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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Hospital Advertising: Longer ER Wait Better?

Hospitals should be careful advertising wait times for their ER.  It could be misleading.

Some hospitals are now advertising wait times for their ER.  Such tactics are receiving much publicity and attention. Hospitals are using digital billboards or referencing websites where patients can see current wait times. On the one hand, these hospitals should be applauded for communicating relevant patient information and for being aggressive with their marketing.  But there are some points that should be considered before advertising wait times.  

Wait times at a hospital’s ER are always fluid.  Circumstances can drastically change wait times. Serious injuries that are presented at the ER will take precedence over less serious ones. Should that happen, the patient could feel seriously misled by the information advertised. A person with chest pains could think they would have to wait a certain length of time based on advertised times and not realize they would receive treatment priority regardless of wait times.

“Frankly, my opinion is that it’s a very bad idea to put waiting times up on a billboard,” stated Dr. David Seaberg, an American College of Emergency Physicians board member and dean of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga for an article in the Los Angeles Times.  “When you get seen is a very complex process….To put out a number can be misleading.” 

A few hospitals are also buying a service that allows a patient to go online and for a fee, reserve a time to be seen.  This is a bit risky because a patient doesn’t always know how serious their condition is.  While they had rather wait at home instead of in an ER, they would be much safer in an ER in case complications develop or conditions worsen. Additionally, in essence, to “sell” appointment times seems a bit inappropriate for healthcare organizations. 

Again, marketing aggressiveness and a hospital’s efforts to be transparent and communicate helpful consumer information is to be commended.  But a hospital has the obligation to act responsibly and to do what’s best in patient care.  It can be questioned if advertising ER wait times is fulfilling that obligation.

When it comes to advertising ER wait times, perhaps the best thing to do is wait?

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Hospital Marketers Should Learn From Retailers: Holidays are Social (Media)

Over half of national retail advertisers embraced social media as part of their media mix for the 2009 holidays.

Just two years ago, only 4% of national retail advertisers utilized social media in their marketing strategies.  But in 2009 more than half  embraced social media.   According to a survey by BDO Seidman, of those retailers using social media, 76% are focusing on Facebook, 50% on Twitter, 14% on MySpace and 14% on YouTube.

Natalie Zmuda and Kunur Patel wrote in the December 7th issue of Advertising Age that Facebook was the second most visited site in the US on Black Friday.  And on that day “4.3% of Facebook users and 2.3% Twitter users visited the website of a top 500 retailer immediately after perusing the social-network site.”

Some of the retailers Zmuda and Patel cited as successfully using social network sites were Best Buy, ebay, JC Penney, Toy ‘R ‘Us and Wal-Mart.  These retailers used a combination of giveaways, support for traditional advertising, customer service, charitable donations and promotion of online specials.  Amazon, Abercrombie and Fitch, Kohl’s, Old Navy and Target were listed as retailers who did not do such a great job utilizing social media.  Their various sins were lack of coordination with traditional media, lack of holiday specials, unanswered consumer complaints and unchecked pages.

This gives a microcosm of how extensive social media is used both successfully and poorly by retailers.  Lessons are abundant for healthcare marketers:

 

  • Social media is a viable option and should be included in a hospital’s marketing strategy.   As can be seen by the dramatic growth in the use of social media, retailers are way ahead in recognizing the value and importance of social networking.
  • When done right, social media can be very effective.  It can create and enhance relationships with consumers.  It can create an ongoing conversation with consumers. 
  • When done poorly, social media can damage a brand.  When a brand isn’t active and engaged and doesn’t respond to consumer comments it sends a message that it’s not consumer-focused.

Social media is growing.  Brands are recognizing the value and benefits of engaging in social media.  Hospital marketers can learn valuable lessons.  Retailers have taught us that indeed the holidays are very social.   

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Healthcare Marketing: Niche Marketing Your Niche?

Relying on niche marketing may cost you the opportunity to reach a new audience and grow your brand.

Mass marketing is becoming more difficult due to fragmented media.  Mass marketing often means paying for wasted exposure…exposure that is not effective for your brand.  And mass marketing can be more costly.  So the current trend is to niche market.  To narrowly target audiences.  To allocate time and resources to reach a narrowly defined audience of current or highly potential audience.   And there are valid arguments for such a marketing approach.

However, there is a significant downside. You may be missing the opportunity to develop new customers and new markets.   Advertising has the ability to expose consumers to new ideas, new options and choices.  Consumers may never know they would want to try a product or service without advertising that exposes the consumer to that product or service.  Consumers may not know they have choices without exposure to advertising.

One of the great attributes of advertising in a free enterprise system is its ability to create a mass market by creating awareness for the product or service. In an interview in Forbes of  Susan Credle, U.S. chief office of Publicis Leo Burnett, Chicago, Credle states it very well, “Unlike a lot of people who claim advertising pushes products on people, I’ve always believed advertising exposes people to choices. Advertising might show me something that I’d never thought about before, something that might make a difference in my life. And on the business side, brands might find people they never knew would love them. When I was in high school I saw a Chanel spot shot by Ridley Scott: Share the Fantasy. Was I the target? Absolutely not. Did I go out and buy Chanel No. 5? Yes. And do I still buy Chanel products today? Yes. All because of an ad I never would have seen if they were narrowly targeting”. 

