Healthcare Advertising

Healthcare Marketing: New Ways to Buy Broadcast Media

Both television and radio are providing opportunities to place ads in precise contextual locations to maximize effectiveness.     

The usual way to purchase broadcast is to buy a Run Of Station schedule or specific programming/dayparts matching the program audience with the brand’s target audience.  But recently, there have been even more narrowly specific conceptual targeting options available in broadcast.

Here are a few examples:

  • TIAA CREF uses a song by Lady Antebellum, “I Run To You” as the music for one of the company’s ads.  In the recent ABC’s Country Music Association Awards show, the spot appeared immediately after the band preformed the song on national television during the show.

  • Allstate Insurance ran a spot focusing on teen driving in a special episode of “Friday Night Lights” devoted to the same subject.

  • Radio listeners heard ads for AC/DC’s “Black Ice” album sold exclusively at Wal-Mart immediately after an AC/DC song was played.

  • Geico illustrated its “save 15%” brand message on radio by airing 15-second spot after other ads for cars, motorcycles and RVs and by running spots at 15 minutes past the hour.

These all represent creative ways to place spots in a context that supports the brand’s message. It is not an easy thing to accomplish.  And some media outlets are still resistant to such precise spot targeting.  But with media revenues down in a tough economy, more media properties are open to specific contextual targeting.

In fact, Clear Channel Radio has introduced a new service that uses contextual placement.  “Over the years we’ve really built up proper systems to speak in one voice with programmers and automate these programs for advertisers,” stated Jeff Howard, Clear Channel’s president of radio sales.

With new possibilities like the ones cited above, creative media buying can make buys much more effective.


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Hospital Marketing: Effectiveness of Ads on Magazine Covers

Studies show ads on the cover of magazines outperform inside premium pages.    

You’ve seen them.  Ads that are now on the cover of magazines.  In an effort to counteract the decline in ad revenue, some magazines are now selling ad space on the cover of the magazine. Nat Ives, writing for Ad Age referred to recent research that indicates cover ads outperform other ads which are in premium positions on the inside of the magazine.

In his article,  Ives referenced research conducted by Affinity’s Vista that indicated front cover ads ran in Parent & Child for Juicy Juice, SunnyD Smoothies and PediaSure generated action among 73% of readers compared to 71% for ads opposite the table of contents, 66% for either the back cover or inside front cover and 65% for ads on the inside back cover.

The research also indicated the front cover ads averaged a total recall score of 78% outpacing a total recall score of 69% for ads on the back cover and the page opposite the table of contents.

A cover ad for Thomas & Friends DVD scored 85% for total recall, much better than the average recall for ads inside the magazine. But the ad produced action among 65% of readers, lower than the 69% average of all ads.  But this was possibly due to the fact the product targeted moms with children only between 2 and 5 years old.

However, the practice is highly controversial.  Sid Holt, CEO of the American Society of Magazine Editors stated, “The short-term gain is outweighed by long-term damage to the editorial integrity of the publication, which in turn devalues the magazine as a vehicle for advertising.”  But as the pressure grows to replace lost revenue for many magazines, the practice is expected to increase.

So given the opportunity to place ads on the cover of relevant magazines, the research indicates, those ads can be more effective than any other premium placement. However, as Tom Robinson, managing director of Affinity stated, “It does depend on the execution.”  Even superior placement can’t make up for the lack of an effective marketing message.


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Hospital Marketing: Consumers’ Source for News Rapidly Changing

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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Healthcare Marketing: New Media is Cool but Message is King

Much of the marketing conversation today is about the new and emerging media.  But the real key to effective marketing is still ”The Big Idea”.    

Read the trade magazines, surf the Internet, attend seminars, listen to the buzz.  What you see and hear are conversations about the Internet, SEO, new media, social media, mobile marketing, new communication technologies and innovative new high tech products.   It’s exciting.  It’s cool.  It’s fashionable and culturally relevant.  It offers new and endless opportunities.  But as much as the communication landscape changes.  One thing does not change.  That’s the necessity of “THE BIG IDEA”.  All the talk is about the medium and the message has taken a back seat.  But it can’t!

