Photo Credit: Moshe Engelberg On Everything Marketing
In the world of healthcare marketing, and perhaps even in real-life, we often think of physicians as cool, clinical and rational. And because of that, we assume that they make decisions based on hard data, right? You might be surprised at how frequently the emotional, human element plays into their treatment decisions. I was recently reminded of this while listening to a market research presentation on physicians’ top reasons for prescribing my client’s product – a treatment for a rare and serious disease that affects mostly children. The #1 reason for prescribing – by far – was that physicians felt they were doing the best thing possible for their patients. This emotional benefit ranked much higher than efficacy, safety profile and other “clinical” reasons.
Emotion plays a role in doctors’ treatment decisions for many types of conditions, including life-threatening diseases like cancer and chronic, debilitating diseases like MS, lupus, COPD and glaucoma. So it’s always smart for marketers of medical and pharmaceutical brands to be mindful of communicating benefits that go beyond the clinical data. Brands that offer additional patient/caregiver support programs and resources are likely to resonate with physicians who are concerned about the overall well-being of their patients. More and more, pharmaceutical brands have created such programs to encourage patients to develop a relationship with their treatments and to give physicians another reason to prescribe.
We shouldn’t just be thinking of the physician, of course. It’s especially important to consider healthcare professionals who are more focused on a patient’s emotional well-being, such as nurses and physician assistants, who typically deal with quality of life issues. They derive great satisfaction from helping patients. So brands that go above and beyond in this area via special programs may really stand out.
Doctors …and nurses are people too; and they’re influenced by the same things that affect most of us. So we should always consider how to speak to their heart as well as their head, or we may be missing an opportunity.
Image courtesy of healthcareos.com
Yesterday I attended the Social Communications and Healthcare Conference with other members of MMC’s Health & Well-Being Group and Social Media Team. I wanted to share a few key take-aways:
- CSR: A Great Place to Test the Waters: Pharmaceutical companies may be hesitant to use social media platforms and tactics for branded programs because of regulatory reasons, but many companies are starting to use corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives as a way to engage consumers via social media. Two examples highlighted at the conference were Johnson & Johnson’s Sustainability Program and Shire Pharmaceuticals’ partnership with Philabundance, a local Philadelphia food bank, for “The Great Food Fight.” CSR programs are a great way to build a company’s reputation and voice through social media platforms, without having to worry about the legal/regulatory ramifications of doing this for branded or even disease-awareness unbranded programs.
- Reframing ROI in Social Media as “Return on Engagement”: Most of the experts agreed – there is no easy way to measure impact and demonstrate ROI when it comes to social media tactics, but intuitively we know it’s valuable. We can think about it more as a “Return on Engagement,” or being there when consumers/physicians are looking for information online, and interacting with them to build trust.
- A Multi-Channel Approach Forges Deeper Connections: The beauty of social media is that it’s possible to link between properties, and offer more or less information to consumers/physicians, depending on the channel. Tailoring information for each channel (e.g., Twitter, YouTube, etc.) and maximizing your presence across channels is key. One organization who is doing this well is North Shore-LIJ Health Systems. One particularly interesting application was the use of QR codes in print newsletters that drive consumers/physicians to online videos and information.
- If Your Brands Can’t Say Anything in Social Media, Inspire Others to Talk for You: Concern over FDA regulations may limit the way some pharmaceutical brands/companies participate in social media. But, you can inspire patients/consumers to speak for you in social media and build buzz online with innovative programs. To create programs that really resonate, don’t think about the social media channel first, like “I need a Facebook page.” Great programs are grounded in insights about the target audience. Think about content that will create an emotional connection and then build out the social media channels that make sense for this content. One particularly inspiring program was Bristol Myers Squibb’s “Fight HIV Your Way” user-generated photo essay contest sponsored by the Reyataz brand, a protease inhibitor. The contest was built on the insight that HIV patients feel stigma living with the disease and want to connect with each other and express emotions as a way of coping.
