Notes from the Back of the Book

Marketers: What Would Jake and Rocket Do? 13 Imperatives for 2010 (part 3 of 4)

What Would Jake and Rocket Do?
This is the third of a four part series for Consumer and Pharma/Healthcare marketers looking to tame the rigors of 2010... In case you're just coming in now, here is the first of the series: What Would Steve Jobs Do? And the second: What Would Google Do?

Who are Jake and Rocket you ask? Jake and his trusty dog Rocket have become icons of optimism, and Life is good ® America's little clothing brand that could-that is trying to spread good vibes all over the world. Having recently returned from a few days of holiday skiing in Vermont, and the proverbial t-shirt buying with ‘my three sons'... Life is good was all around us spreading their optimism and good cheer.

Here are some of Jake and Rocket's insights that all marketers-Consumer, B2B and Pharmaceutical/Healthcare - may want to pay attention to in 2010.

What Would Jake and Rocket Do?

1. Run like a dog. Dream on. High end destination.
Optimism, hope and dreams are crucial for human beings, healthy and/or sick...If you forget what it feels like to ‘run like a dog', take a look at: 19 Seconds of Pure Joy and Steve Woodruff's young dog experiencing snow for the first time! Or listen to Dr. Groopman speak about Hope and Medicine on NPR. You can also read Jen McCabe's blog on the importance of hope.

2. Consider yourself a lucky dog.
Go deep. Think out of the box. Don't knock something, build something. Create your own happy hour. This is not a year to wish you had more. Use any financial or human constraints to innovate...to build something big, to go deep. Constraints are not something to fear, but often spur innovation. Read 37 signals Getting Real: Embrace Constraints; a concept duly noted by Tim Brown and Matthew May's Change This Manifesto on Elegant Solutions (no.6 p 22)

3. Whatever you are, be a good one.  Style points count. Get dirty.
Successful people and companies raise the bar, and continually strive for excellence with every move they make...If you take nothing else away from What Would Steve Jobs Do?, think about the bar of excellence he sets and expects for himself and others at every step of the way.

4. Get outta town. If you don't go, you don't see. If you don't live it, it won't come out your horn. Who feels it knows it.
Reading Tim Brown's book Change By Design, I was stuck by this quote: "Good design thinkers observe. Great design thinkers observe the ordinary." How true it is that you have to get out to see and experience what your customers are doing and thinking, and how they're interacting with the world. Yet how many busy executives actually do? And then actually take the learning and insights and share them across the organization and find rightful ‘owners' to turn them into action? (Brian Solis often speaks to this very need of leveraging what you hear in social media throughout the organization by insuring rightful owners.)

5. Mix it up.
We seem to be stuck in a world of X OR Y, TV advertising or web, traditional advertising or social media, facebook or twitter, branded advertising or value-add conversations...when we could be mixing it up and thinking AND...The consumer mixes it up, why don't marketers?

6. The little things in life are the big things.
How true it is that what we most often remember is not the big things or the big/expensive presents, but those little special gestures that let us know that people really appreciate us, trust us, care about us, and know us. (You can also read Linda Kaplan and Robin Koval's Power of Small)

7. Takers may eat well, but givers sleep well. Sometimes the best conversation is a game of catch.
We all know that building relationships is a give and take. What better analogy for two-way conversation than a game of catch? When your catching the ball, you can't be throwing at the same time...it's a rhythm of give and take... While it's never this simple, much has been written about how the new world of marketing is no longer about ‘sell and tell' or ‘push', but give and take (with more emphasis on giving than taking), remembering to listen first - sell later, adding value via marketing with meaning), earning trust a la Brogan's trust agents, and ‘earning' customer love and word of mouth.

8. Hold a true friend with both hands.
This is the year for quality over quantity and this goes for relationships as well. Only those that add value to your life will get your time and attention. Who are your true friends? Who are your most loyal customers? What do they need and want? How can you help? How can you bring them value?

9. The best things in life are free.
If you are around kids, how many birthdays and holidays need to go by before we realize that it's not the most expensive present that people/kids like, but the box that it comes in...The concept of Free is everywhere and shouldn't be overlooked or taken lightly. The web is full of content... so it's critical to create content with value or to organize content to bring value: ‘elegant organization'...Think free or the minimum you must charge or take out of the system if you want to maximize growth and usage. Read Jeff Jarvis' What Would Google Do? or Chris Anderson's Free: the future of radical price if you're still are unsure....

10. Change your perspective.
Experts in education suggest that adult learners should "jiggle their synapses a bit" by confronting thoughts that are contrary to their own..."bump up against people and ideas" that are different. (NYTimes: Neuroscience-How to train the aging brain) If you are a ‘social media' guy, look at the world through other lens...most of the world still doesn't know what RSS feeds are, let alone use them...email is still the most widely used way to send others information...Marketers, look outside your industry for ideas, seek different perspectives that may bring new value to your customers' and patients' lives. Look to other disciplines, from science to design, for new thinking.

