Healthcare Advertising

Healthcare Advertising: TV Viewship Down. Ad Sales Up. Why?

Although viewership is down, advertisers still flock to TV because they are finding it to still be extremely effective.

More people are turning their televisions off but ad sales are continuing to soar.  A few years ago experts were saying TV was becoming a thing of the past and it would suffer a cruel fate of irrelevance.  But it hasn’t happened.  Even though there are fewer viewers in some demographics, those who are watching are watching longer.  And the older market is still very TV loyal.  Over 96% of US households own a television and they continue to watch it.

The death of television was drastically overstated.  Advertisers continue to utilize TV to market their product or services.   Over one third of all advertising dollars this year will be spent on television.  Despite the upsurge of the internet and social media, television still provides broader reach than any other medium.  And it can also provide more targeted marketing with the vast array of cable networks. Advertisers are finding television still builds brands and sells products.  Its effectiveness can’t be denied.

Consumers are spending more time on the internet yet their ad sales are struggling overall.  More and more time is being spent on mobile phones but mobile ad sales are only fraction of the advertising market.   True, advertisers are still learning how to effectively use new mediums but it’s also true that traditional advertising still works.

Advertisers are finding that a combination of television and internet is a powerful combination.   Television is good at getting you to know about a product or service, like it, want it and buy it.  The internet is good at helping you find more information, find where to find the desired product or service and even at taking your order.  With televising and the internet you get the strong 1-2 punch of brand building and direct response.

Hospital marketers can learn from other industries.  While some say pull your ad dollars from television and other traditional mediums and catch the wave of new media and social media.  But is that smart?  Sure hospitals should have a presence online and be engaged in social media.  But at the complete sacrifice of traditional mediums?  No!  Television is still effective.  That’s way major advertisers are still sending large amounts of money there.  Nothing else can build and enhance a brand like television.  Nothing else can provide such broad reach.  And with the compliment of online to provide more info and close the sale, you have a very powerful media strategy.  

Hospital Marketing: Broadcast News is Not Dead Yet

Broadcast news has shown a resurgence of viewership within the last two years.   

Some prognosticators have predicted the death of broadcast news.  And in fact, those predictions are based on declining viewership over the past decade.   NBC Nightly news is down 12% over the past ten years, ABC 18% and CBS a staggering 31%.  However that trend has begun to reverse itself.

NBC Nightly News enjoyed its biggest year since 2006 averaging 8.76 viewers in 2011, according to Nielsen.  That is an increase of 3% over 2010 with Adults 25-54 accounting for 29% of the audience.  ABC World News with Diane Sawyer had a 12% increase over 2010 and CBS Evening News had an increase of 6%.

These numbers are contrary to what many people have been predicting.  The thought just a few years ago was that broadcast news would soon be a dinosaur, a thing of the past.  But the current trend indicates otherwise.  True, the nightly news broadcast is still off the enormous numbers from 20 years ago but the trend is changing.

As result, healthcare marketers should not buy all the doomsday talk about television’s evening news.  The nightly time slot still delivers large numbers and is even increasing again.  Against the backdrop of the decline of practically all traditional media, broadcast news is bucking the trend and therefore should not be ignored.  It remains a viable alternative for our media considerations.

Hospital Marketing: To QR or Not to QR?

QR Codes are becoming more and more popular but they aren’t appropriate for every use.

QR codes are everywhere.  And aren’t they cool?  They are great at providing additional information and for engaging consumers.  Brands like Starbucks and Lady Gaga are using QR codes very effectively to build loyalty and many retail brands are using QR codes to provide additional product information.

In fact, worldwide usage of QR codes is growing at more than 20% annually and barcode usage in North America is growing at a 42% clip.

But despite this rapid growth and the usefulness of QR codes there are some uses, which make no sense at all.  B.L. Ochman writing for Ad Age  gave some examples of some poor uses of QR codes.