The message is still king.  We can have any number of new and exciting communication media but it’s the message that is still of paramount importance.  We can understand and use all the new cool methods to communicate but they are useless without a compelling message…the big idea.

What separates us from the competition? What resonates with the consumer?  What provides a level of intimacy and creates loyalty?  What creates brand equity?  It’s the message…the big idea.   It doesn’t matter where we speak, or how loudly or how much.  It matters most importantly what we say.

Certainly we should embrace new technologies and new communication tactics and new venues.  But when we do, we must have something to say.  Something that matters.  Something that connects.  Without that we’re just talking.  But with a strong and compelling message, we can effectively communicate and build our brand using whatever tools and venues are appropriate.

So what’s the big idea with all the new communication options? The big idea is still “THE BIG IDEA”!!!


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Hospital Marketing: Online Video a Turn Off?

Research indicates that up to 25% of web viewers click off of pre-roll video.   Consumers do not want to watch a video before they can get to the information they want.    

A recent study by video analytics firm TubeMogel finds that nearly 16% of viewers click away from a pre-roll video ad rather than watch it before getting to the content they are seeking. And on newspaper and magazine sites, where interruptive advertising isn’t the norm, the percentage goes up to 25%, according to an article in Ad Age by Michael Learmonth.

Consumers just don’t want to want to watch a video before they can get to the information they are searching for. They consider it a nuisance and become annoyed by it.  Yet the easiest thing for marketers to do is to place a: 30-second TV spot on the web.   It’s already produced, it’s available, and it’s easy.  But they may be doing more harm than good.  Annoying the consumer may be what you’re doing.

“Consumers have so many choices that 16% are going to leave your content just because you put an ad in front of it,” stated Brett Wilson, CEO of the video analytics firm.  “That’s a big paradigm shift – people don’t have to watch your ad”

Learmonth also cited research by YuMe that shows a completion rate of only 61% for 30-second video ads on the web. So clearly, using TV spots or videos as an ad, like a pop-up screen, is not highly effective.  Most people go online to gather information and do not want to have to watch an unrequested video ad before they can get to the content they are seeking.

Web advertising requires it’s own unique strategy and approach. While the brand must be consistent across all mediums, it’s not effective to just take traditional media and stick it on the web.  The audience expectations and tolerance levels are entirely different.  When you turn on your online video ad, you may just be turning off the consumer.

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Hospital Marketing: A Decade of Change – Behind Us and Ahead of Us

The changes that have occurred during the past 10 years are amazing!  The 2000’s have been a remarkable decade for consumers.  And the marketing implications are enormous.      

Josh Bernoff of Advertising Age recently wrote an article listing some of the dramatic changes that have occurred since the start of 2000.. It’s interesting to look at the changes he cites and consider the marketing implications of those changes.

In 2001 Bill Gates, referred to the decade as “The Digital Decade”. What a prophet he has proven to be.  To prove that he was right, consider some of the numbers:

  • When the decade began, there were 2.6 million broadband households in the U.S. – one in 40 homes.  Now there are 80 million – two thirds of the population.
  • In 2000, there were no DVRs.  Today they are in 31 million and 51 million HDTVs.
  • There are now 270 million mobile phone subscriptions in the U.S. – out of 307 million adults.  In 2000 there were practically no smartphones.
  • Portable digital music players now reach 76% of all households.  In 2000 the iPod had not been introduced.
  • There are now over 350,000,000 active Facebook users.  There were none in 2000.
  • Google just celebrated its 10th anniversary.  Ten years ago, Google wasn’t a noun or a verb.
  • Spending on digital marketing has grown from $6.2 billion in 1999 to $25.6 billion or 12% of all marketing expenditures.
  • In 2009, consumers spent 34% of their media time online.