11. Write on. Read ‘em and reap. Keep Growing.
They say 2010 is the year that Content is King. We know that Links create value. Creating valuable content and acting as a ‘content curator' are critical new marketing and leadership skills...think "elegant organization".

12. Simplify.
With the number of emails, blogs, tweets, friends contacting us, more and more it will be critical to simplify and focus on what's most important. Only a few can stand out. Focus on less and make each ‘friend', ‘contact', ‘tweet', 'program'  more impactful and valuable...both simplify and 'elegance' are at the very core of both Steve Jobs/Apple and Google's success. Do You Have a Stop Doing List? (Also read Power of Less or Mathew May's The Elegant Solution)

13. Laughter has no foreign accent. We will never know all the good a simple smile can do. Celebrate.
Let's promise each other that we won't overlook a little laughter and smiles in our busy lives this year...(You can also read Dave Murray's 11th Lesson of Life)

 

Marketers: Which ones are most meaningful for you this New Year?
Which ones would most help spur growth and innovation for your brand and business?

Pharma and Healthcare Marketers: Which ones would most bring growth and innovation to our industry? Which ones would help bring back hope and trust? Value to our patients?

Stay tuned for part four of 4...What Will Pharma and Healthcare Marketers Do? What Will Champs in New Marketing Do in 2010?

What Would Steve Jobs Do? Six Marketing Imperatives for 2010 (part 1 of 4)

What Would Steve Jobs Do? This is the first of a four part series for Consumer and Pharma/Healthcare Marketers looking to tame the rigors of 2010...by taking a closer look and asking ourselves what three incredibly successful people and companies in business today would do...

The genesis for this series first came while reading Fortune's CEO of the Decade and The Decade of Steve, and thinking about the question that Apple executives asked themselves over and over during Steve Job's six month leave of absence in early 2009: What would Steve Jobs do? Recently, I picked up What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis (great book)... I hope you'll stay tuned for What Would Google Do? And What Would Jake and Rocket Do? And What Might Marketers Do in 2010?

As you're developing new products, services and/or marketing plans this year, here's a question to ask yourself at each major milestone and decision point...

What Would Steve Jobs Do? The threshold for moving forward: Would it pass Steve's test? In the past 10 years alone Steve Jobs has radically and lucratively reordered three markets --music, movies, and mobile telephones--and his impact on his original industry, computing has only grown.

"There's an old Wayne Gretzky quote that I love. 'I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.' And we've always tried to do that at Apple. Since the very very beginning. And we always will." - Steve Jobs

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci

1. Know what consumers want. Paint a big-picture vision that will WOW your consumers and competitors. Create new experiences that can change the world...create a story. Create an adversary and a new way to win. In every story there's an antagonist-the hero fights the villain. Introducing the antagonist (the problem) rallies the company and audience around the hero. In Job's case, create and act upon a ‘digital lifestyle' strategy...He was a very successful ‘David' fighting Goliath... iTunes new paradigm, Macintosh launch in 1984 against IBM

2. Make it your business to know everything about your product area and company. Small details matter and are not to be overlooked. Steve is known for being involved in details you wouldn't think a CEO would be involved in. He's also well known for "One more thing".

3. Take full responsibility for the user experience. Apple is about being a system... In 2002, Steve told Time, "We're the only company that owns the whole widget -- the hardware, the software, and the operating system. We can take full responsibility for the user experience. We can do things that the other guy can't do."

4. Design is critical and must be perfect. He's a perfectionist to the nth degree. He has a willingness to be a pain in the neck to what matters most to him. (Time 2005) The company believes in "deep collaboration" and "concurrent engineering" so there are no hand offs...just flawless design. (You may also want to read Inside the Apple Ecosystem and Tim Brown's Change by Design)

5. Master the message. Simplify complex information. The message to the public is always consistent, simple, breakthrough, and expert at bringing the benefit(s) to life. E.g.:it's not just a 5GB iPod, it's 1,000 songs in your pocket; iconic "think different" campaign. Jobs practices the message over and over and only a few deliver it. He is also careful to avoid overexposure, preferring to speak only when he has new products to promote. He crates 'twitter-like headlines'. E.G.: Macbook air. The world's thinnest notebook. iPod. One thousand songs in your pocket. (You may also want to read Carmine Gallo's: The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs slide share and book.)

6. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. Lessons he learned after he found out that he had pancreatic cancer. "Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma-which is living with the result of other people's thinking. Don't let the voice of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."  -  Steve Jobs

Healthcare Marketers:

What if Pharma and Healthcare products/services took full responsibility for the user (patient) experience?

What if Pharma and Healthcare designed the product and user experience to simplify the complex and encourage participative medicine?

What if Pharma and Healthcare mastered the message and dialog so patients and their caregivers immediately and easily understood the benefits and risks and could discuss it with their doctor and family?

Stay tuned for What Would Google do? (WWGD)...