Niche marketing has it advantages.  But so does mass marketing.  To solely rely on niche or narrow marketing, you could be missing the opportunity to attract new customers and create new markets.  It could limit your customer base to a niche and never reach a potentially strong and profitable market.  

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Healthcare Marketing: Social Media Moving from Experimental to Serious

 

Social media is moving from experimental stage to serious commitment for most professional marketers.

For many serious marketers, social media has thus far been mostly experimental.  They have considered, explored, tested and sampled various social media options.  But researchers at Forrester Research  have concluded that now marketers are beginning to get serious about social media.   2010 “is the year social marketing gets serious” stated Forrester Analyst Augie Ray in a recent article by Laurie Sullivan in Online Media Daily. 

Social media is maturing and is being taken more seriously by marketers.  The growth of social media sites and the increasing use of such sites by consumers makes it very difficult to ignore.  Significant audiences exist there and marketers are challenged to find ways to engage consumers on those sites.  Social media is beginning to play a more significant role in marketing strategies and budget allocations are increasing for social media options. 

Although the tide is moving toward more emphasis on social media, healthcare marketers are not embracing social networks at the same level as other industries.  According to the 2010 Social Media Marketing Benchmark Report from MarketingSherpa, healthcare lags considerably behind other industries in anticipated budget commitments to social media.   Only 43% of healthcare marketers anticipate increased budget allocations for social media in 2010 as compared to 79% in retail.

The trend is obvious.  Social media is no longer just a fad.  It is the place many marketers are engaging consumers and building brand awareness and loyalty.  While many healthcare marketers are not yet fully embracing social networking, it provides a great opportunity and potential competitive advantage for those who catch the wave and commit to finding effective ways to use the media.  It can be a place where healthcare marketers can dominant the competition and gain a significant advantage.

It is time to get serious about social media!


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Marketing Your Hospital: How to Engage Consumers

Social media  is about “engaging” and “interacting” with your market.  It’s not like days gone by where a brand image was crafted and dictated to the consumer, but rather a relationship is built. A two way conversation of sorts that is built with engaging information.  And a great way to engage them is with useful info.

The BBC recently reported on a study in the UK linking depression to a diet high in processed foods.  They split participants into two groups – those who ate a diet largely based on whole foods, which included lots of fruits, vegetables and fish, and those who ate a mainly processed food diet, such as sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high fat dairy products.  No one would be surprised that the latter diet led to obesity, diabetes and risks of heart disease but I doubt most people would connect it to depression.  

Another example came in an article from the Washington Post.  They reported on a study that concluded chewing gum may help reduce cravings, particularly for sweet snacks and spur people to cut their daily intake by about 50 calories. 

This simple, but interesting info would make great choices for “useful info” that most consumers would find beneficial.  Using recent study results is a way to give your market something worth “engaging” with your hospital, creating a relationship and keeping them coming back to your site.

Hospital Marketing: Relevant Issues Can Be Addressed with Social Media

Hospitals are effectively using social networking sites to provide relevant health information and to engage in an ongoing dialog with consumers.

There was been much talk about the H1N1 virus.  It’s hard to miss it as you read the newspaper or watch TV news or listen to the radio or visit the internet.  But with all the talk, there is still a lot of misinformation.  And consumers certainly have lots of unanswered questions.  How can a hospital address health concerns like the H1N1 virus with factual and relevant information?  Some are effectively turning to social networking sites to connect with consumers and share information. 

Rockford Health System in Rockford, Illinois is one hospital that uses its Facebook page to communicate information and updates about the H1N1 virus.  Not only does the hospital provide pertinent information about the virus, it uses one of it’s doctors to post information about the virus and to answer questions posted on the site.  The doctor answers questions 2-3 times per week.

Katie Nilsson, a reporter with WREX, quotes Rockford Marketing Director Westor Wuori, “There’s so much information out there, we wanted to find a way to distill it down to where people can get it in one central location”. 

This is an excellent example of how hospitals can effectively use social networking sites to be relevant and provide a useful and meaningful service to their community. Consumers have concerns. They want reliable information they can trust.  They want to have a dialog where they can receive answers to specific questions.  Facebook and Twitter are tools that should be utilized by hospitals for such purposes.

Hospitals are expected to be the local source for reliable health information.  Traditionally hospitals have relied upon press releases and the local media to disseminate relevant health information.  But with social media sites, hospitals can provide the information directly to the consumer as well as actually engage in an ongoing dialog.  And by so doing, the hospital enhances it’s brand and builds loyalty and trust.

Using social networking sites to deal with the public’s health concerns is a great opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.  But even more than that, it’s the right thing to do.  It is one viable means to fulfill the hospital’s mission and its responsibility to the community.   

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