Telling a Tough Story

 

In healthcare marketing, if you’re not talking about the obvious, you’re leaving most of your patients at risk. You’re failing at the most basic mandate of your job.

 

Here are some tips to deliver the message the patient doesn’t always want to hear – and to make it stick:

 

• Make it Personal —Tell the story of one child, not a group of children.
• Ditch the Shame Game—Shame makes it difficult, if not impossible, to participate. Give your patient permission to be honest by framing the question in a way that avoids the shame game.
• Details, Details, Details—As realtors know, it’s all about location, location, location. For health topics, it’s all about the details. Set the stage with details a patient can relate to and understand.
• Dig into Reality —The closer the link between the behavior and the threat to health, the more motivated a patient will be to change.
• Find a Narrative with an Arc—Interview someone who recognized the problem and who’s making changes. Get him or her to explain how they are managing to do it, and then share those ideas (without breaching confidentiality).
• Ride the Community Surf—Allow creative, innovative ways for people to connect on shared topics of interests about their health and their community.
• Stay on Message —Stay focused on the primary health issue and how to sustain the story over time.
• Plan for Failure —Consider a sidebar story with tips for making a plan to deal with a possible relapse.
• Remember the Power of the Positive —Focusing on the positive, rather than the threat, is more potent at encouraging measurable health change over time.

 

Pulling all these factors together into one compelling story can be challenging, but it can make your story more inspiring and result in real change for real patients. And, it’s change you can measure.

 

Help From Experts

 

We help clients tell their unique stories in ways that affect what people think, feel, say and do when it comes to:

 

• Choosing your physicians, services and facilities over the competition
• Believing in your people and processes to deliver high quality care
• Buying into your brand and your reputation

 

Call us for more information on these and other insights.  It’s easy to work with us. We meet our deadlines, and we keep our promises. That’s our bottom line.

 

 

Who Owns Your Brand?

“Media is no longer a product. It is not a production. It is not a box office hit. It is how we contribute to and how we benefit from our collective expressiveness.”   Michael Wolff, Vanity Fair

Social media is teaching us an important lesson: we no longer own our brands. Anyone with Internet access and an opinion is helping to shape the perceptions about your company and its brand. You now have an unlimited number of brand managers – like it or not.

 Given that opportunity, it’s critical to be aware of all the conversations swirling around your brand. Monitor the online community:

•  Listen in on the critical conversations that give you instant insight into what people are thinking, feeling saying and doing when it comes to your brand
• Engage with “friends” and “fans.” Use them to bounce ideas off of, to learn if your messages are ringing true to your consumers’ ears
• Hit the pause button and rethink if your “online brand managers” are not resonating with your company’s marketing and brand messages

 Here are some free resources to monitor the online conversation:

•  Google Alerts, www.google.com
• Boardtracker, www.boardtracker.com
• Twitter, www.twitter.com
• Board Reader, www.boardreader.com
• Technorati, www.technorati.com
• Social Media Firehose, http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes
• Social Mention, www.socialmention.com

Approximately 250 million in the United States are online, in one form or another. Social media is growing stronger and more influential every day. Mobile technology is becoming a dominant way we communicate with one another. The bottom line:

•  Spend the time to focus on social media and how it’s affecting you and your customers
• Figure out what makes business sense for your company and your customers
• Use it to benefit you and your customers

 Say, by the way, how are your competitors addressing social media?

Writing Well: Stress Benefits Over Features

Most everything we write in business, from news releases to budget plans, seeks to prompt a response. In a news release, we want the editor or reporter to do a story on the latest development at your company. In a budget proposal, we want the senior leadership or board of directors to fund a new initiative.

Persuasion is the key element of success in business and in writing. Stressing the benefits instead of features is usually  more persuasive. Your target audience cares more about what your product or service will do for them versus how many bells and whistles might be attached.

Features may attract, but people buy benefits. “Relax while you’re on vacation while our state-of-the art, digital alarm system with remote back-up capability and 10-bit memory chip protects your home and valuable possessions.” What is more persuasive, the specifics of the digital system or relaxing on vacation?

Wiki Ready?

Many companies are not prepared for the potential that Wiki leaks might embarrass or threaten their business.

 In an age when nearly any employee can walk out the door with critical data on a thumb drive or through remote access, companies are wise to identify the risks. Do company e-mails:

•  Describe efforts by employees to attach a competitor
• Include examples of the company taking advantage of customers
• Show company executive tolerating or encouraging bad behavior

 Companies need plan to prevent disclosures and communicate with employees, customers, media, regulators and other stakeholders if they do occur:

 Plan for the scenarios that are most likely to happen and cause the most damage. Set priorities. You can’t plan for every scenario nor is every scenario likely to happen.