2010 Outlook: 10 Ways to Win With Patients and Improve DTC Efforts

[Full article: 2010 Outlook: Doom and Gloom For DTC? 10 Points for Winning with Patients, published in DTC Perspectives, December 2009]

Despite many gloomy predictions for DTC advertising and the pharma industry overall, there's never been a better time for marketers to forward their brands and consumers' lives with new thinking about what constitutes patient marketing in the 21st Century (DTC 21).  Ten prescriptions can help improve focus and strengthen DTC efforts in 2010.  Important media and technology trends are also "musts" to actively consider for those who want to bump impact and value.

1. Adopt an updated definition for DTC that considers the full picture of how consumers will interpret and interact with a brand TODAY. This calls for attention beyond "big bang" marketing spends, and begs for identifying meaningful levers to drive education and growth. DTC is no longer just an awareness or acquisition vehicle to move "eyeballs" through a linear marketing funnel; it's every influence and touch needed to bring new information and education, help convert, instill loyalty and inspire advocacy.
   
2. Consider "long-tail" marketing; don't be afraid to focus on smaller targets that matter. Long tail marketing has the potential to treat consumers as individuals with unique interests and needs.
   
3. Go to your consumer--surround them where they get their facts, learn, and socialize.  Today's consumer is not looking for your marketing messages.  Study after study points to both the growth of the Internet, and the fact that consumers and e-patients get their information from multiple sources. (The Social Life of Health Information - PEW Internet and American Life Project) Depending on your target, this suggests a mix of relevant touches and begs for the right combination of off line and on line media and social media tactics.
   
4. Move beyond selling to engaging and providing meaningful marketing and value. Look for new ways to extend patient value, and support a more positive customer experience along each and every touch point. This also means giving consumers and e-patients what they are looking for and not just your "brand sell". Engagement requires looking at each patient as a unique human being who, by the way, would "rather not e your customer" (After all, who wants to have a chronic condition and take medication for the trust of their life, whether it be your rand or a competitors?). Think hard how you might provide relevant value real-time, every time. To improve engagement, 6 C's are crucial:  1) Content that is based on meaningful insights and provides context; 2) Customization via new ways to personalize treatment, process or support; 3) Conversation is encouraged for better service, learning and sharing: 4) Confidence is built with trust and transparency; 5) Community Connectedness - directly or indirectly- create your own, or better yet, tap into an existing one; and 6) Consistent Commitment is demonstrated to your customer base--no one shot deals here.
5. Consumer power is a fact of life requiring brands and companies to walk and talk "patient-centered" -- consumers are finely tuned to what's valuable and authentic. Ask yourself one simple question over and over:  Will this bring meaningful value to our patients?
   
6. Keep your brand's strategic core strong and grounded, despite the onslaught of messages and tactics, and the speed with which they require action.  A strong core requires a compelling and relevant brand promise that focuses every strategy and tactic so they're synergistic and supportive. The payoff is staying on message by protecting the brand from chasing every new, cool digital and new media tactic coming your way.
   
7. Insist on elegant solutions that do more with less. Smaller budgets don't negate innovation and may have just the opposite effect in spurring new thinking.
8. Don't overlook the details. While they may seem small and trivial, find out which are important to patients and their families.  This can help instill better ROI efficiencies.
9. Refresh brand metrics and measurement to drive current brand objectives and initiatives. Think beyond traditional reach and frequency measures and try to ensure a flow of metrics and measurement from beginning to end of the patient "buying process" for maximum learning.
   
10. Be the best listeners in you category. Listen with vigilance, and act on learning across the organization. Listening, and what you do with your learning, is the responsibility of the entire organization.  Be sure that each 'tweet" or customer learning gets mapped back to a rightful "owner' in the organization.

In 2010, important media, social platforms and technology trends can't be neglected. Below are some helpful questions to ask as media and technology continue to quickly change (yes...an understatement!):

Pharma: Are you ready for 2010?  Despite continued budget tightening and generic growth, and open areas such as health  reform and  FDA social media and web guidelines, it's going to be a big year for those willing to step up and experiment with new ways of marketing and 'not marketing'...What do you think?

 

Other Suggested Reading:

The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson. Wikipedia's summary of long tail here.

Pharma: Are Current DTC Ads Meaningful? The Next Evolution of Marketing My Book review.

The Next Evolution of Marketing: Connect with your Customers by Marketing with Meaning by Bob Gilbreath, Bridge Worldwide

Susannah Fox, PEW Research Center: The Social Life off Health Information, Twitter and Status Updated, Fall 2009

Pharma: Is Your Brand Patient Centered? 5 Critical Success Factors by Ellen Hoenig, MedAd News, November, 2009

I love You More Than My Dog: 5 Decisions that Drive Extreme Customer Loyalty In Good Times and Bad  by J. Bliss

Strong Brand Core: More Core Than Ever? 

