Branding, Content, Customer Experiences, Integrated Media, Technology
When you think of direct-to-consumer healthcare marketing, “med tech” may not be the first thing that comes to mind.
Instead, we’re likely to think of pharmaceutical companies, and with good reason. Big pharma has built a reputation for bombarding traditional and digital media with their high-priced ad campaigns that communicate directly with the people who might use their medication.
But a transformation is occurring. Although med tech might be a few decades behind pharmaceuticals when it comes to communicating directly with patients, they’re doing their best to catch up – with major brands like Boston Scientific and Insulet investing a lot of money to prove it. Dexcom, which produces continuous glucose-monitoring systems, last year spent millions of dollars on a 30-second Super Bowl ad featuring singer Nick Jonas.
This trend has some med tech brands reconsidering how to best reach their audiences. How does a direct-to-consumer approach fit in an increasingly consumerized healthcare space? And what does it mean for your brand moving forward?
Keep reading to find out!
Q. Why do most people choose Kleenex over any other tissue or Aspirin over a generic knockoff?
A. Because powerful brands have a way of cementing themselves in our minds as being worthy of our trust.
Familiarity generates trust; we know exactly what we are getting when we buy that particular brand. There are no surprises, only comfort, and peace of mind. In fact, for many of us, that peace of mind is worth paying more for than taking a chance on a similar product from an unknown brand.
Branding is a hot topic with consumer-facing products, but when it comes to medical devices, you might be understandably skeptical. Many devices are unseen – either used behind the scenes or implanted in patients’ bodies. And they’re purchased by sophisticated hospital administrators and/or clinicians, who, you might think, are concerned only with performance and cost.
When you think of medical device marketing, what do you see?
Glossy brochures. Nondescript trade show booths. Stock photography.
This has become the standard way of doing things. But as medical device technology evolves and people play a more active role in researching treatment options, what makes marketing effective has changed.
You have an incredible opportunity here. While other medical device manufacturers stick to the same old strategies and wonder why they aren’t working like they used to, you can attract an audience, build meaningful relationships, and guide them on the path toward better health.
Let’s talk about how!
Healthcare marketers have an overwhelming number of tools, techniques, and platforms to connect with their audiences.
The challenge is narrowing down the choices to what’s most effective – and understanding how changing patient behavior is affecting the process.
One strategy that is gradually moving into the spotlight: influencer marketing.
What is it? Why should you consider it for your healthcare brand? What does it take to make it pay off?
Let’s break it down now.
Branding, Customer Experiences, Integrated Media, Social Media
Humana is a truly massive healthcare corporation. With over 52,000 employees and stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange, it’s one of the largest insurance brands worldwide.
These past few months have brought some major shakeups for the industry giant. For starters, they agreed to be bought out by an even larger competitor, Aetna. Additionally, they also began a major effort to focus their marketing in the digital space.
It’s easy to compare the size of Humana to your own brand and conclude their marketing has nothing to offer in the way of actionable insight. But, by focusing on the major principles driving their success, we can pull out important lessons applicable to much smaller healthcare companies.
Digital tools have the potential to transform your healthcare marketing. But making them a key part of your strategy can seem easier said than done. Everything seems so new, and constantly changing.
Paying attention to the organizations who are already use digital tools well can save you months (or even years) of frustration and mistakes. The sooner you navigate the digital “learning curve,” the sooner you can unleash your marketing’s fullest potential!
Of everyone marketing healthcare online, Northwestern Medicine is one of the very best. Let’s break down what they’re doing that makes their digital presence so special.