Hospital Marketing Journal

Ten Adams in the East.

by Holly Smith

As part of my MBA program at the University of Evansville (@UEBusiness), our cohort recently took our required international excursion. After much deliberation, the class chose China due to the increased globalization and emphasis on China’s role in world economics and unique cultural experiences. The focus of our trip was to get a true business and cultural perspective. We met with several companies operating in China such as Kodak, Lenovo, and the US-China Business Council. In addition, we experienced several cultural sites such as the Forbidden City, The Great Wall, the Jade Buddha and Yuyuan Classical Garden. My first impression was how westernized the country really is. As a passionate marketer, it was readily apparent to me how culture and demographics influence their marketing and advertising style. It was clear that ‘red’ is a very significant color. Red symbolizes good fortune and joy.  It is shown dominantly in advertising and building signage. Also, the emphasis on action was prevalent with an air of movement in both photography and graphics. Most surprising was the widespread use of American actors/actresses and the desire for westernized culture.  At times I felt like I was on a street in Chicago with McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Coach, Sephora and Apple all within blocks of each other on Nanjing Road in Shanghai. They definitely have a spirit of innovation and sophistication. I had the privilege of being in China on International Woman’s Day - a mix of Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.  On this morning, the women were all decked out and shopping was high on their priority list. There was a line outside the Coach store. But, don’t think you’ll score hefty discounts in China. The imposed 70% luxury tax derailed many of my purchases. I did visit a ‘knock-off’ market; however, my bartering skills were not up to par, so when needed, I leaned on my savvy classmates, which surprisingly were male. Censorship and control was apparent. I was desperately missing Facebook. Every time I took an amazing picture I wanted to post, I was crushed to remember  -  I’m social media paralyzed! I even got called out on Twitter as being ‘Twitterless in China.’ In the 80’s it was - I want my MTV. Now it’s -  I want my social media. I know they have their own versions of YouTube and other social media platforms, but they are all monitored by the government. My only real challenge was the orthopedic boot (#daboot) I ended up wearing on my foot on the trip – a result of an injury at my 6 year old’s birthday party at a bouncy house.  Boy was I glad that injury didn’t happen in China. As you can only imagine, their hospitals have access issues due to the population size. Also, I was informed that cash payment for services is often required. I did hear about private healthcare options, but just glad I didn’t have to experience this for myself! The biggest take away for me, which I now look back on in reflection, is that marketing is marketing, but the things I missed the most where clean air, clean water and freedom.