Pharma: Is Your Marketing Designed to Engage and Educate or Sell? My book review of Listen First Sell Later by Bob Poole

Pharma: Do You Elegantly Use What You Have? My book review of In Pursuit of Elegance by Matthew E May

Photo Credit:  Courtney Justice/The Cournell Group

Strong Brand Core--More Core Than Ever?

This has been quite a year for pharma and marketers:  big market changes and budget cuts, not to mention a continued explosion of noise, with less time to absorb and respond.

As we head into quarter 4, I've been asking myself,

What disciplines would take good care of our brands in this vulnerable moment?

Creativity gives the brand wings.  David Ogilvy is famously quoted, "Give me the freedom of a tight creative brief."  When the strategic core is strong, it serves as a foundation to produce the richest creative that can make your brand soar.  The triangle's three points: meaning to consumers; elegance and balance; and rigorous execution act as foundational questions to help marketers check-in with their brand and test new strategies and tactics. 

My prescription is: mind the strength of your strategic core. 

The practice of keeping a strong strategic core has become very popular with consumers in recent years, with rapid growth in both Yoga and Pilates, and now next-generation offers like Barre 3 and PiYo.  The techniques improve condition and balance by building core strength--Checking in with their core before taking any action enables people to move better, feel better, look better, and lead more productive lives.     

In a chaotic world, the discipline to strengthen core strategy and keep it strong is a formidable challenge.   The noise in the marketplace is a din; changes in social media alone in the last 6 months have many marketers in a spin.  As the noise increases with the plethora of new tactics to distract us,  those with the discipline to stay grounded and centered on brand core, to ensure that each tactic is informed by core strategy, will enjoy stronger brands.

How are you keeping your brands' core strong and focused?  

With all the noise and distractions, and little time to stop and think, how are you holding an unwavering stance to power your brands' core?

 

Two Takes On Brand Promise

On vacation, I was struck by these two very different brand promises for two successful restaurants.  Like any brand, the promise goes deeper than any visual signage, but also takes in the product, touches and surround...the first impression of the exterior, the number of participants, the location etc. For example, one restaurant was in the heart of ‘fried clam country' (Ipswich and Essex MA) and the other was in a fishing port (Salem MA),  further contributing to the believability of their brand promises.  

We ate at the Clam Box, and I can understand how it's been in business since 1935...awesome ‘chowda' and fried claims-not to mention efficient and friendly service- And with an exterior that looks like a ‘clam box',  I dare say that it differentiates itself among the many fried clam restaurants in the area...

We didn't get to eat at the Lobster Shanty, but we wanted to with a promise of ‘cold' beer, ‘great' food and ‘friendly' people...and of course it was jammed...

How strong is your brand promise? Is it differentiated? Does it come to life with each touch?

Pharma: Is Private-label Media a New Kind of Marketing?

The growing popularity of ‘private-label media', as Booz & Co. like to call it, is one of the more provocative - and potentially disruptive- developments occurring in today's marketing and media ecosystems, according to their recent report entitled, The Promise of Private-label Media.  The emergence of private label media represents both a compelling way to engage consumers and yet another challenge to long standing media business models - And the more that is spent on private-label media, the less that may be spent on traditional advertising, especially in the digital realm.

So what is private-label media?

Just about every company and brand has a website.  But today, many marketers are going much further. They are transforming their presence into powerful media channels. Private-label media offerings bring the brand directly to the consumer, and allow marketers to bypass traditional media. The term ‘private-label media' usually refers to a company's website and the turning of the website into a powerful media channel.  Online, consumers interact directly with the brand and other consumers, strengthening brand relationship, fostering new leads, testing new products and even negotiating discounts. (Definition by Ed McMann)

These are not digital infomercials; the best private label media connect consumers directly to brands. Consumers can design and test new products, enter online forums to talk to others who may share their perspective, and take advantage of unique brand offers and ancillary services.

The practice is prevalent enough that, as the research firm Outsell Inc. reported in July 2008, about 62% of marketers' online advertising and media budgets are spent on their own digital media, up from 58% in 2007.  These marketers recognize that with the right mix of content, utility, community and product, they can create compelling premium experiences for consumers.  And they see that these efforts can deliver powerful benefits in branding, relationship building, product testing and lead generation.

While private label media poses great opportunities for companies/brands, it poses great challenges for ad agencies and media companies. As marketers bulk up their private-label media offerings, tensions are increasing between agencies and media companies, as each strives to become marketers' preferred partner. In a recent Booz & Company study, Marketing & Media Ecosystem 2010, conducted with the Association of National Advertisers, the Interactive Advertising Bureau and the American Association of Advertising Agencies, 70 per cent of the agency respondents said they were taking on "publisher roles": developing content and other intellectual property for their clients, and 53 per cent of media companies reported they were working more directly with marketers. They are increasingly taking on some of the services formerly provided by agencies that support the development of custom or private-label media. Going forward, it will be increasingly important for marketers to choose their partners wisely.