- The Cocktail Party Analogy: No one likes to talk to someone who only talks about themselves, and this applies to social media as well. Constantly pushing out self-serving content on social media platforms is not a good way to engage consumers. This point came across loud and clear yesterday. MMC typically advises our clients to apply the 80/20 rule; providing non-branded information, tips, 80% of the time and sharing brand/company updates 20% of the time.
- Don’t Forget about the Docs: While many physicians are wary of using consumer social media channels like Facebook and Twitter for professional/privacy reasons, they are embracing institution-lead, protected forums where they can engage with some of the top opinion leaders. Examples include forums operated by the Mayo Clinic and American College of Gastroenterology.
First off, let me thank MMC for letting me take Tuesday as a vacation day so I could attend the U.S. Open! As you probably figured out from my moniker, “Tennis Enthusiast in Well-Being” I am rather passionate about tennis and this is the time of year when I get really excited. I’ve played tennis ever since I could hold a racquet, and have managed to keep the competitive spirit alive in my adulthood by playing in a USTA league in Manhattan. I have gone to the U.S. Open annually since I have been living in NYC and look forward to sitting in Arthur Ashe stadium every year to watch the champions battle it out.
This year, I have felt particularly inspired by the latest newcomer to women’s tennis, Melanie Oudin. Only 17-years old, it seems like she came out of nowhere to beat three top players at this year’s U.S. Open, including Maria Sharapova. Well, actually, she came from Georgia
and despite being “vertically challenged” at 5’6” (as compared to other female players, who are close to six feet), she is the youngest American tennis player to play in the quarterfinals since Serena Williams. The crowd goes wild for her now, and she’s the new darling of women’s tennis. Everyone can’t wait to see how her story will unfold.
This year, the crowd is also rooting for Kim Clijsters, who is returning to the circuit after a hiatus when she dealt with the death of her father, and also gave birth to her daughter. The 2009 U.S. Open is her first Grand Slam Tournament after her break. The commentators noted that she could become the 3rd mother in tennis history to win a Grand Slam title. What a remarkable accomplishment that would be!
Being that I am always thinking with my communications/marketing hat on, it occurred to me that these two players are building a great brand themselves! Sure, you have to be a decent player, but the personalities and stories that go along with the players are what the fans love. When people connect with the players emotionally, either because they are young with a promising future, like Melanie, or because they are working towards a unique goal, like Kim, that’s when the buzz builds. It pretty much works the same way with marketing products and communicating about them. At the end of the day, the emotional connection is key. I am pretty sure these players will get to enjoy sizeable endorsements as a result of their successful “brand” marketing!
As a communications professional, I am usually fairly adept at making myself understood. Words are my friends, and I’ve been using them effectively for years. So, I was a bit taken aback on a recent trip to Turkey, when my ability to converse was compromised because I didn’t speak Turkish. The best I could do was hope that the taxi drivers, hotel staff and waiters I came into contact with spoke a little English, or that they would know what I meant with the few Turkish words in my vocabulary that I strung together.
To think how carefully I choose my words for the e-mails I write or the memos I send, and how I go over key message documents multiple times before landing on the perfect flow
and here I was just looking for a few main words either in English or Turkish to ask if there was a place to get lunch at Topkapi Palace! Once you find yourself in a foreign country struggling to convey something as simple as where you want to go, or what you want to eat, it makes you realize that what we communicate to each other on a daily basis in our own countries is quite complex compared to that!
My various exchanges with the people in Turkey were a good reminder to me about the basic principles of communication. Whether you are trying to tell a cab driver in Istanbul that you want to be dropped off at the rear end of the Grand Bazaar, or you’re coaching a client on how to do an interview on CNBC, there are a few basic guidelines that hold true for both situations:
The shorter and more concise your messages are, the better
Repeat your main points until you’re sure they resonate
Don’t be afraid to gesture to drive the point home!
Photo Credit: Moshe Engelberg On Everything Marketing 