1.   QR codes on billboards, too high ad too far away to get a clear scan.

2.   QR codes in subways and places where there is no cellphone reception.

3.   Barcodes in TV spots when by the time you can grab your phone and find the scanner the spot is over.

4.   QR codes with no instructions.  Not everyone knows how to use a QR code. 

5.   Using a proprietary code so you need a specific type of QR reader.  Most people will not bother to download a scanner just to read one particular scan.

There are many other bad uses of QR codes.  Some that don’t make sense at all.  You probably have seen some yourself.

So the point for hospital marketers is that QR codes can be very useful. But it is not something to use just because everyone’s doing it.  Not just because it’s a new fad. Its use should be strategic and it should be easy and useful.   Clear instructions and the benefits of accessing the scan are imperative.

QR codes is a technology that should be used and can be extremely useful in healthcare advertising.  Perhaps in more than any other industry, within the healthcare arena, QR codes can be the mechanism to deliver very valuable information that can’t be delivered in an ad or flyer or poster.

Do we use QR codes in hospital advertising?  Of course!  But make sure it makes sense and delivers a true benefit to the user.  Not just because it’s cool.

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Healthcare Marketing: New Research on Effective Advertising

 

It’s been said that half of the advertising we do is wasted.  Research proves that’s true.  But which half?  

Research conducted by Gerald Tellis and colleagues, and reported in Advertising Age, attempted to discover how advertising works. And its effectiveness.  Their findings are very interesting and provide useful information for healthcare marketers.

  • About half of all ads are simply ineffective.  This means the ads that are effective are twice as effective.
  • Advertising v. Sales. A 10% increase in advertising generally leads to a 1% increase in sales.
  • Short-term vs. long-term. There is no need to start a new campaign until the old one has completely run its course.   It is also true that advertising is ineffective in the short-term it will be ineffective in the long-term also.
  • Advertising is more effective in a recession than in expansions. The likely reason for this is that many advertisers cut back during recessions so therefore there is less noise.
  • TV advertising is more effective than print advertising. Television is more visual and outperforms print.
  • Advertising remains a powerful means for reaching consumers. Advertising has helped launch new products and services, created new markets and built great brands.

As all healthcare marketers know, advertising is effective but it’s always interesting to examine the findings of advertising research.  The strongest testaments to advertising are the times we have effectively used it to accomplish our marketing goals.  It is a very dynamic yet imprecise discipline.  But when used correctly it can render outstanding results.  At least half the time.

 

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Healthcare Marketing: Are We Taking Ourselves Too Seriously?

Some of the great advertising of the past would never pass muster today.  

I know in healthcare marketing we rarely get to be funny.  And certainly not edgy.  Maybe clever at times.  And sometimes cute.  But never outrageous.  So this is not written to healthcare marketers who almost always have to err on the side of safety.

But two recent incidents lately have really made me think we are living in a world that is far too sensitive.  And because of it, we have to be bland to be widely accepted and approved.  Now I don’t believe we should be insensitive.  But sometimes criticism of advertising just goes too far.  At least that’s my opinion.

There are many examples that could be sighted but here are two recent ones.  Diet Pepsi introduced a new “skinny can” during Fashion Week in New York.  The new can is tall and skinny.  From a marketing perspective it seemed very appropriate for a diet drink.  But apparently I’m wrong.  Critics have strongly chastised Pepsi for reinforcing dangerous stereotypes that women must resemble beanpoles to be attractive.  Now I agree that a woman doesn’t need to be skinny to be attractive.  And to promote such an idea is wrong.  But packaging a diet drink in a skinny can is over the line?  Isn’t it just good marketing?

The other example I will cite is an ad for the New Zealand Police Department.  They needed to attract young recruits to the force.  And an advertising agency came up with an all type ad with this head, “We’ve Got a Lot in Common With Cougars.  We Like ‘Em Young Too.”   An ad that very cleverly makes a singular point. A message that would be sure to resonate with the target. But it received heavy criticism and has been banned.  Now I admit the ad is provocative.  But it’s also clever and effective.  Is this over the line too?  Can we not be clever anymore? Can we not use commonly used slang words from our culture in our advertising?