In non-pharma, company websites began directly targeting consumers about a decade ago. Since then there have been some high profile and expensive ‘mistakes'.  But there have also been many notable successes of strong use of private-label media, E.G., General Mills' www.Betty Crocker.com enjoys more than eight million unique visitors per month, roughly comparable to the numbers at www.foodnetwork.com - a rival with a popular television network sibling. Kraft Foods' iFood Assistant ranks among the most frequently downloaded applications on Apple's iPhone. Procter & Gamble's Olay for You platform for personalized consumer education in the health and beauty category includes a highly trafficked website and in-store kiosks rolled out in partnership with Wal-Mart. Rapid growth in private-label media has also occurred among business-to-business markets. The Home Depot launched www.hdbusinesstoolbox.com to deepen its connection to contractors, offering them business management tools as well as negotiated discounts and services such as insurance, telecom and printing.

The Lego Group has built an extensive set of consumer touch points using its own digital media: a fan club (of which my lego-loving son is a member), a social network, online games, message boards, online movies and soon its own massive multi-player game. On www.legofactory.com, consumers can design their own products. By joining a network of approximately 120,000 self-identified volunteer designers, fans interact, suggest product ideas and become "ambassadors" to spread the word about new offerings. In this way, Lego facilitates direct conversations between the company and its consumers as well as conversations among the brand's devotees. This digital marketing innovation is one of the contributors to Lego's recent success, posting a 19 per cent annual sales increase in 2008 despite a declining global market for toys, according to the Booz & Co. Strategy-Business Report.

Perhaps you're thinking, what does private-label media have to do with highly regulated Pharma?

While there is much interest in social media right now, and trying to decipher FDA regulations for web 2.0, it is important for Pharma to think about the role that a brand website can play. It remains an important asset with the potential to create a magnet for consumers-but only if it:

• provides important and useful information, tools, offers and/or services beyond what is offered by other healthcare sites
• is interactive
• affords personalization,
• enables community building with others, and...
• represents a unique and valuable treatment

Effective private-label media will not replace other forms of digital marketing entirely, but it will inevitably raise the bar in terms of quality and ROI. 

Private-label media is not about ‘building it and they will come', but having a deep and insightful understanding of how your brand can add value and improve the health and well being of non-users and/or patients and their families. It is often reported that consumers generally don't want to get their information from pharma websites; this is likely the case for certain types of information--but is it not pharma's formidable challenge to identify the right type of information, tools, services, and experience to help patients succeed and thrive on their treatment regimens? What are other ways that Pharma can benefit their patients?

Pharma: are you ready to excel with private-label media in 2010?

Many pharma brands are pushing out with their websites to secure stronger connections with their patients and families--will yours be one of them?

Pharma: Should DTC TV Have A Place In Your 2010 Budget?

Everyday it seems that someone is reminding us of the demise 
of traditional DTC TV and broad based media in favor of the web and social media.

While web 2.0 continues to power health care today--critical to consumer health care information learning and sharing (How Social Are HC Consumers with their Info)--there are many who believe that traditional TV (when creatively executed) can still play a vital role, as part of the media mix, to help 'surround the consumer' and drive awareness, education and action, including engagement online and off. ( Trend Report 2009, MedAd News DTC Alive and Well,  May 2009, Magna Forecast, 2009) 

• Interestingly, the recent debut and success of Hulu.com's traditional TV advertising on this year's Super Bowl has many online leaders, including Amazon, Zappos and Kayak, reconsidering traditional agencies and offline tactics to help create 'fast' awareness and define more broadly what they do (Adweek: Online Brands Turn to Traditional Ads)..."What we've found is that if we layer in a little bit of off line brand advertising, it improves  the ROI of our online direct response campaigns," Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh said. (Many Pharma brands have also found this to be true; TV helps drive web efficiencies in addition to generating quick awareness and MD requests...)
• With the economic woes, it seems that more people are actually staying home and spending time in front of the tube--According to Nielsen, the average American watches 151 hours of TV in a month, an all time high (Daily Orange News).
• TV advertising continues to illicit a high degree of take action and trust. The 2009 Rodale Prevention Study reports that on average 33% of people who see any DTC ads talk about the specific medicine with their doctor that hey saw or heard advertised. (The eight year average is 33%, though the last four years have seen more year-to-year volatility. BTW, the study also shows continued growth of web use: 37% report discussing medical information they found online with their doctor.) Further, according to the latest Nielsen Global Consumer Survey: 62% of consumers said they trust TV advertising, equal to or better than all other forms of advertising, including print, radio, online banners etc. (but not equal to recommendations from people they know or from virtual friends)
• Over the last few years, the TV industry continues to experiment with some very interesting and creative formats to drive impact and engagement. (Adweek: Networks Try New Ways of Getting Viewers to Watch Ads; TV Ads are Less Effective) 

Last week, I stumbled upon Wayne Attwell's blog Integrating TV with Online Marketing where he was talking about how traditional media advertising (in this case TV), with it's diminishing efficacy and relevance, could be integrated into the new online marketing model.  He was proposing that marketers forgo the traditional 'reach and frequency' model in lieu of using the medium to introduce consumers to the online information pathway.  And then let the online 'word of mouse' take over assuming a quality product etc.

