Lori Moore

Healthcare Branding: An Experience by More than the Patient

Your hospital’s brand is  defined by the patient’s experience as well as others. And it’s being determined all day, every day.

Branding has finally hit the radar for hospitals and healthcare organizations.  The industry’s marketing efforts are maturing to the point that marketers and senior management are beginning to realize how important their brand is.  And rightfully so.  The battle for the consumers’ minds and future market share will be determined by our brand perception.

But for many marketers, branding is about logos and typefaces, corporate identity standards and taglines.  Good branding encompasses these things but it’s so much more.  It ‘s really more about the consumer’s experience. What does your brand communicate each day to those who come in contact with it?

And it’s not just the patient’s experience that determines the brand.  It’s also the patient’s family and friends and what their experiences are like.  And employees and how they experience the brand.  And suppliers and vendors.  The community at large.  It’s the totality of all the touch points.  By everyone.

We are seeing many hospitals updating logos and altering the visual look of their communications.  We see them changing positioning lines.  And giving facelifts to their facilities.   All of which is good.  Very good in fact.  But if that is all that’s changing, it’s only cosmetic and only skin deep.

These changes help position a brand but the most important thing is the experience it delivers.  What is the experience like?   It has to do with parking, cleanliness, friendliness courtesy, wait times, competence, customer service, caring, attitudes and everything else that affects a person’s experience.

It’s great that hospital marketers and senior management are turning their attention to their brand.  But hopefully it’s more than just aesthetics.  Hopefully the emphasis is on the total experience delivered by the hospital.  That’s what will really determine your brand in the minds and hearts of consumers.

Share

Healthcare Branding: Leave Good (Marketing) Alone or Change?

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.


Share

Healthcare Marketing: Are We Overreacting When We Respond to Consumer Complaints?

After receiving resistance to their new logo, Gap went back to the old logo.  Did they overreact?  Patient Complaint

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.

Share

Healthcare Marketing: Consider Newspaper Website Ads

Although newspapers have been pronounced mortally ill they now reach 61% of the adult population –  online.

Newspaper websites reached a total of 102.8 million unique visitors in September of 2010.  That represents 61% of the total adult population. A study conducted by comScore and reported by the Newspaper Association of America found that on an average day newspaper websites attract 20.3 million unique visitors and the average visitor makes 8.5 visits per month.

These web visitors spent more than 3.3 million minutes reading newspapers online and viewed over 4 billion page views. Newspapers readers online outpaced other web news sites.  Yahoo News reached 51% of the adult population, 22% visited CNN online and 26% visited MSNBC.

And those who visit newspaper websites tend to be more affluent too. Twenty-five percent of adult visitors to newspaper websites had annual household income of over $100,000 compared to 21% of all internet users.

So even though newspaper circulation is declining, more consumers are reading their newspaper online.  Healthcare marketers should take notice and seriously consider a web presence on local newspaper sites.  The web audience will undoubtedly continue to grow as circulation continues to decline and healthcare organizations can capture this growing audience by having a significant web presence on newspaper sites. Readers are going web and so should healthcare marketers.

Share

Healthcare Marketing: Boomers Spending Big on Technology

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.

Share

Healthcare Marketing: Consumers Say Ads Influence Purchases

A majority of consumers admit advertising is helpful when deciding what to buy.

Consumers like to attest that advertising has no influence on their buying decisions.  But a recent survey by Adweek-Media/Harris Poll found that in unguarded moments consumers admit advertising is influential when deciding what to by.

Sixty percent of consumers admit they find advertising to be helpful in their decision-making process. But the influence wielded by different media may be surprising.

The poll found that the most influential medium is television. A full 25% say television is the most helpful in deciding what products or services to buy.  Television ranks even higher than Internet search engine ads, which came in second at 18%.  Newspaper was cited by 15% of the respondents as being most helpful and only 2% selected internet banner ads.

In a time when many are skeptical about the effectiveness of traditional media, this survey indicates it still plays a major role influencing consumers.  Healthcare marketers can still have confidence in advertising effectiveness.  Advertising is still an asset and effective.

Additionally surprising, the poll indicates television is effective in influencing even the 18-34-year-olds. Twenty-four percent of that group rate television as most helpful in making buying decisions.   And even more surprising is that 20% of 55-plusers rate internet banner ads as most helpful compared to 16% of the 18-34 group.

Maybe our stereotypes about effectiveness of various media among different age groups are not entirely correct.  Research is very helpful in dispelling some of our preconceived ideas.  And research certainly shows that advertising still does influence buying decisions.

Healthcare Marketing: Being Social Takes Commitment

It takes time and commitment to see results utilizing social media.

Healthcare marketers are jumping on the bandwagon. The social wagon. Everybody’s talking about it, everybody’s doing it.  It’s cool!  It’s hip!  If you’re not doing it, you’re not “with it”.  So more and more marketers are “giving it a try”.  And that can be the problem….”giving it a try.”

Some marketers are jumping in the social media arena and trying it to see if it works.  They commit resources to it for a period of time to see how effective it will be.  And if after a short experiment, results aren’t seen, they withdraw and declare it’s not effective. But social media is not like a sales promotion or a direct response ad.  Social media is just that.  It’s about being social and building relationships.

A personal relationship usually doesn’t happen overnight. It doesn’t grow and flourish in a short time span. It takes time to develop and mature. It takes an investment of time.  And strong relationships occur because there is a commitment over time. Even in the not so good times.

