Notes from the Back of the Book

Consumer Healthcare Marketing- Pursuing Happiness...

  

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Pursuing Happiness  

It's in our Bill of Rights -

It's fundamental to the force of American enterprise

And it will drive DTC ROI

So much is shifting in our world.  What's happening with consumers today is very different than it was a year ago, or even 6 months ago.  The mindset changes run deep - going all the way to peoples' views of happiness and what constitutes a meaningful life.   

The book Enough. True Measures of Money, Business and Life by John C. Bogle [Founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Mutual Fund Group] and an article from American Psychologist, January 2000 reveal that:

It's not money that determines our happiness, but some combination of these three attributes:   1) autonomy and the ability "to do our own thing",   2) maintaining connectedeness with others and  3) enjoying exercising competence and learning.

How we experience ourselves is a common denominator. 

 "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."  Maya Angelou

Brands that enable people to get what they want win the day.   As Healthcare Marketers, we may be able to provide some of these intangibles...

1. Experience more autonomy: increasing their ability to do their own thing; feeling more in control of their health and daily lives. 

Facts are everywhere especially with Wikipedia and Google at our fingertips.  But wisdom is in short supply.  What might we do to make healthcare information more meaningful and wisdom more accessible?

We can test content for high value, make it more personalized and customized, and pull tips, tools and services  together in one place for ease of use-- a win-win for all.  We can reveal other ways for patients to gain greater control of their health. 

2. Cultivate connections with family, friends and others ‘like me'

‘Social media' and web 2.0 offer rich opportunities to encourage and increase peer to peer learning, dialogue, storytelling and co-creation, and the healing potential of connections.

Neuroscience shows that seeing peoples' faces greatly enhances the value of connection and the pleasure of the feelings of belonging - strategic use of video may be a boon for some brands.  But nothing replaces being in the same room with simpatico cohorts - something else we may want to remember...  

As marketers in an environment of heavy regulation, we're challenged to find new ways to encourage like people to stay connected, and to identify the powerful experience of belonging and engaging with our brands.-welcome to DTC in the 21st Century.

3. Enjoy excelling and feeling inspired to do our best- using our natural and hard-earned abilities. And engaging in on-going learning.

As marketers, we can provoke learning and provide tools that encourage people to both improve and share their talents.  And when they improve their health, we can enable them to share the learning and help others function at their best.

While these three factors are always at play, they're emphasized now - when people feel more economic stress.   

While we may not feel wealthy with money, we can help people feel rich with connections, competence, and generosity. Enough.

If you've read the book, and/or have other thoughts, I would love to hear from you - let's be connected! 

(If you've not read Enough, you might want to pick up a copy; its well worth the time and investment.)