A Pinteresting Case for Healthcare Marketing

by Lauren Wunderlich

Pinterest is the hot new social media phenomenon.  But will it succeed in the long run? Many believe Pinterest’s unique place in the social media atmosphere will help it succeed, while some critics believe privacy issues might hint at a bumpy road ahead. For hospital marketers, the overlap of the key healthcare decision maker + the demographic of the average Pinterest user — higher income women ages 18-34 — is more than enticing. (TechCrunch). This is one obvious case for Pinterest’s value in healthcare marketing strategies — but is it worth precious marketing dollars and time?  Read on to find out. The Basics So what makes Pinterest so…um, interesting?  After all, it’s just pictures, right? Hive Strategies says this:  “People use Pinterest to organize their favorite things and browse other people’s favorite things.”  Users create boards to pin items of interest and share them with others.  Pinterest goes far beyond pretty pictures and gives the user something else entirely — inspiration. (And a way to nurture their inner Martha Stewart.) Value to Healthcare Marketers Pinterest is a great way to organize content so it can quickly + easily be accessed. This ability to curate content is a great argument for Pinterest’s value to hospital marketers. By aggregating content in one space, whether from your own hospital website or other sources, a hospital can easily educate + engage patients. Think of it this way: instead of sending a patient home with brochures on stretching exercises or a new diabetic meal plan, staff can just direct them to the “Rehabilitation Exercises” or “Diabetic Recipes” board on your hospital’s Pinterest page. http://pinterest.com/summitmedicalnj/rehabilitation-exercises/ http://pinterest.com/trishbarker/diabetic-recipes/ Another sell for healthcare marketers is Pinterest’s ability to generate web traffic.  Pinterest drives more referral traffic than Google+, LinkedIn + YouTube combined, according to Shareaholic. Impressive numbers — made all the more impressive knowing most of these visitors are our coveted female, 18-34 demographic. Still need convincing?  Check out these stats from ragan.com: Pinterest retains and engages users two to three times more efficiently as Twitter did at the same age. Pinterest accounts for 3.6 percent of referral traffic, while Twitter is just barely ahead, accounting for 3.61 percent of referral traffic. In July 2011, Pinterest accounted for only 0.17 percent of referral traffic.  More than one-fifth of Facebook-connected users are on Pinterest daily. This represents more than 2,000,000 members In May 2011, an average Pinterest visitor spent 13.7 minutes per month on the site. In January 2012, each Pinterest visitor spent an average of 97.8 minutes per month on the site. Who’s on Pinterest? As the statistics show, Pinterest is definitely catching the attention of marketers. However, it has yet to be a real hit in the healthcare industry.  Brands like Etsy, HGTV, Whole Foods + Nordstrom have a presence on Pinterest, but only a handful of hospitals have decided to climb onboard.  Here are a few of the early joiners: Dayton Children’s Medical Center Dayton Children’s Medical Center uses content from their website to increase traffic.  Check out how they’re using inspirational patient stories to direct users back to their own website: Baylor Health Baylor Health has boards on interactive health quizzes, healthy holidays, family health, health awareness, fitness + more. With over 200 followers already, it looks like they’re doing something right. Some additional healthcare organizations using Pinterest are Inova Health, Summit Medical Group, + MD Anderson Cancer Center. Check out their Pinterest sites for some fresh ideas + inspiration. Potential Setbacks Although Pinterest seems like a fresh approach to social media, as with anything new, there are always improvements to be made.  As mentioned earlier, privacy (or more the lack of it) has come into question for some.  Also, there has yet to be a healthcare or wellness listing within Pinterest; so in order to be noticed, you must direct people to boards/ page directly. Using social media to generate traffic to your hospital’s Pinterest page is a great way to go, but Pinterest isn’t likely to generate unsolicited traffic. Finally, it might be hard to justify the extra time + resources spent cultivating your presence on Pinterest. Not only is there no analytics component to measure brand performance within the site, but there’s also the intimidating thought of developing a whole new social media presence. Wrap-Up Pinterest is a fun, visually stimulating + inspiring approach to communicating with  hospital consumers, but whether or not it will be viable in the long-term is still too close to call.  At the very least, hospitals should keep their eyes open for any new opportunities that are bound to present themselves with Pinterest. Is Pinterest worth your hospital’s time and valuable marketing resources?  Let us know by leaving a comment below.

ACO WEBINAR - Pulling Off the Band-Aid: Easing the Pain of Healthcare Reform

Accountable care has arrived.  Some have begun to invest in a new level of performance and accountability. Others are not as far along. Where do you stand? Join us on April 17th at 3 pm eastern to learn ways your organization can smoothly transition from a volume-based to value-based ACO model of care. The concept of the ACO is beyond overwhelming when we start to think of the logistics of a transition. Learn where to start + some tips to help ease the growing pains along the way. Discover how wellness initiatives are a critical component to this transition, and learn ways to leverage your wellness initiatives as a critical element in the creation of a successful ACO. This complimentary online webinar is delivered by a panel of national experts in hospital marketing, lasts one hour and covers a variety of topics focusing on ways to smoothly transition during healthcare reform. Together, we will: Discuss the vision for the future of ACOs Explore a comparison of the volume-based healthcare model with the value-based ACO model Discuss programs that will yield the healthiest bottom line for the ACO Learn about the integrative medicine center and how it will ease the transition to an ACO Explore the importance of elevating wellness to the status of a Center of Excellence Discuss today’s reality of adverse health trends (and why wellness is more critical than ever before) Focus on the 10 keys to successful wellness initiatives Highlight ways to get your many audiences on-board with (and excited about!) wellness Review common components of corporate wellness Learn more about community health promotion Review a case study of a successful women’s wellness initiative (and plenty of anecdotes!)   FEATURED SPEAKERS: Russell Faust, PhD, MD Guest Faculty at Oakland University School of Business, Executive MBA Program in Healthcare, social media consultant and Chief Medical Officer for Anicca Media, LLC, a digital media agency helping physician practices + hospitals connect with their online patient communities + physicians. Jon Headlee: President, Ten Adams, applies his 20 years of healthcare industry knowledge developing + nurturing the strategic vision for hospital clients. Working closely with hospital executives, he helps 'connect the dots' between increasing revenue + developing brand leadership. As a speaker + author, Jon simplifies the complex and focuses on delivering quantifiable results for clients. Space is limited; so be sure to register at http://bit.ly/GSjmNg.