To look back at these numbers, it is truly amazing how things have changed.  And the next decade will bring other remarkable changes.  All of this has certainly changed the nature of marketing.  These numbers can’t be ignored.  The consumer is very different today than he/she was just 10 years ago.  Our marketing strategies, patient service models and communication methods must change to reflect this very different marketplace.

The consumer has more control.  The consumer is more active in the marketing process.  The consumer is more demanding.  Expectations are higher.  And the liabilities from not being responsive to the consumer are much greater.

Today is indeed a different world and a different marketplace than it was 10 years ago.  We look back at the last decade and realize how dramatically things have changed. And that’s why healthcare marketers must be different and must do things differently.

All the changes create great and exciting opportunities.  There is a lot to learn, a lot to explore and a lot to do.   Out task is harder in many ways, but the opportunities are greater too. What a decade it’s been!  And just as we consider the changes of the 2000s, the next ten years will be yet another decade of change and challenge and excitement.

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Healthcare Marketing: Is Saving Money Actually Costing You?

Cost should not be the primary factor in making decisions about resources to employ for your brand.  Quality, ability and experience are much more important.

We are in a recession. There are pressures on budgets. The edict from the C-Suites is to cut costs and save money. The pressure is to get more with less. That has forced many marketers to look for bargains. The criteria for making decisions has become cost. And the result could be a weaker brand and loss of brand equity.

Too often decisions are being made based on cost. Bid services out to get the best price. Decide to go with lesser talent because it’s cheaper. Take shortcuts. Go with lower quality. All of these are shortsighted.  They consider only the short-term.

Great advertising requires great talent.  Great creative minds create great brands. Creativity, talent and experience are the keys to successful work.  And those qualities do not come cheaply. Sure you can buy talent for less. Sure you can save money, but is it going to take your brand where it needs to go?  Will it maintain the brand perception and brand quality at necessary levels?

Creativity is not a commodity.  It is not something to be bought based on price.  All creativity is not equal and cannot be judged on cost alone. 

As a marketer, your brand is your most precious possession. It deserves the best.  It deserves outstanding creative, top-level talent and quality experience.  If you purchase inferior talent as a way to save money but it weakens and tarnishes the brand, what is the real cost?

In these tough times many are putting their brand in peril by basing decisions on price without regard to how it will affect the brand.  It can certainly save you money but it could also cause you to weaken or worse – lose your brand position.


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Healthcare Marketing: Slow to Adopt New Tech Make us Irresponsible?

The best technological innovations of this decade in marketing and media involve the internet and social media.  But they have not been fully embraced by healthcare marketers.

Adage recently published its “Book of Tens” which is a group of lists citing the best things of the decade. In the category of Best Tech Innovations in Media and Marketing, the majority of the items are some aspect of new media.  Included in the list of the top ten are broadband penetration, search marketing, social media, iPhone, Twitter, Flash and open APIs.   That’s 7 out of the ten!

Obviously, technology is changing the way marketing is done.  It is changing the marketing landscape.  It is requiring new strategies, new methods, and new tactics. It requires a new perspective.  It engages consumers in ways never before imagined 

But the fact is we healthcare marketers are hesitant or slow adopting these new technologies. There are many reasons for this.  Some legitimate and some not so legitimate.  Healthcare marketing is rarely if ever on the cutting age.  And due to the nature of healthcare, it probably shouldn’t be out front.  But it shouldn’t be pulling up the rear either.

The die is cast. Technology will not be reversed. Social engagement as a function of marketing will not change. Healthcare marketers must embrace new technologies and use them to promote and enhance their brand.  Are we being responsive and even responsible marketers if we fail to utilize the best new technologies of the decade?  In the least, healthcare marketers need to begin to explore and learn and experiment how these new technologies can be used effectively.

