From our Healthcare Blog: Nine Things That Will Disappear In Our Lifetime

One of my golf buddies sent this list to me the other night. I have no clue as to its origin, but it's interesting and something to think about. Whether these changes are good or bad depends, in large measure, on how we adapt to them. But, ready or not, here they come…


1. The Post Office. Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term. E-mail, Fed Ex and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills. And if those go (see #2 below), look out. It's over.


2. The Check. Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with checks by 2018. It costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process checks. Plastic cards, online transactions and even smartphones will lead to the eventual demise of the check. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.
It will happen.

3. The Newspaper. The younger generation simply doesn't read the newspaper like we more seasoned folks do. (I personally read three newspapers each day—but now, I read them online). The younger generation certainly doesn’t subscribe to a daily delivered print edition. Printed newspapers, therefore, may go the way of the milkman and the laundry man. As for reading the paper online, get ready to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.


4. The Book. You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages. I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD (or better still: vinyl). But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy. And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the convenience! Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen of an iPad or Kindle or Nuk, instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can't wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you're holding a gadget instead of a bound book.


5. The Land Line Telephone. Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you just don't need a land line telephone anymore. Most people keep it simply because they've always had it. But you are paying double charges for that extra service. All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes.
My kids have never had a land line telephone in their adult lives.

6. Music. This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is dying a slow death. Not just because of illegal downloading. It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would like to hear it. A friend of mine recently lead a panel at South By Southwest entitled “I’m not old; your music really does suck.” Greed and corruption is the problem. The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing. Over 40% of the music purchased today is "catalog items," meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with—older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit. To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, "Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, "Before the Music Dies."


7. Broadcast Television. Revenues to the big-four networks are down dramatically, and not just because of the economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers and tablets and on narrow-casted cable channels like Discovery, A&E, HBO, etc. And they're playing games and doing lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator. Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds. I say good riddance to most of it. It's time for the cable companies to be put out of our misery. Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix, like I do now.


8. "Things" That You Own. Many of the very possessions that we used to own are still in our lives, but we may not actually own them in the future.. They may simply reside in "the cloud." Today your computer has a hard drive and you store your pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD, and you can always re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up their latest "cloud services." That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will be built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS will be tied straight into the Internet. If you click an icon, it will open something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to the cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud provider. In this virtual world, you can access your music or your books, or your whatever from any laptop or handheld device. That's the good news. But, will you actually own any of this "stuff" or will it all be able to disappear at any moment in a big "Poof?" Will most of the things in our lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet and pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD (or better still, an album) case and get lost in the liner notes.


9. Privacy. If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy. That's gone. It's been gone for a long time anyway. There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings we frequent, and even built into your computer and cell phone (along with GPS). As a result, you can be sure that, 24/7, "They" know who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View. If you buy something online—and even in many stores, your shopping habit is put into a zillion databases and profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits. And "They" will try to get you to buy something else. Again and again.

It may be nostalgic, but soon, all we will have that can't be changed are Memories.

But in that rather Orwellian future dwells opportunity. Leverage the new media and the new models. Make the effort to tell resonate, relevant stories—to every constituent, through every channel—make the effort to deliver real, valuable, differentiating information, evidence and experiences—make me want to trust you—and your brand will stand out. And people will buy. Some things never change.

And Bob Dylan was right: “he not a-busy being born is a-busy dying.”

Learn more about new media and telling relevant stories at www.tomsheehan.com or call us at 610.478.8448.

—Tom Sheehan is Principal Strategist and Creative Director at tomsheehan worldwide. He can be reached at tomsheehan@tomsheehan.com or at 610.478.8448.

Is Print Advertising in Healthcare Irrelevant?

To even the most casual observer, it's obvious that many newspapers and magazines are getting thinner. But does that mean that they are becoming irrelevant? Conventional wisdom, and a lot of pundits, say so; but I don't think so. Not any time soon, at least. We all know the struggles that newspapers are having – but they are very broad based, in terms of both their content and the competition for their readers. Yet, there are a few who are thriving. And magazines are a different animal. In fact, I read some research just last week that indicated that readership of magazines (except for the broadest, consumer-focused magazines) is up, and more important, so is engagement.

So why are ad pages down?

My personal opinion is that it's a case of a following the herd mentality among marketers. A few years ago, the media word became all about online. Online was the new model -- the panacea for any marketer who wanted to be at the forefront of the practice, easily picking off one new target after another with extremely micro-focused, data driven messaging and placement. And right or wrong, the herd followed.

Next, online morphed into an obsession with social media, and you ended up with hospitals on Facebook wondering why nobody "likes" them. Come on, folks, just because social medial portals like Facebook work for boy bands selling to teenage girls doesn't mean that social media is the new end-all for healthcare marketers. Still, the herd followed.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that online and social media don't have a legitimate (and very desirable) place in healthcare marketing strategy (I know of some very compelling case studies and approaches); however, I've noticed that, too often, these new media initiatives are funded on a "let's rob Peter to pay Paul" basis -- and "Peter" ends up being print media. That's not a good solution.

The fact is, like any prudent investment strategy, diversification is key. Own your channels and conversations, yes; but own all of them. An engaged prospect is a solid prospect -- no matter where they reside in the pipe. Give me a balanced attack. Give me strategic integration among media in use. Give me engagement. Give me liberty or give me death. Oh, sorry, wrong speech.