Maybe I’m all wrong but I still believe clever, funny advertising is good.  I readily admit that sometimes, advertisers do go over the line.  Sometimes ads are harsh, rude and inappropriate.  But it seems special interest groups are drawing that line way too close to boring and bland.  There is no longer room for good marketing savvy.

It makes me think that many of the great ad campaigns of the past would receive heavy criticism today, as they would be interpreted in light of people’s colored glasses and extreme sensitivities.  I never want to be vulgar or create anything I wouldn’t want my children to be exposed to.  I never want to be insensitive to groups of people.  But I still want to create advertising that cuts through the clutter, that communicates, that makes someone notice. And yeah even makes them laugh sometimes.


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Hospital Advertising: Creative and Effective Ads are Not the Same

The ultimate goal of our advertising efforts is to provide information that will ultimately lead to more sells.  

The results are in.  It’s the talk of the advertising community.  The most liked spot in this year’s Super Bowl was a spot featuring a little Darth Vader.   You know the spot.  The five-year-old boy who’s dressed like Darth Vader wanders around the house trying to conjure up The Force to help him.  He has no success until he goes outside and calls on The Force to affect his dad’s car.  And to his surprise The Force is finally with him and the car comes to life.  Of course the viewer sees The Force is actually his dad using the car’s remote ignition button.

It’s a great commercial.  It was ranked as the most liked by Nielsen research.  It has created a tremendous viral following having been viewed on YouTube over 10 million times.   And it has been one of the hottest topics on Twitter and Facebook.  What a success!  But was it?

Do you remember the brand of the car?  The model?  Did it impart any information?  Did it sell anything?  Bob Garfield pointed out in an article in Ad Age that the vast majority of the conversation in social media was about the ad but not about the car.  So was it a great commercial for the brand?

David Ogilvy said, “I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information.  If it doesn’t sell, it’s not creative.” And there has to be some truth to that principle.  What did we learn about the car in the adorable spot?  That it has a remote ignition system?  Now that’s old news in the car industry.  That is hardly an advantage.  What else did the spot tell us?

We have to be careful we don’t make the same mistake in hospital advertising.  We need to communicate information.  Useful information.  Information that heightens the brand.   Selling is not a bad thing.  After all it is what all our advertising and marketing must ultimately accomplish. It’s not enough to be adorable.  We must sell.

The spot most liked in the latest Super Bowl could have been for any product.  Insert any brand you like.  Yes it’s well liked.  It has become a viral success.  But is that really what Volkswagen wanted to accomplish for its Passat?  If the American consumer remembers who the spot was for maybe they will rush out and buy one.  But then again probably not.

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Healthcare Marketing: Most Popular Ads Not Necessarily Most Effective

A list of most liked commercials that aired in the Super Bowl was very different that the commercials with most recall.    

This year, like every year, there was much anticipation for the spots that would air during the Super Bowl.   A lot of talk and fanfare.  And certainly a lot of money spent by the advertisers who paid over $3 million per spot.   Not only do we look forward to viewing the latest collection of creativity for some of the world’s largest brands, we are also interested in seeing how the spots fared with the viewers.

Nielsen always conducts research immediately after the game to test the commercials.  This year two of the things they tested were likeability and recall.  And that’s where it got interesting.  Because the two lists were very different.  In fact, the top three most liked spots did not even make the top ten list for most recalled.  And even more confusing, only one spot made both lists.

Surprising indeed!  What does this say?  I think it says we can sometimes create advertising that’s clever, cute, funny, creative and well liked but never make a connection to the brand. And when that happens what have we accomplished?   This can also be true about the many creative award shows.  You’ve seen it.  Judges grant top honors to ads that are highly creative but upon further review communicate little or nothing about the product or the brand. They are creative competitions and beauty pageants and it’s so nice to be honored for great work.  But many times these very ads that are highly decorated never progress the brand.

