boomers use of social media, Comscore, elderly use of social media, healthcare advertising, healthcare marketing, Hospital Advertising, Hospital Marketing, Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, Matt Carmichael, Nancy Siniard, Pew Internet | 
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Posted by Jimmy Warren
January 30, 2011
The strongest brands are the ones that hold a consistent marketing message year after year after year. 
In marketing we like to tinker. Tinker with ideas, messages and positioning. Update the logo, change the commercial, freshen the copy, etc. And sometimes we make wholesale changes. Tinkering is necessary from time to time but unless our brand position is entirely flawed it rarely needs major changes. It’s not uncommon for brands to make radical changes year after year. We somehow think changes are necessary. But are they really?
Take Fed Ex as an example. They positioned themselves as the overnight carrier. Remember, “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight”? They branded that message in our brains. There was no doubt who they were and what they stood for. As a result they became very successful. Can you tell me what their brand position is today? What do they stand for? Why did they think they had to change from that brand position? They were highly successful, why did they need to change? If you’re like me, you remember their initial brand position and the funny television spots that supported it. I can’t tell you any of the various other brand statements they’ve had since. In my mind they are still the overnight carrier. That is still their market advantage regardless of all the other positions they’ve tried to take over the past decade.
Remember “Pizza. Pizza.” I bet you can tell me what brand is associated with that positioning statement. Little Caesars. They had a simple brand position: two pizzas for the price of one. With it they rose out of obscurity and became the number two pizza chain in America. What is their brand statement today? And what is their market position today? As Al Ries outlines in an article in Ad Age, Little Caesars evolved from that one simple concept to trying to be other things with multiple brand messages. They emphasized delivery and then “Big” pizza and abandoned the “Pizza. Pizza.” message. Now, Little Caesars’ sales have declined 42% and they’re a distant fourth in market share. They had a simple, solid concept and a strong brand message. But they felt the need to change it. Can you tell me what their positioning is today?
There are many other brand examples that could be cited but the point is clear I think. Those brands that have a strong and effective brand position and stick to it usually become stronger. But brands get tired of their position. The market says they need to change and evolve. Marketers feel like they need to change to justify their jobs. And so we change for all the wrong reasons. And more often than not, we end up with multiple and diluted messages and no strong brand position.
Sure, sometimes market situations require a change. But not nearly as often as we think. Can you say Fed Ex could have a more powerful message today that “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight”? Or that Little Caesars could have a more relevant message in the marketplace than “Pizza. Pizza.” – two pizzas for the price of one?
For brands, change for change sake is not a good thing. For healthcare marketers, we need a strong message, a story that resonates with the consumer, a brand with a promise. And we need to stick to it. Continuity ad consistency with one simple, and powerful message will make our brand grow stronger and stronger over time. We must resist the change for change sake.
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2 Comments | Branding, Hospital Advertising, Hospital Marketing | Tagged: Ad Age, Ad Agency, Ad Consistency, Ad Contiuity, Al Ries, alabama ad agency, Changes in Marketing, Cici's Pizza, Consistent Marketing, Fed Ex, huntsville ad agency, Jimmy Warren, Little Caesar's, Lori Moore, Nancy Siniard, Pizza Hut, South Ad Agency, Southeast Ad Agency, tuscaloosa ad agency | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
January 30, 2011
After receiving resistance to their new logo, Gap went back to the old logo. Did they overreact? 
After undoubtedly a series of focus groups and extensive research, Gap decided it needed to change its logo. They wanted a more contemporary look that was current but yet honored its heritage. A tremendous amount of research and work went into developing the updated logo. So Gap introduced it’s new logo on it’s website. But four days later reversed the decision and returned to their original logo.
The change occurred because consumers took issue with the new mark and voiced their disapproval using various social networking sites. The reaction was strong and fervent. So four days later, Gap president Marka Hansen announced the logo change was being rescinded and the company was returning to the original logo.
