Audiology First is a private hearing center in Columbia, Maryland. While the staff prides itself on taking a personalized approach to meeting the needs of each patient, its marketing efforts were strictly generic. This mismatch led to a lagging customer base. “We were getting customers, but not as many as we wanted,” explains Diana Wagner, Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // When an audiology practice wasn’t growing at the desired rate, the owner turned to the experts for help sharpening its online presence and marketing efforts. The results have been impressive, with a steadier stream of new and repeat customers now coming in. This success was recently recognized by the Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // Last month, this column dealt with two advertising campaigns that you’d never guess were for hospitals — at least not until the last few seconds when a hospital logo appeared. In the interest of population health, one campaign demonstrated how to make a healthy and eye-appealing Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // If you’re traveling through Logan Airport in Boston anytime soon, you’ll probably be drawn to a collection of portraits, and accompanying personal stories, lining the walls between terminals. You’ll see beautiful, larger-than-life portraits of: Teens. Single men and women. Parents. Grandparents. Athletes. Lawyers. Physicians. Musicians. An author. A former Read More
In today’s hectic world, it’s the little things that matter, especially when it comes to making life a bit more convenient. And when this convenience brings tangible benefits to families with young kids, including those with chronic medical needs, it can be enough to spark a compelling public relations angle that has real traction. When Children’s Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // For the 36 or so years I’ve been writing this column, hospital marketing managers and their agencies have been telling me they didn’t want their ads to look like “typical hospital advertising.” And much hospital advertising really has been atypical. I’ve seen senior citizens doing stand-up Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // In today’s hectic world, it’s the little things that matter, especially when it comes to making life a bit more convenient. And when this convenience brings tangible benefits to families with young kids, including those with chronic medical needs, it can be enough to spark a compelling public relations Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // For readers younger than 45 or so, this story requires a bit of history. In the 1960s, the “slice of life” TV commercial (or “slice” for short) dominated America’s TV screens. The formula, most often used to sell detergents, toothpaste, food products, and other packaged goods, Read More
“Until very recently, advertising aimed at combatting drug use has pretty much been within the purview of government and nonprofit anti-drug organizations,” notes copywriter and regular SHCM contributor Peter Hochstein. “Partnership for a Drug Free America, for example, ran a famous TV spot during the 1980s showing an egg getting cracked into a hot frying Read More
How often do you go to Starbucks, and what do you order? Your answer likely will be different from that of your co-worker or neighbor, since everyone has his or her own unique lifestyle and taste. The same premise also holds true when it comes to selecting health care services. Different people have different needs Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // Until very recently, advertising aimed at combatting drug use has pretty much been within the purview of government and nonprofit anti-drug organizations. Partnership for a Drug Free America, for example, ran a famous TV spot during the 1980s showing an egg getting cracked into a hot Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // For one health system, extensive research served as a catalyst to bring staff members together to create a dynamic campaign that truly resonates with its target audience. How often do you go to Starbucks and what do you order? Your answer likely will be different from that of your Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // Any number of hospitals post videos on the internet featuring their doctors and other staff discussing their institutions and specialties. Too often, these standup “talking head” presentations feel unspontaneous and uncomfortable. Eyes shift nervously as speakers obviously read from cue cards. Language that looked good on Read More
“Sorry, family health care decision-making moms, ages 20-something to about 50. For once, you’re not the specific target of a hospital advertising campaign,” says veteran copywriter and frequent SHCM contributor Peter Hochstein. “Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, with 618 licensed and leased beds and 1.4 million patient visits annually, has been running a different Read More
What’s old is new again at Methodist Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. Methodist recently celebrated its 125th anniversary, and this milestone provided a valuable opportunity for the health system to build on its past to position itself for the future. While most health care systems pride themselves on being ahead of the curve when it comes Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // Sorry, family health care decision-making moms, ages 20-something to about 50. For once, you’re not the specific target of a hospital advertising campaign. But then, Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, with 618 licensed and leased beds and 1.4 million patient visits annually, has been running Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // What’s old is new again at Methodist Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. Methodist recently celebrated its 125th anniversary, and this milestone provided a valuable opportunity for the health system to build on its past to position itself for the future. Read on to find out how a multifaceted campaign helped Read More
Veteran copywriter and regular SHCM contributor Peter Hochstein suggests an interesting proposition: “Run some hospital advertising that flat out calls your potential patients nerds. Nah, come to think of it, that probably wouldn’t work, and might prompt some irate letters to your CEO. Well then, how about offering advice that sounds financial, and encourages people to ‘go Read More
“Before anything, Rachael Kagan, director of communications for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, wants you to know that the campaign her department launched is not an advertising campaign. It’s a branding campaign, she insists,” says veteran copywriter and regular SHCM contributor Peter Hochstein. “It wasn’t about drawing more people or business,” she explains. Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // Here’s a bright idea: Run some hospital advertising that flat out calls your potential patients nerds. Nah, come to think of it, that probably wouldn’t work, and might prompt some irate letters to your CEO. Well then, how about offering advice that sounds financial, and encourages Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // Before anything, Rachael Kagan, director of communications for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, wants you to know that the campaign her department launched is not an advertising campaign. It’s a branding campaign, she insists. “It wasn’t about drawing more people or business,” she explains. Read More
At the annual meeting of the Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD) in September 2017, a group of health care strategists from the Middle East came all the way to Orlando, Florida to attend the presentations. When they introduced themselves to SHSMD representatives, they revealed that they had made the trip to attend Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // This is a pivotal time in health care as conditions continue to shift rapidly, posing new challenges for health care organizations, regardless of size, structure, or location. That’s why SHSMD’s latest publication offers a roadmap that can be tailored for any situation, to empower marketers and strategists to help Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // Uh oh! Something isn’t quite right about the race car driver in a TV spot. He’s a bit too pudgy. He seems overly fidgety. Instead of wearing a race car driver’s fireproof suit, he’s sporting a short-sleeved polo shirt. And as he floors the gas pedal Read More
The journey to selecting a health care system is not unlike the way people decide to buy a car, book a vacation destination, or hire a plumber. In fact, the basic consumer journey model can be adapted to almost any industry, according to Stephen Moegling, chief growth officer at Franklin Street, a health care brand Read More