Archive for the ‘Consumer Marketing’ Category

Taking a Broad-Spectrum Approach to Healthcare Marketing

Change is everywhere.

Click the image to read the article in full.

Pharma pipelines are thinner, devices are gaining in sophistication, hospital systems are preparing for healthcare reform and insurers are looking to build their brands before 2014 health exchanges come into effect. What does this mean to us, the brilliant minds who build strategies and brand preferences for healthcare clients? Opportunity.

At HCB Health, we practice broad-spectrum healthcare marketing to gain a fuller understanding of the interconnected parts that contribute to improved health. In fact, we wrote an article about it for the MM&M Viewpoint.

Join the conversation below, if you’re so inclined. Thanks.

Five Ways to Test the Strength of Your Hospital Brand

I’m often asked to speak to hospitals around the country. East Coast, West Coast and everywhere in-between, I’m always happy to have those conversations and consequently I’ve gained firsthand knowledge about the struggles many have with their branding. Of course every hospital and hospital system is unique to its market, but there are some key questions to ask before a brand is launched or relaunched to the community.

Tell your stories in a way that communicates a broader benefit.

1. What’s your elevator pitch?

We all know how slow hospital elevators can be but imagine having to describe the essence of your brand between floors 1 and 2. Could you or any of your employees do that? Does your organization believe in its relevance? Would you need more time to explain it?

2. Do you promote your successes?

I’m amazed at how little hospitals do to tout their accomplishments. To some it may feel braggadocios but letting the world know what great things you’ve done helps perpetuate quality inside the hospital and out. Don’t let those high quality scores or those amazing procedures fall by the wayside. Just make sure they’re told in a compelling way. Continue reading »

The Emerging Latino Market and Healthcare

In preparation for the 2014 Healthcare Exchanges, Healthcare Providers and Payers will need to analyze and dissect their audiences with more detail. Segmentation will become a necessity and should be top of mind. One group, the Latino population, grew at a rate of 126.4% from 1990 to 2011 and should stand out as a priority.

In addition, The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has instituted an action plan to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities. In partnership with The Ad Council, HHS launched a smart new PSA campaign encouraging Hispanics to get more involved in their healthcare.

Advergames – The Next Step for Healthcare Marketing?

In a world where as many as 5,000 advertisements are seen daily, many marketers have been finding new ways to reach consumers that aren’t intrusive or bothersome, but are still impactful. We’ve already seen this done with product placement in TV shows and in movies, and it looks like the next area to explore is video games. Advergames, as they are called, are online/offline video games in which brands and products are interwoven into the game. The advantage of an advergame over product placement is that users often actually interact with the product in the game.

Why Create an Advergame?

1. Increase brand awareness – If the game is enjoyable and playable you’ll be able to get higher engagement rates, and with that comes higher brand recall.
2. Target specific brand demographics – Advergames allow the advertiser to create relevant games for their target audiences.
3. Measurable – Able to see who’s playing the game, when they‘re playing it, where they’re playing it and for how long. This gives you more data-driven insights about your target audience than ever before.
4. Increase ROI with lower risk – Advergames are a more cost effective way to create an engaging and measurable experience with consumers rather than many traditional media tactics.

Continue reading »

The “Gamification” of Healthcare

With the diminishing mind share of traditional media among consumers, advertisers are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to reach them with their message. So where have all the consumers gone? How are they spending their free time? The answer might surprise you.

Interactive games keep people fit through healthy competition.

An estimated 72% of all Americans play video games

Today, gaming has surpassed Hollywood as the largest entertainment industry in the world. This meteoric rise in online and console-based video game popularity has become the new Promised Land among marketers.

The trick, it seems, is to create an engaging game that educates while it entertains. Instead of defeating aliens or rescuing the princess, players spend countless hours working toward intangible goals dictated by marketers. This process is known in the industry as “gamification.” Continue reading »

Creative Ways to Integrate Social Media into Traditional Ad Campaigns

BC/BS Minnesota hit the social media jackpot with The Human Doing campaign.

To let your audience know you understand and appreciate social media requires more than just adding unique URLs or Facebook and YouTube icons to your print and broadcast. It’s really more about encouraging users to go online and participate in conversations.

So, how do we really integrate social media into traditional healthcare campaigns so that the two can work together in building your brand?

Check out these innovative examples of how companies have integrated social media into their traditional campaigns. Continue reading »

Hospitals Should Stay the Course and Brand One Single Message

With a striking image and manageable content, this Menninger Mental Health Epicenter ad has stopping power and is not a chore to get through.

Hospitals are a commoditized business and often try to be all things to all people. But sometimes healthcare marketers forget the most important detail – brand one single message.

More often than not, hospital marketers will cram all their service lines, quality measures and other accolades into one single communication. And that just doesn’t work.

If you’re lucky, consumers will only remember one or two things about your organization. So it’s crucial the one key differentiator that separates you from the rest of the competition is your lead. The message must be simple, believable and most importantly ownable in the consumer’s mind. If that message is overcomplicated or attempts to do too many things, the brand will be diminished. Continue reading »

Mobile Payments Create Opportunities for U.S. Entrepreneurs

On May 26, Google introduced Google Wallet. On May 23, Square introduced Card Case. Mobile payments seem to be on the up and up, but who cares? Obviously major retailers like Macy’s. But why should you, as a healthcare professional, care?

First, let’s take a quick look at how mobile payments work. Then, we’ll talk about potential. Continue reading »