Many people praised Gap for listening to its customers and paying attention to their concerns. And for responding rapidly and answering the consumers’ requests. It’s the way marketing works today. Consumers are in control. They voice their opinions and solicit others in the network to join the crusade. And a company is highly regarded for listening to consumers and responding to their concerns and wishes. Everything you read about marketing today would affirm that GAP did exactly as it should.
Maybe that’s true. But maybe not. Was all the research conducted by Gap about their logo just wrong? Was it bogus? Did the resistance merit abandoning the new logo? Were those complaining brand loyalists? Would those who resisted the change stop buying Gap clothing? Is it no longer strategically important to update the logo for the future?
A survey commissioned by AdAge and conducted by Ipsos Observer found that 80% of consumers had no idea the logo had changed. Is it possible to put too much emphasis on consumer social networking responses? Do consumers know what is best strategically for a company’s future success? Are consumers always right? What happens when Gap someday raises prices to remain economically feasible and they meet resistance in social media? Do they sacrifice the company’s financial health because some consumers express dissatisfaction?
This real life example raises questions about how much influence unsolicited consumers should have on your brand. I don’t have all the answers. I commend Gap for listening and responding to consumers. That’s the value of social media. But I also cringe somewhat because they caved to the wishes of a relatively small amount of consumers. I wonder why some opinionated consumers who didn’t like the new logo trumped all the research that had indicated an update was needed.
Healthcare marketers should listen to consumers. They should be responsive to consumer feedback and input. But should they forsake research findings and strategic planning for the wishes of a small percentage of customers? I know social media experts say we should respond quickly to consumer complaints but I would have liked to have known who the complainers actually were (consumers or non-consumers) and if they were consumers who would have stopped buying Gap products because of the logo change.
Social media is helpful and exciting. But should it hijack and derail strategic planning that’s based on solid research? It’s a serious dilemma and deserves further consideration and study.
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2 Comments | Hospital Marketing, Internet, Social Media | Tagged: Ad Age, Ad Agency, Advertising Agency Birmingham, Advertising Agency Huntsville, Advertising Agency South, Advertising Agency Southeast, Advertising Agency Tuscaloosa, Bad Publicity, customer complaints, Gap, healthcare advertising, Hospital Marketing, Ipsos Observer, Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, Nancy Siniard, Overreacting to Complaints, patient complaints, Reacting to Social Media Complaints | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
December 19, 2010
Baby Boomers are into technology, spending more money on technology than any other age group.
Technology and social media are ways to reach the younger generations. Right? Not so fast. Baby boomers might be the real target. The latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that baby boomers have fully embraced technology. They are the biggest spenders on technology according to Forrester Research’s annual benchmark tech study.
Think about the boomers you know. The typical boomer has a desktop computer at work, a laptop at home, are on facebook, have a smartphone, have multiple accounts on the internet, DVRs their favorite television shows and is wishing for an iPad. If they don’t already have one.
“It’s actually a myth that baby boomers aren’t into technology. They represent 24% of the population, but they consume 40% (in total dollars spent) of it”, stated Patricia McDonough, senior VP-analysis at Nielsen and reported by Beth Snyder Bulik in Ad Age.
Baby boomers are not early adapters but they certainly pile on. Ten years ago only 25% of boomers went online daily. Today 70% go surfing everyday. And examine these stats about baby boomers:
- 47% use social media
- One in five use social media every day
- A full 66% use their cell phone for texting
- 91% use email
- 88% use search engines
- 78% use the internet to research health information
- 74% get news from the internet
Baby boomers are aging and have become huge users of health services and that will grow tremendously as they age. To healthcare marketers they are a huge and critical target audience and if we think they can only be reached by traditional media we are making a critical mistake. Technology and social media have been embraced by boomers and have become a very common and pervasive part of their lives. Technology, new media and social networking are effective ways to reach, communicate and even build relationships with those 45-64 ears old.
Boomers are the greatest spending generation. And they spend their money and their time on technology. It would be a huge disconnect for healthcare marketers to assume otherwise.