All this got me thinking about the use of TV in Pharma and whether it still offers an opportunity especially as DTC budgets shrink and there seems to be less and less mega brands and their corresponding 'mega' budgets.  Additionally, the increasing economic and generic pressures for branded pharma overall, are negatively impacting ROIs across the board, and expected to continue.

This all suggests that any use of TV needs to be effective and efficient.  Thinking about Pharma and Healthcare marketing, and the recent changes brewing in TV advertising, there now seem to be at least six different ways of executing TV:

1. Traditional Branded TV ads to drive awareness and MD requests. Branded TV planning is executed against the standard 'reach and frequency' models, and read with continuous tracking studies measuring brand and advertising awareness, and importantly, take action and change in brand sentiment etc...Likely, the branded TV campaign is part of branded print (beyond fulfillment of DDMAC regulations) and web banner ads, sponsorships, SEM etc.  This is the most expensive use of TV advertising and requires the largest media commitment.  But despite all the noise, TV can be very effective in driving brand awareness and action for the right target audience and product.
2. Unbranded Direct Response TV ads to drive response via a free informational offer or incentive. DRTV is generally bought on a cost per lead (CPL) and cost per qualified lead (QPQL) basis. Once consumers respond via phone or web, they can opt-in to further branded and educational relationship marketing streams. Since the only focus of these ads is to educate, communicate and romance an offer, they are generally the most efficient from a lead generation perspective and ensure motivated 'hand raisers' (much like the concept of web search...reaching a prospective patient who is interested enough to take action).  Unbranded ads can also appeal to a different segment of consumers who prefer to educate themselves and experience less "advertising sell" than those motivated by branded 'sell' ads. 

Another positive of DRTV is that it can generally be purchased with less lead time than print or network TV buys, and can be quickly 'turned off' if lead generation objectives aren't met.  Because lead gen is the primary objective, media budgets can be effective with a few million dollars or scale to larger dollars, but DRTV ads aren't competing to break through the clutter the same way that traditional branded ads have to. On the negative side, DRTV inventory can be an issue during certain times of the year or events, making it difficult to clear the number of ads that a brand may want to run to reach its lead gen goals. Further, because of the multi-step approach involved in opting-in to RM materials, time to action is generally less immediate than for a branded TV ad.

3. Direct Response Hybrid Branded TV ads to drive awareness, MD requests, but also some response to an informational or monetary offer. This type of ad may also be bought with a combination of traditional Reach and Frequency and/or Direct Response.  From my experience, the hybrid is just that, and will generally not achieve as efficient CPLs because there is less time dedicated to romancing the offer due to DTC fair balance. So it comes down to the particular brand's objectives (and in pharma's case often how much fair balance) whether this type of hybrid TV ad is viable or preferred vs. branded alone or offer only.
4. Branded Entertainment and Promotional TV adsto generate explosive awareness and drive online marketing and engagement. Here the goal isn't the standard reach and frequency, but to incite the target's attention and drive them to the web and/or social platforms for further dialog and relationship building. Often controversial in nature, these ads are developed, less for continuous and multiple exposures, and more for immediate impact and shorter runs. The difficulty here is that it can be hard to predict whether a particular campaign will generate the WOM or 'word of mouse' needed to pull off this kind of strategy, not to mention the production cost of TV ads these days...

Marketers outside pharma are aggressively experimenting with branded entertainment, including new ad formats in online TV shows, ads embedded in VOD, interactive TV ads and more...Assuming an excellent product/service, if a brand can produce a truly entertaining TV ad that ignites buzz and swift response of target consumers to continue the conversation off line, then Pharma can reduce overall TV media spending while still using TV for strategic advantages: immediate broad reach and bang...

5. Advertainment TV ads to encourage greater consumer interaction with TV content. The essence of Advertainment is the last minute addition of information to a TV ad in order to increase the topicality of the ad and to create an "as live" feel to communications. A major benefit is that it creates additional reward for the viewer, which can be either information-led or prize-led. Advertainment also allows an interaction with customers by using technology that updates the message on the ad throughout a program. Alternatively, advertisers can run a series of live interactive promotions during the ad breaks where viewers can vote via TXT, SMS, online or telephone. EG. Fuller's London Pride (beer) used advertainment TV to break through during the Rugby World Cup. The advertainment technology allowed Fuller's to incorporate the latest match scores within their ads during half-time and full-time- giving viewers communication with real currency. By the end of the campaign the brand had achieved its highest sales and brand share.Other E.G., Ford Focus, Action-ManAction Figures.This kind of advertising also has the potential to add value to an existing communications strategy and make the TV experience, and the brand, more exciting and surprising for the viewer, creating impact and WOM/PR opportunities. (Source: UK TV Toolbox, Thinkbox.tv