In healthcare advertising we can make the same mistake. We can create cute, warm, emotional ads that never sell anything.  Sometimes we can win awards for such creativity but we haven’t sold anything.  We haven’t increased market share at all.  This is not to be critical of creativity.  I have written many times about the need for creativity in our healthcare advertising.   Without it, we seldom get seen or heard.  But creativity alone is not the answer either.

Effective advertising occurs when our creativity is used to actually sell a product or service or advance the brand.  When it’s used to effectively position the brand, to build a strong relationship to the brand.   When it increases market share.

And that is the challenge for all of us in healthcare marketing.  To create advertising that breaks through the clutter and has high notation.  But what it communicates is not just creativity but the benefits of a service line or brand.  It should be advertising that communicates rationally and emotionally and actually moves the needle.

Yeah it’s nice to be recognized for creativity.  But the real satisfaction comes when that recognition is more than an award, it’s recognition for advertising that actually works!


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Healthcare Marketing: Moms Have Changed… Has Our Marketing?

Today moms are older and more likely to be Hispanic and single.  And because of that our marketing to them has to change.

A key segment for healthcare marketers is women.  Women who are giving birth.  Women with young children.  And today this segment of the market is very different than they were just a few years ago.

In 1970 one in a hundred births were to women 35 and older.  Today it’s one in twelve. According to the National Center for Healthcare Statistics that continues to decline with the number of births falling another 2.6% last year.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports the medium age of marriage for women is now 25.9 years old compared to 22 years old in 1980. But marriage is becoming less of a prerequisite for having children.   Everyday Health cites that almost 40% of births were to unmarried women.  And unlike what one may think, only 23% are to teenagers.    Women in their 20’s made up 60% of unwed mothers and 17% were women in their 30s.  Just 64% of moms are married – leaving over one-third of moms as single.

Additionally, one in four births are to women who are Hispanic. The number of Hispanic births has risen 95% since 1985 while the births of non-Hispanic women has fallen 3%.  A full 20% of moms in the U.S. were not born or raised in this country.

Very interesting stats.  And especially interesting to healthcare marketers.   Traditional stereotypes of moms are basically out the window now.  The faces of moms have dramatically changed and this impacts how we market to moms and potential moms. Who we need to reach and what we need to say is changing. Mediums, tones, styles and content should be re-examined. According to the Marketing to Moms Coalition 42% of moms found ads to be ineffective and 28% found ads directed to moms as fully unappealing!

This creates a tremendous challenge to healthcare marketers.  We have to be sensitive to the changing landscape.  We have to explore new and different ways to speak to these moms.  Their needs are different.  Their perspectives and attitudes are different.  And our marketing should also be different.


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Healthcare Marketing: Internet is Woman’s Best Friend

Women turn to the internet for health information over family, friends or doctors.

Women are uncomfortable discussing health concerns with other family members, friends, doctors or even spouses.  And as a result they turn to the internet for information and answers.  iVillage conducted an online poll for Harris Interactive, which revealed women’s dependence on the internet for health concerns.

Some of the results from the survey are:

  • 82% of women are uncomfortable discussing health concerns with family and friends
  • 62% are twice as likely to turn to the web over their own mothers about health issues
  • 64% use online communities to discuss health concerns
  • 49% stated that online would be the first place they would go to research health issues.  More than twice the amount who would go to their doctor first (25%) or family (15%) or friends (6%).
  • 30% gather information from online communities to prepare them for their doctor’s visit.

These results verify women’ s dependence on the web for health information.  Healthcare marketers must recognize this and develop web strategies for communicating to women. Robust web sites, web advertising and the development of social networking sites are some of the tools that may be used to reach women.  Even directing consumers to existing websites can be helpful in creating relationships and building strong brand perceptions.

Women are traditionally viewed as the primary influencer and decision maker in regards to their family’s health.  As they increasingly turn to the web for valuable information, healthcare marketers must recognize it and create ways to meet them there.


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Hospital Marketing: Boomers’ Use of Social Media is Booming

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.