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Leave a Comment » | Hospital Advertising, Internet, mobile marketing, Social Media | Tagged: Ad Age, ad agency specializing in healthcare marekting, Ad Agency Specializing in Hospital Marketing, alabama ad agency, baby boomer use of DVR, baby boomer use of facebook, baby boomer use of smartphone, baby boomer use of social media, baby boomers use of technology, Beth Snyder Bulik, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Forrester Research, huntsville ad agency, Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, Nancy Siniard, Nielsen, Patricia McDonough, tuscaloosa ad agency | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
October 21, 2010
The affluent are depending less on magazines for their news and information and turning to other sources. 
Readership of magazines by heads of households earning more than $100,000 annually declined 16% over the past year according to the annual Ipsos Mendelsohn Affluent Survey. Magazine readership has been slipping for several years but the previous year was first time the decline was in double digits.
The same research indicated internet usage among the same group increased 12% during the past year and increased their purchases of e-readers and tablet computers. This group of consumers are obviously shifting to e-readers and mobile devices for their information. “The consumer is getting more and more comfortable with the alternative platforms”, stated Ipsos Mendelsohn president Bob Shullman, in article in Ad Age by Jeff Neff. He believes “affluents are simply getting their content in a different format. Not doing away with it.”
In contrast, television viewership among the affluent remained unchanged with 17.6 hours per week and internet time increased to an average of 25.3 hours per week.
The survey also indicated, surprisingly, that affluents age 18 to 34 were 13% more likely to be interested in TV ads than older affluents. In fact the younger group were more likely to be interested in every type of advertising except newspaper ads.
The affluent account for only 21% of the population but makes up 60% of household income and 70% of the wealth in the U.S. The affluent are more likely candidates for elective procedures. Are we communicating with them through channels that are most likely to reach them?
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Leave a Comment » | Hospital Advertising, Hospital Marketing | Tagged: Ad Age, Advertising Agencies in Alabama, Advertising Agencies in Tuscaloosa, advertising agencies that specialize in healthcare marketing, Alabama, Bob Shullman, internet usage by the affluent, Ipsos Mendelsohn Affluent Survey, Jeff Neff, Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, magazine readership by affluent, media consumption by the affluent, Nancy Siniard, Tuscaloosa | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
October 20, 2010
Strategy and creative are usually more important than the media buy. 
There is so much emphasis on media these days. With all the traditional and non-traditional media options and a growing array of new alternatives, so much scrutiny is given to media effectiveness. Do you continue to rely on traditional media? How much of the media budget do you shift to non-traditional media? How do you effectively utilize online advertising, social media, mobile and digital? And how do you evaluate and analyze all the analytics that’s available to you? So much of the critical analysis for an advertising campaign is about the media buy. If the campaign is not effective, the media plan most often takes the blame. Jack Neff made this point in an article in Ad Age.
But more important are strategy and creative. Even with the perfect media buy, if there was one, if the strategy is off target or the creative mediocre, the campaign will not be effective. True, media is very important. And great emphasis should be given to the myriad of critical media decisions. Media planning has become more complex and complicated and requires much attention. But in the diligence to maximize media decisions, the real keys to advertising effectiveness takes a back seat. Strategy and creative are in the front seats.
Strategy is the essential foundation to every effective ad campaign. Nothing is more important than strategy. Nothing trumps strategy. It requires hard work, research, analysis, consumer understanding and smarts. It is the basis of every successful advertising campaign. Without a sound strategy, no media plan can be truly effective. Strategy drives everything. Strategy is the prerequisite to every other element of the campaign. It is the chief factor in determining how effective the advertising can be.
And the next most important component is strong creative. Creative that communicates, that resonates, that grabs attention. It’s the big idea. The concept that builds a brand and drives sales. Creative that is rooted in the right strategy that communicates with the right tone and style. The combination of thought and visuals that stand out. That captures heart and mind and speaks to the soul. Very little is as powerful as a great idea!
Advertising and marketing seem to be dominated today with discussions and debates about the media landscape. What’s new and what works. But more time, more energy, more emphasis should be spent on strategy and creative. With proper attention to these two, the odds of the media plan being effective increases tremendously.