• Create a culture where people feel free to share their concerns openly with co-workers and supervisors. Employees usually “leak” something to the press or regulators when they feel management has not responded to their concerns.

 What are the scenarios and relevant risk assessments? The value of PR is bringing the issue to the table and helping senior management develop an effective strategy to deal with, hopefully prevent, the possibility of Wiki leaks on your company.

All Things Local

Being an effective player in the public policy debates in Washington, D.C. and state capitol buildings across the country has become mission critical for most companies today.

How can you achieve better results?

Bolster your outreach to senators and representatives with public relations targeted to their bases back home. Localize the issue in terms of business impact. Meet and explain the issues to local editorial boards. Urge locally prominent people to write op-eds in the newspapers back in the senator’s home state or representative’s local district. Place friendly community leaders on local TV, radio and talk shows.

Generate media hits that leap from one medium to another. Whether it’s “new” or “old” media, the key question is do they influence those likely to participate in the debate and the decision-makers who control the legislative process. Seize on media opportunities to leap from medium to medium. A compelling op-ed can be picked up by bloggers and generate cable news appearances. The right video can go viral on social media.

Build coalitions across ideological lines. People on either side of the aisle can end up on the same side of an issue for very different reasons. If you’re opposing a particular policy, build a coalition among insurgent legislators and groups of opposing philosophies. Some may be skeptical of government intruding in the private sector. Others may oppose the policy because they feel it favors one interest. Together, you have a good left/right alliance

The 2010 election shifted power relationships within, as well as between, the parties. The old labels don’t tell you how a lawmaker will vote on tax cuts or trade agreement. Each party includes insurgents.

Prepare for unconventional warfare, with shifting alliances and flexible, fast-moving tactics. Integrated plans are the key to scoring your public policy goals.

Public Relations Effective in Building Brand Equity

 Public relations is particularly effective in building brand equity because of its ability to harness the power of third-party credibility to enhance brand awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality and other brand associations that distinguish the brand from other market choices.

The third-party credibility that public relations brings is needed to reach today’s increasingly skeptical consumers, who find advertising less credible. The ability of effective public relations to identify issues that impact marketing, to handle crisis situations and to counsel management can greatly influence marketing success and failure.

Advertising and promotion are about salesmanship. Increasingly, consumers know it and are on the defensive about buying something they may not want or need.

Public relations is about information. By providing information to consumers, directly or through trusted third-parties, public relations makes advertising more believable and promotion more actionable.

Credibility is the key.

Of all the components of any integrated marketing program, public relations best possesses the priceless ingredient that is essential to success – the ability to lend credibility to the product message.

We meet our deadlines, and we keep our promises.  That’s our bottom line. To learn more, please visit our Web site at www.blmpr.com

More Than Money: Intrinsic Motivators Matter

What does it take to engage and motivate employees today? While financial rewards are often mentioned as a motivator, the most common were intrinsic motivators, according to a recent study of employee motivation by the Ashridge Business School.

The top most important motivator was the work itself, followed by the need for work to be challenging and interesting, as well as valued and recognized by the company, according to the Ashridge study. The key motivators were praise and recognition from the manager, and the organization and celebration of success.

The Ashridge study also found that a very important theme is the employee’s desire for autonomy and freedom to do his or her job, the ability to make decisions and the authority to deliver the work in a way the employee considers the best. Another important employee motivator is being trusted to get the job done – without being micromanaged. Other key themes are communications, objectives and goals, and a shared vision.

Ultimately, the quality of leadership is paramount to good employee morale. Poor leadership results in poor employee engagement, which results in poor performance. According to the Ashridge study, the following elements are essential for motivational success:

• Organizational structure and processes – performance management, reward systems,    training, interesting work – must be supported by a clear vision, strong communication, quality decision-making and a culture of mutual respect.

• Companies need to pay attention to the working environment. For example, too many meetings and poor meeting management negatively affect the levels of employee engagement

• The individual employee needs to know what motivates him or her and be aware of how work satisfies these needs. The manager can support this process by facilitating opportunities for employees to meet, talk and share their views with colleagues and managers.

• Colleagues make huge difference. Working with people who respect and support each other is positively motivating.

