Try Something New in Your Healthcare Marketing Mix

The next time you create a marketing plan, think outside the box a little and try something new — your only limitation may be your imagination.

Let’s face it, in the not-so-distant past, your toolbox consisted of print, radio, TV and billboard. Now you have more tools: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs about your service category (like this one), long form commercials, smartphone product-branded shout-outs, client sponsored games, product placements in movies — and that’s just for starters.

"I am on a horse" — the Old Spice campaign was a hit on TV and online.

But what combination works? One consumer success story is the Old Spice “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign. Old Spice was, well…old, in the consumers’ minds. They needed to freshen up and appeal to a younger demographic. By running traditional print and TV ads, they reached a wide swath of people, but the younger, more digitally savvy audience was being overlooked. With a little extra money, YouTube videos were introduced and went viral. Millions watched the young funny guy with chiseled abs tout a product that was considered for old fuddy-duddies, and sales increased by an incredible 107%.

How to launch a smart medical branding campaign

Let’s take a hospital for example. Many have limited budgets and need to be smart with where they spend their dollars. Mixing old with new is a great way to reach more people without putting all of your eggs in one basket. Maybe you run print ads and direct mail with QR codes that take the viewer to a special landing page, or to a testimonial from a patient. Instantly you’ve extended the reach and interactivity of your brand.

Medical games

Let’s look at what Ambien CR did. A drug indicated for insomnia. They came up with a clever way to entertain their demographic while touting their product at the same time. The “Silence Your Rooster” campaign was a great success. It ran on TV and in print, but added an online gaming experience where you throw a pillow at a crowing rooster so you can get some shut-eye. The rooster = insomnia. The pillow = Ambien CR. Pretty simple and keeps the user engaged for more than a :30 or :60 spot.

Mega-awareness in the marketplace

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation started with pink ribbons and has owned the icon ever since. Now they are wrapping skyscrapers in pink, and outfitting NFL players with pink shoes and helmet decals to signify Breast Cancer Awareness Month — a brilliant way to reach the masses for one month out of the year.

Whether you have a big ad budget or not, there are many tools for you to choose from. TV, radio, print, grassroots advertising, online and mobile media — they can work together with great results. So let’s start thinking outside the box by looking inside the box — your toolbox that is.