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1 Comment | Branding, Hospital Advertising, Hospital Marketing | Tagged: Ad Age, Advertising Agencies in Alabama, Advertising Agencies in Tuscaloosa, advertising agencies that specialize in healthcare, advertising agencies that specialize in hospital marketing, creative strategy, Huntsville, Jack Neff, Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, marketing strategy, media strategy, Nancy Siniard | Permalink
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 21, 2010
It’s amazing how much of the discussion in social media originates in traditional media. 
Social media is all the rave. Everybody’s doing it. Everybody’s talking about it. But what are people talking about on social networking sites? It’s ironic how much of what’s discussed is traditional media. In fact, television still rules. So much of what’s posted on social media sites has to do with what’s happening on television. Interesting isn’t it?
How much social media space is consumed discussing whom the finalists will be on American Idol? How many posts were there about which girl should be chosen by the Bachelor? Or what about Betty White being a huge topic on Twitter the week after her appearance on Saturday Night Live? What about Justin Bieber being number one on Twitter after appearing on Oprah? Much political conversation on networking sites springs from what Glenn Beck or Chris Mathews espouses the night before.
In discussing this same issue in an article in Ad Age, Simon Dumenco stated that despite the supposed seismic shift away from broadcast to web video, the reality is that just 2% of TV viewing happens online. In fact, television consumption has actually risen as social media has exploded. Nielsen has tracked an all time high of 151–plus hours of monthly TV watching in the average American household while spending just 27 hours on the internet.
Even though the use of social is on a sharp incline, it has not dented our passion for TV. Television is the original social medium. We watch TV for enjoyment but also because we want to experience what other people are experiencing and talking about. We want to be “in the know” and be culturally relevant. And we watch television to make sure we are.
As Dumenco concluded, “there’s something deeply, beautifully human about people using newfangled social media to share their awe about great moments on good old-fashioned TV.”
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Posted by Jimmy Warren
September 20, 2010
As baby boomers grow older they will increase their importance to marketers. 
For years the emphasis of marketers have been with the 18-49 year olds. They were the ones who had increasing buying potential and had not developed strong brand loyalties. Those over 50 were believed to have decreasing incomes, reduced desire for new products and services and developed brand loyalty. However research is indicating these ideas are becoming more mythical than reality.
Baby boomers are now moving into the older age bracket and there are larger numbers of senior citizens. In fact, within the next decade persons over 60 will reach an all-time high. This is compared to the younger aged market that will have fewer children, thus smaller households, and smaller incomes. Older citizens have salted away money and have more money to spend while younger segments will find their incomes shrinking.
Plus, baby boomers are proving to not be so set-in-their ways. New products and changing technology have forced baby boomers to be more open to new ideas and even expect newer and better services and products. Therefore they will be less brand loyal than previous senior citizens.
Also, media will be redefined based on the increased numbers of senior citizens. Television, was established as the medium of the young. The wheelhouse for television has always been 18-49. But now the medium age of viewers of prime time television is 51. And that will most likely continue to increase as the large number of baby boomers age.
This change in business and marketing dynamics was referenced in an article in Ad Age by Brian Steinberg. Quoted in the article was Alan Wurtzel, president-research and media development at NBC Universal, “While baby boomers are leaving the demographics that have been favored by advertisers for decades, their value is actually increasing.”
Its true, as health care marketers, the older demographics have always been important because people spend more on health care as they age. But with these changing dynamics, senior citizens will be even more important. There will be larger numbers of them, they will have more to spend and they will change loyalties. Our planning, processes and marketing should put them clearly in our cross hairs.
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3 Comments | Hospital Advertising, Hospital Marketing | Tagged: Ad Age, Advertising Agencies in Alabama, Advertising Agencies in Tuscaloosa, advertising agencies that specialize in healthcare, advertising agencies that specialize in hospital marketing, Alabama, Alan Wurtzel, Brian Steinberg, Huntsville, Jimmy Warren, Lori Moore, marketing to baby boomers, medium age of tv viewers, Nancy Siniard, NBC Universal, Tuscaloosa | Permalink
Posted by Jimmy Warren