An inspired, motivated staff makes all the difference in your company’s ability to deliver on its brand promise. How many of these “12 Important Ways to Motivate Employees” do you see in your workplace.

12 IMPORTANT WAYS TO MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES

1. Provide employees with the information and resources they need to do a good job.

2. Ask employees for their input and involve them in decisions that affect their jobs.

3. Find out from employees directly what motivates them to do great work.

4. Personally congratulate employees individually for their excellent work.

5. Recognize the needs of employees.

6. Establish good communication channels – be accessible and available (mentally and physically).

7. Use performance as basis for promotion/advancement.

8. Rely on a promote-from-within policy.

9. Publicly acknowledge employees for good work (when and where appropriate).

10. Include recognition as part of morale-building activities to celebrate group success.

11. Set clear goals.

12. Foster a sense of community.

Source: Adapted from Top 20 Ways to Motivate Employees, (Sept 2008) Super Vision, 69/9, 26

Jeffrey Remsik
Bottom Line Marketing & Public Relations
President/CEO
414-270-3000 x 222
jremsik@blmpr.com

PR Spending of $8 Billion by 2013

Spending on public relations will reach more than $8 billion by 2013, a 55 percent increase over 2008, according to the Communications Industry Forecast by private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS)

The $8 billion includes more than $3 billion on word-of-mouth marketing, social media outreach and offline brand ambassador programs. The VSS report attributed the forecasted growth in part to a more complex media landscape.

“With a 24-hour news cycle, companies need more advice around PR than they did in the past. Businesses also continue to understand the value of having their message validated by a third-party,” according to Jim Rutherford, EVP and MD at VSS.

In 2008, spending on PR and word-of-mouth rose 7 percent – to $5.2 billion – compared to 2007, but was predicted to grow 4.2 percent in recession-battered 2009. PR performed well compared to advertising, which decreased by 11 percent over the past two years. From 2008 to 2013, VSS forecasts that will decline another three percent.

Follow the link for more information on the Communications Industry Forecast, http://www.vss.com/news/index.asp?d_News_ID=183.

 Jeffrey Remsik

President/CEO

Bottom Line Marketing

jremsik@blmpr.com

414-270-3000 x 222

www.blmpr.com

Out of Sight—Out of Business

A recent research report from The Nielsen Company shows that “out of sight” can mean “out of business” for financial services institutions.

What’s the most effective way to stay “in sight” and “top of mind?” The research indicates that public relations strategies are more likely than advertising to be effective in building consumer confidence in financial institutions.

When asked what factors would increase confidence in the safety and soundness of their financial institution, respondents cited:

•  Reading positive news/features stories in the press, 44 percent
• Seeing regular advertising for that institution, 25 percent
• Receiving regular mail or e-mail offers, 25 percent
• Regularly seeing Internet offers/advertising, 21 percent

The research results amplify the point that the most effective messages are those that are transmitted through trusted third parties or by word-of-mouth.

The Nielsen research on brand confidence was a national online survey of 5,500 U.S. respondents, who were asked questions about their confidence in:

•  The bank where they have their personal checking and savings accounts
• The company that handles their investments and retirement accounts
• Their life insurance company

The current economy underscores the importance of marketing via third-party influencers and channels, one of the true domains of public relations. Since unpaid media placements are more credible to buyers, public relations should play a key role in building brand value, especially among high involvement brands like financial institutions.

Are you using public relations to stay “in sight” “top of mind?” There’s never been a better time to consider public relations.

Avoiding Catastrophic Cost

One of the most elusive measures of public relations is the impact of quality counsel and crisis avoidance. One effective method is to examine the outcomes other companies experienced in similar crises.

 In one case, A Fortune 100 company faced environmental litigation from the state’s attorney general over a clean-up site. Before taking a position to fight or submit, the company’s lead public relations executive recommended working with the CFO to study peer companies to see how they handled similar challenges and what happened as a result.

 The study examined the market capitalization of 10 companies in similar circumstances. It found that the five companies that resolved the environmental issue swiftly saw short-term stock price declines before generating an average stock price gain of 8 percent in the ensuing 12 months. Those companies that chose to either not respond or fight saw an average stock price decline of 10 percent, and some never recovered.

 The CEO here decided the risk was too great and chose to negotiate a settlement with the state’s attorney general. The company’s stock price declined for a week following news of the settlement, but rebounded to finish the year with a 12 percent net gain.

This is the kind of value effective public relations can deliver and in terms senior leaders and the board of directors understand.