6. Reality TV ads seek their inspiration from documentary and reality TV techniques for innovative ways to emotionally engage consumers. E.G. For smokers trying to quit, a major comfort factor and motivator is knowing that others are having similar experiences. In Europe, Nicoquitin found a real-life quitter and aired her video diary in real time on TV, from her decision to quit onwards. These reality TV ads were broadcast in spots where the message would be most pertinent. People were engaged by the woman's journey; the brand achieved cut through in a cluttered market. Results:173k people pressed red to find out more, sales increased by 40% and tracking showed that the ad succeeded in maintaining peak season awareness levels out of season (Source: UK Innovative TV ad formats thinkbox.tv)

Building on existing local events and targeted marketing, Verizon FiOS took reality advertising one step further, creating My Home2.0 makeover/reality show that documents tech-challenged families learning to use the screens, gadgets, and tools that FiOS enables. The show provided a platform to unite previously disparate efforts, and to provide communications stream reflecting the family's stories-on line, on TV and in person-with FiOS as a subtle superhero. A third example: MTV partnered with Dove and Alicia Keys on a five-part micro-series that aired during breaks in The Hills and followed the lives of three young roommates in New York. (Source: Adweek Don't Touch That Dial. Networks Try New Ways)

2010 Planning:  While web and social media budgets will undoubtedly increase, and should, TV's proven effectiveness for certain targets shouldn't be overlooked.  What role should TV play:  awareness, response, entertainment, story-telling, engagement? Which of the above type(s) of TV ads make the most sense to help a brand achieve its objectives?

I've been part of many successful integrated TV campaigns. Recently, I was part of a new marketing effort for a small brand that stopping direct response TV in favor of a web and in-office marketing program... only to be disappointed with prescription sales...so it suggests to me that a well executed TV campaign can still be a viable element in the media mix.  The question is how to drive maximum effectiveness and efficiency...how for TV companies, clients and agencies to work together to create new ways to engage today's healthcare consumers...and how to continue the conversation online and in Social Media platforms.

Thoughts or considerations?

DTC 21: Navigating the Uncertainties of Social Media in Pharma

Admittedly a little self promotion, my new article "DTC 21: was just published in June's DTC Perspectives Magazine. The crux of the article:

As social media overhauls the consumer mindset, it's important to keep in mind that the principles of sound marketing still apply. Any forays into social media must fit with overall brand strategy, leverage consumer insights, and be executed with consistent creativity and authenticity. The article speaks to five phases of successful social media planning and some of the potential opportunities brands and companies can realize with good planning and focus on the 6 C's of Engagement.

While its only been two short months since the article went to print, Pharma's use of social media continues to steadily evolve, with a number of new forays into social media:

Blogs: GSK's  "More than Medicine" launched to the public in May, and speaks to a variety of issues across the healthcare spectrum. They've done an impressive job finding a credible voice so quickly out of the gate.

Facebook: J&J launched ADHDAllies for adults with ADHD as a complement to its pediatric ADHD for Moms launched last year. Also Marcia Strassman as Patient Advocate  for Zometa.

Brand Sponsored Communities: CML Earth- Created by Novartis Oncology, CML Earth is a global, interactive social network dedicated to connecting the CML community from around the world.

Moderated Chat: Though some might disagree, P&G's Asacol has initiated what I would say is  the beginning of moderated chat on their website for patients to ask questions and/or share their stories managing UC --but with no specific medication mentions. I like the idea of consumers having an opportunity to ask questions; hope they can quickly fix the kinks and expand the community aspects and depth of engagement...

Twitter: Novo Nordisk  with Race With Insulin, and Sanofi Pasteur, from the vaccines division of Sanofi-Aventis Group.

Games for Health: Having just recently attended the Games For Health Conference in June (PharmExec Blogs Next Frontier and Game Changing Implications), this is an area bursting with new products and opportunities, E.G., Hope Labs and Virtual Heroes  announced they will team up to create the next version of the Re-Mission Video Game for teens with cancer; plus many new excergames, braingames, health education games, rehab games, simulation training games, advergames...

  

 Other recent summaries providing helpful perspectives on Pharma and Healthcare Social Media include:

• The Washington's Post "Drug Firms Jockey For Space Online",
• Dose of Digital's Pharma and Healthcare Social Media Principles ,and Jonathan's Wiki which continues to expand, what seems like daily, and 
• Steve Woodruff's e-book Getting Started in Social Networking.

The numbers continue to demonstrate  how social consumers are with their healthcare information--but they're hardly relying on one particular media or platform, but a MIX of reliable sources...

Despite the regulatory challenges Pharma faces (latest DDMAC proposed regulations),  depending on your brand's target, Social Media pilots and programs should be part of your 2010 planning and marketing mix. It's not a matter of "if", but "who", "what", "when", "where", "why" and "how"...

While Social Media requires some "letting go", it is fast changing the game of  healthcare marketing and education.  How are you incorporating social media into your company/brand planning? Any successes you'd like to share?

 

How Social Are Healthcare Consumers with their Information?