Who knows what technologies will appear in the new decade?  As we enter a new one, lets make sure we take advantage of the best technologies of the last decade.

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Hospital Marketing: Advertise on Television or Not?

Even with online video, mobile video and online viewing, traditional television watching is still supreme.  

You hear everyday that television viewing is in decline and is becoming less effective as an advertising medium.  Apparently that’s not true. Nielsen has reported in its latest “Third Screen Report” that in the third quarter of 2009, 99% of video viewing was done the old fashion way – watching TV. 

It is certainly true that television time is spread over many more networks and types of programming, but it’s still the center of attention in most households.  In fact, the report stated the average consumer watched 31 hours of TV per week.  Almost as much time as a person spends working each week.  An average of 4 ½ hours per day.  No one can say television is dying.

Even DVR viewing has not impacted television watching as much as anticipated.  The same report indicated that only 31 minutes of that time was in playback mode on a DVR.  Although for adults 25-34 the average time goes up to almost an hour a week watching time delayed television. Even though Nielsen is moving ahead to alter its ratings to include DVD viewing, this report indicates less than 2% of television viewing is via DVR.

Now certainly there are changes occurring.  Online television viewing is up 35% over the previous year and DVR viewing is up 21%.  So consumer habits are changing but nothing has supplanted traditional television viewing.

And if you add time spent online, consumers are spending huge amounts of time in front of a screen.  Adults 25-54 spend nearly 7 hours per week on the web.  Consumers are certainly spending massive amounts of time with the big three: television, web and mobile.  “Americans today have an insatiable appetite for not only content, but also choice,” says Nic Covey, director of cross-platform insights at Nielsen. “Across all age groups, we see consumers adding the Internet and mobile devices to their media diet — consuming media anytime and anywhere possible.”

The implication for hospital marketers is that television advertising is still a very strong option.  Even with the increased popularity of web and mobile, television is still far above the rest.  It still delivers.  It should continue to be a serious consideration for any media campaign.  Americans still love their television.  With each American home having an average of 2.86 televisions, I should say, Americans love their televisions.

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Healthcare Marketing: The Future Demands Marketing Become More Personal

 The future demands that marketing become more personal with a stronger emphasis on customer relations.

For years marketing has been about pushing, promoting products and services and brands. It’s been about marketers controlling the conversation and the media to communicate its desired message.  But that has changed.  Changed dramatically.  As we enter a new decade, the emphasis of marketing is entirely different. 

Now marketing is about being personal.  It’s more one-on-one marketing.   And it’s about managing customer relationships.  Consumers now have a much greater role in controlling the marketplace.  Consumers determine what messages they receive, when they receive them and how they receive them.  It’s no longer about flooding the airwaves with the message marketers want the consumers to hear and see.  It’s now more about relationships and interaction.  It’s about making connections, nurturing and growing those relationships to build long-term loyalty.

Fundamentally, marketing is about building brands and establishing brand value.  In the not too distant past, branding took a back seat to promotion and price.  That was shortsighted and diminished some brands to nothing more than the latest promotion and price comparison.  Fortunately, we have learned our lessons and now know that branding, brand perception and brand relationships are extremely important. 

This is certainly true with healthcare and hospital marketing.  In the past, healthcare marketers could just advertise or promote a new product or service and expect the local constituents to be loyal.  But like most other industries, in healthcare there is increased competition, new pressures to grow market share while consumers want more control and expect a higher level of attention and customer service.

Healthcare marketers can no longer take customers for granted.   Strong customer relations, customer-focused relationships, and meaningful interactions are now vitally important.  To build a healthy brand, marketers must have keen consumer insights, effectively interact with consumers and be consistently accountable.  The new decade presents new challenges, a new way of doing marketing.  But with those challenges come great opportunities.  There will be great rewards to those who understand the new marketplace and who reshape their brand to meaningfully and personally interact with consumers in new and expanding venues.  

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