Adaptability

by Kris Laufer

In speaking to Inc. Magazine, Steve Jobs once said, “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” This is exactly why adaptability is such an important trait in the workplace. Everything that surrounds us is constantly changing, and it’s critical that we have the skills necessary to adapt to those changes. Adaptability means being willing and able to function in circumstances that are new or unexpected. As your business continues to grow and evolve, your team will face new hurdles and challenges. So inspiring your staff to become more adaptable is more critical than ever. One key thing Steve Jobs taught us is this: If we embrace change, we’ll give birth to creativity and new innovation. However with uncertainty and sometimes frightening changes taking place every day – such as the economy – it can be extremely challenging to embrace change. But adaptability can often turn these hard times into rewarding opportunities. Use this time to learn new things. Developing new skills – or continuing to improve existing ones – will help you succeed and better adapt in a changing world. Always expect the unexpected. When you’re ready for anything, there won’t be any surprises to catch you off guard. Trust yourself. Allow your instincts to lead you, especially in high-stress situations. Remain positive. A positive, can-do attitude will guide you to limitless possibilities. I believe that we all have a natural ability to be creative and innovate. While we may not be the inventors of the next-generation iPhone, we can make a positive difference in the world – in both large and small ways. In what ways can you or your team be more adaptable?

Calmness

by Nancy Daugherty

Whether it’s a crazy day at work, a hectic holiday season, or battling with your kids over their homework, we all understand the importance of remaining calm under pressure. But it’s not always as easy as it sounds.

I recall the first time I had to drive my daughter to the emergency room. I was panicked the entire way. When my sister met us at the entrance, she gave me the best advice. “You have to be calm so that you can talk with the medical team and tell them what’s going on,” she said, looking at me straight in the eyes.  And as difficult as it was – and even though I was shaking uncontrollably – I was able to postpone my much-deserved nervous breakdown until later.

Of course, flipping the switch from panic to calm can take some practice. To achieve a strong sense of calmness in your personal or professional life, try some of these tips:

• Let go of the past. Bad feelings from past events or experiences can resurface during trying times, which can lead to anxiety or agitation. Calm people are able to focus their time and energy on the future, not dwell on the past.
• Be patient. When confronted with stressful situations, adrenaline kicks in and sometimes the impulse to rush into rash actions or decisions. Even when faced with the need to act quickly, take a deep breath and be confident that your next move is the correct one.
• Keep a clear head. It’s important to be alert and pay close attention to detail. Staying on your toes and always being aware of what’s going on around you will help create a state of calmness.
• Show courage under fire.  When the pressure is on, it’s your moment to shine. Have confidence in your knowledge and training and let those skills guide you.

Calmness is an essential trait in the workplace, and in every aspect of your life. It helps to create a positive, solace atmosphere and builds trust among everyone around you. Now that’s not to say that at my son’s next basketball game, you won’t see me jumping out of my seat, shouting “shoot it” several dozen times.

In what ways have you seen those around you demonstrate calmness?