And the same is true for social media. It takes time. Social media is about building relationships, developing loyalty and being consistent. And that takes time. We cannot try it for 3 months and if we don’t get concrete results, then we abandon it. Just like a personal relationship.

Does social media have an ROI? It probably does. But it requires the “investment.” And anything worthwhile takes time. The most rewarding personal relationships are those that grow and mature over time. Those based on commitment, consistency and stick-to-itiveness.  Social relationships in business are no different.

Share

Healthcare Marketing: Six Deadly Sins of Hospital Social Media

Various attitudes toward social media can make our social media efforts dead on arrival.

Healthcare organizations are paying more attention to social media.  More and more organizations are experimenting with it.  But there is not universal consensus of its usefulness.  There are various attitudes among healthcare marketers toward social media.  Susan Giurieo writing for KevinMD.com recently listed several social media mistakes made by healthcare organizations.  It’s worthwhile to review some of the mistakes she mentions.

1. Avoidance

Many healthcare marketers wish social media didn’t exist.  It is confusing to them and is a distraction.  The problem is that millions of people (500 million on facebook) are engaged in social media.  To ignore this audience is not a wise decision.

2. Fear

After avoidance, many healthcare marketers accept social media because they have to but resent it and fear it. It’s new. It’s different.  It has risks and uncertainties.  Therefore some fear it. Instead we should embrace it.  Learn how it can be effective.  And welcome the opportunities and possibilities it offers.

3. Sloth

Doing social media requires work. A lot of work.  Some marketers are just not willing to invest the time to learn how to do it effectively.  But most good things require work.  Effectiveness does not come easy.

4. Narcissism

Many debunk social media because they think it’s trivia and personal.  The truth is “social media is not about you.”  Instead it’s about building relationships, and helping others.

5. Selfishness

Again, “social media is not about you.”  It’s about sharing and giving.  It’s not about pushing a personal agenda or a corporate agenda.  Instead it’s about providing useful information, resources and help.

6. Lack of imagination

Sometimes we finally accept social media and begin to use it. But we do it half-heartedley. Without much thought or imagination.  And the full potential is never realized.

Social media is far-reaching and powerful.  It can be used to inform, educate, build relationships and improve lives.  But only if we embrace it and use our creativity and ingenuity to maximize the possibilities.


Share

Healthcare Marketing: How Consumers Are Using Internet as Health Resource

Almost 90% of Americans who use the internet have gone online to search for health information.

Next to their doctor, Americans depend on the internet more than any other source for health information.  And the type of website visited depends on the stage of the health condition.  The MARS Online Behavior Study was recently released and provides a wealth of information about how consumers use the internet as a health resource. The study conducted by Kantar Media reveals that consumers use health information sites more than search engines across all stages of the 40 ailments covered in the study.  And the sites most visited are those that offer helpful tools or connect them to a larger community of people with the same condition.   Sites that offer access to medical professionals are also generally preferred.

Here are other findings from the report:

  • Of the 178 million Americans who go online monthly, 89% have used the internet for health research with the typical user being females under the age of 50.
  • The primary reason for going online is to gain general information about a condition (71%) followed by researching specific symptoms (59%).
  • 56% stated a healthcare professional recommendation makes a site trustworthy followed by 46% who cited inclusion of academic articles or scientific research.
  • 79% believe the internet is very helpful in providing health and wellness information but 74% were very cautious about which sites to access.

For those recently diagnosed with a condition, 77% say they turn to the internet for information second only to 81% who depend on a healthcare professional.

It’s obvious, and no surprise, that the internet is a major source of healthcare information.  For healthcare marketers, the challenge is to discover how to tap into this behavior and become a viable source or clearinghouse for Americans who rely heavily on the internet for health information.

Share

Healthcare Television Marketing: Less Can Be More

Advertisers are finding that :15-second spots can be more effective.

Advertisers are going to the extremes.  Long format video ads are very common. They are being placed on the web and on popular sites like YouTube.  The spots can range from one to five minutes and even longer on occasions.  Longer videos are produced to provide increased entertainment value.

But the opposite is true too.  Many advertisers are moving to :15 -second TV spots.    According to Nielsen, the number of :15- second spots have increased 70% in the past year and now make up 34% of all national spots.  In fact it’s not uncommon to see five spots in a minute and a half.  There are two primary reasons for this shift.

The first is viewers’ attention spans are generally shorter than in the past. Digital video recorders and attention grabbers like laptops and smart phones have shortened viewers’ attentiveness There are too many distractions and too much competition for viewers’ attention that prevent longer periods of concentration.

The second reason for the movement to shorter spots is cost.  A :15-second spot generally costs 50-60% of :30 second spots. Thus for essentially the same amount of money advertisers can increase their exposure by doubling the number of commercials, advertise an additional service line, or decrease the television spending altogether while maintaining adequate reach and frequency.

The message for hospital marketers is that :15-second commercials could be a very viable option.  Of course not all messages can be effectively delivered in :15 seconds but if the message is simple and succinct, a shorter spot can be very effective.  Plus when budgets are tight, a :15-second spot can certainly be effective in stretching the budget without significantly hurting exposure.

One possible negative factor to consider is with many local television stations the placement of a :15-second commercial can be limiting.  Shorter time slots may not be available in some desired programs.  The good news is there is  shorter commercials are usually available in locally originated programming like local news.

Shorter television commercials can effectively fight against attention fatigue of viewers and stretch an already strained marketing budget.  So less can really be more.


Share