Posts Tagged ‘Interactive’

RIP SOPA/PIPA: Why Healthcare Marketers Should Take Note

In the aftermath of recent Internet blackout protests, featuring big players such as Wikipedia, Reddit and Major League Gaming, the Web community rallied against proposed Internet regulation laws — and won. The people have spoken, and the bills are dead.

So, what does this have to do with medical marketing? Let’s look at the facts. Continue reading »

Striking a Balance: Emotive Websites that are Usable

During an internal creative review meeting for a hospice website this week, I heard something that I never thought I would hear: “That call-to-action is too strong.” You could almost hear the wheels start spinning in everyone’s mind.

After discussing the call-to-action further, we realized that the problem wasn’t the CTA itself, but an unbalanced execution.

Half of the room thought that the website was not emotionally branded enough and the CTA was too much, too soon. They believed it needed to be about the connection first and foremost. The other half of the room agreed that the emotional branding was very important, but that the usability of the site needed to come first.

They’re both right. We just needed to strike a better balance. Continue reading »

Announcing the Official Relaunch of HCBHealth.com

Our clients receive transformative results. Our new online home shows how.

Over the last year, HCB Health has been evolving. We’ve refreshed our brand identity and moved our office into a new space.

We’ve transformed. With all of the change, our virtual home also needed a refresh. We turned to our own interactive team to develop a whole new experience that provides a fresh new take on what we do.

We’re proud to announce the launch of the new HCB Health website. From its bold design to its fluid navigation, it better reflects who we are and how we revolutionize our clients’ campaigns. Continue reading »

FDA Guidelines in the Era of Social Media

What happens when the fast-paced world of social media collides with the careful guidelines of the FDA? Our own Joe Doyle weighs in on this complex problem in the latest issue of Pharmaceutical Commerce.

iPhone Leads Mobile Advertising Push

Last April, we reported on the rise of mobile ad spending. Since then, new data on mobile ad spend has put the iPhone’s iOS operating system at the top of mobile ad venues.

87% of agencies surveyed recommend driving ads to the iPhone according to STRATA

Media buying solutions provider STRATA conducted a survey of ad agencies, finding that 87% recommend driving ads to the iPhone, compared with 62% recommending Android.

These results are interesting, considering that Android accounts for 56% of smartphone share while iPhone racks up only 28%. Let’s see why agencies are recommending iPhone. Continue reading »

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 »

Google Grows Digital Ad Share in New Categories

News Flash: Google is huge! Okay, so maybe that isn’t so much a news flash, but the fact that Google continues to grow is definitely something that remains top of mind for advertisers.

In the week of May 23, 2011, it was announced that Google surpassed Yahoo! in digital display advertising after Yahoo!’s 16-year stint on top.¹ IDC’s latest “Worldwide and U.S. Internet Advertising Report” stated that “Google’s net U.S. display advertising revenue share grew to 14.7% in 1Q11 from 13.3% in 4Q10, while Yahoo!’s declined from 13.6% to 12.3%.”² Continue reading »

More Ways to Reach Physicians Online

Doctors dig digital. In a recent article published by the New York Times entitled The Rise of Desktop Medicine, Dr. Pauline W. Chen says she and fellow colleagues are finding themselves in front of their computers more than at their patient’s bedside.

Computers offer what a doctor’s “clinical acumen” may not — syntheses of clinical findings and measurements, complex statistical models and risk factor calculations. According to Dr. Chen, using these tools to help treat patients has taken healthcare from traditional, bedside medicine to desktop medicine.

HCB Health’s own Anne Pratt recently told us of the current mobile boom and its expected growth in coming years. Just as they do desktop medicine, physicians rely on smartphones to help care for their patients, with an estimated 81% of physicians using smartphones in their clinical lives. Continue reading »