PEW Internet and California HealthCare Foundation have recently issued a new report called The Social Life Of Healthcare Information: Americans' Pursuit of Healthcare Information Takes Place Within a Widening Network of Online and Offline Sources (June 2009). While much of the study is confirmatory, there are nuggets for pharma and healthcare marketers to consider:

• The Internet continues to be a growing source of healthcare information --61% of US adults look online for healthcare information vs. 25% in 2000.--Further, mobile access draws people into conversations about health as much as online tools enable research. Wireless connections are associated with deeper engagement in social media and information exchange. And mobile access is on the rise.
• American adults continue to turn to traditional sources of health information, even as many of them deepen their engagement with the online world. --  Experts remain vital to the health-search and decision-making process.
• 86% of all adults ask a health professional, such as a doctor.
• 68% of all adults ask a friend or family member.
• 57% of all adults use the Internet.
• 54% use books or other printed reference material.

• As expected, differences emerge between age groups; younger tend to be less reliant on their physicians.

• The socialability of  healthcare information is robust--what's gleamed from the web is not used in a vacuum and becomes part of other conversations--1/2 are searching on behalf of someone else and 2/3's share the information with others. 

• A growing majority of e-patients access user-generated health information. Health consumers are looking for tailored information, searching for a "just-in-time someone-like-me." For example:
• 41% of e-patients have read someone else's commentary or experience about health or medical issues on an online news group, website, or blog.
• 24% of e-patients have consulted rankings or reviews online of doctors or other providers.
• 24% of e-patients have consulted rankings or reviews online of hospitals or other medical facilities.
• 19% of e-patients have signed up to receive updates about health or medical issues.
• 13% of e-patients have listened to a podcast about health or medical issues.
• But few are actively writing or creating new health content at this point, ranging in the 5-6% level:
• 6% of e-patients report that they have posted comments, or information about health in an online discussion, listserv, or other online group forum.
• 5% of e-patients say they have posted comments about health on a blog or a review online of a MD
• In sum, 37% of adults, or 60% of e-patients, have done at least one activity to go beyond typical web search. (But the social media segments that Charlen Li and Josh Bernoff mapped out continue to hold true)
• Despite the increasing popularity of social network sites, few people are currently using them to gather and share health information.
• 39% of e-patients use a social networking site like MySpace and Facebook and, of those, only a small portion have used it for healthcare conversations.
• 12% of e-patients use Twitter or another service to share updates, yet few have posted comments, or info about health or medical matters.
• Adults between the ages of 18 to 49 are more likely  to participate in social technologies related to health. As younger adults face more health care questions and challenges, they may turn to the tools they have sharpened in other contexts of their lives to gather and share health advice.
• Internet users report a surge of interest in information about exercise and fitness, jumping from 21% in 2002 to 38% -  This also ties to their interest in searching for information about weight loss/control (24% of adults).

• In addition to fitness, other health topics of interest include a specific disease or medical problem (49% of adults) a medical treatment or procedure (41%), Prescription or over-the-counter drugs (33%), Alternative treatments or medicines (26%), and Depression, anxiety, stress or mental health issues (21% of adults, up from 12%)

• Demographics of e-patients looking for health/medical info are consistent with other studies: Men ( 57%), Women (64% ); White (65%), African Americans (51%), Hispanic (44%); By age: 18-49 (71%), 50-64 (59%), 65+ (27%); and tend to be higher education and income.

Implications for upcoming marketing plans? Here are six to consider:

1. Depending on your brand's target, the web should be a growing and significant element of the brand's media mix. However, "fish where the fish are"--which means keep most of your web dollars in paid search, advertising and other relevant web properties/sponsorships.  If your target is heavily vested in using social media platforms, it's time to begin dipping your toes in the social media waters so that you are ready and able when the broader population catches up. (5 Phases of SM Planning) Invest in mobile learning as a tool for providing incentives, encouraging greater social interactions and adherence.

2. Make it easy for consumers to discuss what they learn from you with their friends,  family and doctor. Include sharing platforms where ever possible; make it interesting.

3. Focus on making the most of the patient/physician conversations as the physician remains the gatekeeper to new starts and switch.--And since only 5-20% of the prescriptions are in play (IMS article), optimizing these conversations is critical to success.

4. Dig into target opportunities...Of that roughly 20% of volume available each month--which segments are most likely to make it on to your product and which offer the greatest patient value? Are budgets and programs aligned?

5. 'Surround' your consumer with appropriate off line and online media and marketing programs--People get their information from multiple sources and each provide a different value.  People are looking for personalized information, and to engage in two-way dialgoue. Also consider the areas of interest ie health and fitness, weight loss, depression etc.

6. Social Media Networks for healthcare are still largely in their infancy. But they may offer a great opportunity to identify and engage "Consumer Opionion Leaders". Do you know who your key COLs are? Do you have plans to engage and learn with them? (Interesting work done by WEGO Health in this space)

Other thoughts? Please share here or on twitter.