What Women Want...From Healthcare

Men are from Mars and women are from Venus, we've been told. If this theory is true, marketing must meet in the middle ground to appeal to both cosmos. But, healthcare is naturally a gender-stratified industry. There are clinical as well as behavioral reasons to target gender.

"Women often present differently when it comes to a heart attack than men—with the consequence of improper self-diagnosis possibly being death," says Joel English, executive vice president of BVK in the May issue of Healthcare Marketing Advisor. "Unfortunately, some educational efforts still only cover 'generic' warning signs, leaving a critical education gap."

Are your gender-based marketing techniques just guesswork? Don’t guess. Here is a list of pitfalls and tips for gender-based marketing techniques.

Accuracy and Discretion

Accurate portrayal of an audience of women or men is a must. Stereotyping or using humor has the potential to backfire in a big way. The Milk Board’s recent “Got Milk” campaign featured a website, banner ads, and radio spots linking milk as a cure for PMS.

After just two weeks, the campaign was pulled over complaints that it pictured women in a negative light.

Accurate portrayal of an audience tends to be a common complaint of healthcare patients. Bad news: 85% of baby boomer women surveyed indicated that they disliked the way they are portrayed in the media, according to Case Studies in Niche Marketing.

• Stereotypes that boomers are not interested in technology
• Too many flowery images
• Unrealistic age portrayal or body-types for their age group

Gender-based marketing can also backfire if discretion is not excercised. Programs materials or mailings designed to reach females about sensitive topics (like sexual dysfunction or urinary issues) should be packaged discretely. Or provide the information online without requiring a sign-in process.

Courtesy and Convenience

• Orthopedics
• Oncology
• Heart disease
• Pediatric care
• Weight management
• Dermatology
• Obstetrics

Women tend to be very brand-loyal, according to Case Studies in Niche Marketing. Women are also most likely to make family decisions about healthcare.

More than eight in ten mothers/guardians say they take on the responsibility of choosing their children’s doctors and taking them to appointments. More than one in ten women care for a sick/aging relative or sick parent, according to the Women's Health Care Chartbook from May 2011.

“Brick and mortar and any amount of fancy high technology aren’t nearly as impressive as courtesy, convenience, and how you make her feel,” writes author Barbara Bellman. “Bragging about a new wing, or a new piece of equipment, or that you are biggest on the block is not likely to garner loyalty.”

Mammogram parties are an example of a successful marketing and patient education technique. The idea is to transform a medical room into a spa setting to make women feel comfortable and celebrate the fact that they are being proactive in their health.

Along with educational tools and information about breast cancer, women can receive manicures, massages, food and drinks while waiting for screenings. Waiting for a mammogram can be a stressful experience, which is relieved in a group setting.

And that may keep them coming back. Women are known to be a demanding audience, worthy of deliberately executed marketing tactics. The most successful marketing should educate women while making them feel comfortable instead of antagonized or stereotyped. As English says, gender is a legitimate factor because "Beyond the biological and clinical side of things, there are also attitudinal and behavioral factors that can come into play."

Women may be from Venus, but targeted marketing for women shouldn’t be an alien concept.