HealthLeaders Media Marketing Weekly - September 24, 2008 | Notes from SHSMD: The Economy, Strategic Planning, and a Little Gossip
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Notes from SHSMD: The Economy, Strategic Planning, and a Little Gossip
Gienna Shaw, for HealthLeaders News
It would be overly-dramatic to say that breaking news of the latest financial crises cast a pall over this year's annual meeting of the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development. Marketers are a great crowd to hang out with—always helpful, friendly, and interesting to talk to. But I think it's fair to say the mood at the gathering in San Francisco was more subdued than in years past. [Read More] |
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September 24, 2008 |
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Editor's Picks
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May cause irritation to marketers
Most people view pharmaceutical ads with disdain. So how would you feel about a hospital ad that takes a similar alarmist tone? Running a Hospital blogger Paul Levy said he recently heard a pharma-style ad promoting a Boston-area hospital on the radio. The ad detailed the symptoms of peripheral arterial disease and urged anyone experiencing the symptoms to visit the facility's vascular center. These marketing tactics do a disservice to hospitals and their missions, Levy writes. "Hearing this ad has made me more sensitive to this issue, and I plan to ask our marketing folks to review all of our ads to make sure we have not gone down a similar path," he adds. [Read More]
The ethics of medical device marketing
The medical device industry's ads can take on a tone similar to that of pharmaceutical ads. Experts say misleading medical device ads can be even more detrimental to a patient's health than pharma ads because, unlike a drug, the device is surgically implanted into the person's body and remains there for a long time. This week, the Senate Special Committee on Aging plans to hold a meeting to further scrutinize direct-to-consumer medical device ads, according to this New York Times article. [Read More]
A "reply all" approach to negative comments
If your marketing department still doesn't have someone monitoring the social media space, you're probably missing out on some valuable customer service opportunities. Companies like Southwest Airlines and Edmunds.com have teams scouring the Internet looking for negative comments that disgruntled customers have written and respond on the message board-sometimes within minutes. Granted, most hospitals don't have the staff to coordinate such a swift response, but a patient will always appreciate someone taking the time to understand his or her issue. Besides, keeping an eye on what is being said about your facility is always a worthwhile activity. [Read More]
Does your site hablo Español?
Many hospitals market directly to immigrants in their communities in their native language, but not all of them carry the bilingual sentiment to their Web sites. AdAge columnist Pete Blackshaw notes that non-English options are rare on many American sites. This can cause a huge disconnect between advertising and online content, and may lead to a non-English speaker to choose another hospital. "What's most important is that we dignify all consumers with whom we have a loyalty or advocacy-driving opportunity," Blackshaw writes. "We're not even close, but the potential is huge-nay, gigante." [Read More] |
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Campaign Spotlight
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A Kid-Friendly Political Ad
A new ad campaign, America's Agenda: Health Care for Kids, was launched in 30 regions across the nation this month, is calling on members of congress and their constituents to focus on a lower-profile political issue: healthcare for children. The ad asks legislators to continue their support of a State Children's Health Insurance Program proposal that aims to extend health coverage from 6.6 million low-income children to more than 9 million. [Read More] |
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Calendar of Events
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Webcasts
10/28/08: Case Studies in ER Marketing: Three Targeted Efforts That are Getting Results
Conferences
10/15/08: HealthLeaders Media Marketing Awards, Chicago
10/16/08: HealthLeaders Media Top Leadership Teams, Chicago
10/26/08: Hospital & Physician Relations: An Executive Summit, Scottsdale, AZ |
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| From HealthLeaders Magazine |
10 Events That Could Change Healthcare
No one knows what the future holds, but several scenarios could significantly alter the healthcare landscape and pose formidable strategic, financial, and clinical challenges for senior leaders. Get ready. [Read More]
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Marketing Forum
Connect Branding to the Bottom Line: In Part 1 of a two-part series, HealthLeaders Media contributor Gabrielle DeTora outlines a plan for CFOs to measure true return on investment from your marketing team's efforts. In part 2, DeTora goes through steps to improve ROI once you're able to measure it. |
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Audio Feature
It's a considerable accomplishment to be included in Fortune magazine's "Top 100 Companies to Work For." But it's even more remarkable to be included with the likes of Google, General Mills, and Nike for nine straight years. It's more remarkable still when your company is a small community hospital. Bill Powanda, a vice president at Griffin Hospital in Derby, CT, explains what makes his hospital such a great place to work. [Listen Now] |
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Sponsor HealthLeaders Media Marketing Weekly
Contact Lisa Brown, Director of Integrated Sales, at
lbrown@healthleadersmedia.com or call 781.639.1872. |
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