Look for posts on intelligently integrating online and social media in future installments, all right here on this same channel. In the meantime, don't be tempted to simply follow the herd. Dare to walk the other direction sometimes, with thought and strategy. You may be very pleasantly surprised at the results.

—Tom Sheehan is Principal Strategist and Creative Director at tomsheehan worldwide. He can be reached at tomsheehan@tomsheehan.com or at 610.478.8448.

Run an ad. Create a landing page.

Think of it as a phone call. Your prospect sees your ad and has enough interest to want to learn more about what you have to offer. So they visit the link to your website. Sounds simple enough, but what happens next?

To understand the process, travel back in time to the “pre-website” days of marketing, where instead of a URL, you have only a phone number. If your prospect were to call that phone number and get a pre-recorded “one size fits all” message, what do you think would happen to their level of interest in what you have to offer—and by extension, to your prospective sale? The answer is “not much.”

Now imagine this scenario: your prospect calls the phone number in the ad, and instead of a generic message, they reach a live human who speaks directly to the prospect’s area of interest, drilling down on the message(s) in your ad, answer their questions before they’re even asked and deliver a logical, easy-to-act-on call to action. What do you think the result of that scenario would be? Much better, you would think. And you’d be right.

Those two scenarios illustrate the difference between driving a prospect to your general website and driving them to a custom landing page. By driving your prospect to a custom landing page, you’re able to focus and lead the conversation to and through the specific information that your prospect needs to see, read and hear in order to deepen their interest in, and connection with, your brand, core competency, service line, etc. It’s a no-brainer. And it’s a lot easier to implement than you might think.

Every ad you create should be accompanied by a specific landing page, customized to the topic/message of your ad. And while you’re at it, make sure that both your ad and your landing page also contain links to your social media sites so that you can continue to build the conversation with them, too.

Have a question? Get an answer. If you have a question about custom landing pages or social media integration, give us a call at 610.478.8448. Happy landings!

-Tom Sheehan is Principal at tomsheehan worldwide. He can be reached at tomsheehan@tomsheehan.com.

Reach, Frequency & The Art of Patient Satisfaction

In our after-hours discussions, one of my esteemed colleagues and I have a recurring debate about the power of word of mouth versus effective advertising in driving decision making among healthcare consumers, and in turn, strategy development for healthcare marketers. Our discussions remind me of the old beer commercials that had a room full of sports icons yelling back and forth at each other, “Tastes Great” vs. “Less Filling.” I apologize to those readers who are too young to remember these ads and or those who could care less about the sports icons that made these commercials so successful with us vintage-simple-minded-sports-crazed-beer-drinkers.

My argument is that word of mouth is the key differentiator. Thus, because word of mouth is driven by the patient/visitor experience, satisfaction (especially less than stellar satisfaction) has to be a primary concern for healthcare marketers. In our consulting experience, we find that most healthcare marketers agree, but feel hamstrung by lack of control, and even influence, over the patient experience. So they concentrate their effort and dollars into traditional advertising, community relations and outreach. Which is great if the experience is where it needs to be.

Can advertising drive the numbers? You bet. But there are some conditions that lead to success. One is great creative, with on target messaging. Another is reach and frequency; you have to deliver the message(s) to the right audience(s) at the right time(s) with meaningful frequency. Last but not least, it had better be backed up with an exceptional experience, or your short term advertising gains could easily be erased by negative word of mouth. Our experience is, once you’ve you pulled them in with great advertising but then pushed them away with a bad experience, getting them back is exponentially harder.

Recently we created and promoted an orthopedic brand for Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Florida. Needless to say, our creative and messaging was (how do I say this with appropriate humility) spot on. Just as important, Munroe Regional invested in the multimedia reach and frequency necessary to drive the message home. And in my book, most importantly, they backed it up with an exceptional patient and physician experience. The result? Munroe’s orthopedic surgery caseload went up 55% in less than a year, and all indications are that they are just getting started and that the caseload will see another significant increase in year two.

So what do you do if your patient satisfaction scores aren’t where they need to be, and you’re a marketer who lacks control over the experience? Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes or turnkey solutions, but you can start by looking close to home. Historically, opportunity drill downs in patient satisfaction survey results consistently point to communication and information as having the biggest impact on the one survey question that tells the story “Would you recommend this provider to family and friends?”

Hmmm, communications… Isn’t that something over which we marketers have at least some control? At tomsheehan worldwide, we think you do. If you are interested in learning more about our Best Informed Patient™ approach to patient satisfaction and positive word of mouth, check it out on our web site http://www.tomsheehan.com or give us a call 610-478-8448. One thing is for sure: doing nothing and expecting things to change isn’t the answer.

-Scott Boie is Chief Healthcare Strategist at tomsheehan worldwide. He can be reached at scottboie@tomsheehan.com.

Winnie Palmer’s Five-Star Hospital Concierge Service

Given the importance of word of mouth in healthcare consumer decision making—and that word of mouth is largely driven by the patient and visitor experience—healthcare marketers around the country have long coveted the Five-Star Hotel model of guest and concierge services. Many have gone down the road of trying to create hybrid services that are brought to life by volunteers, and perhaps, limited paid staff. Few have succeeded in putting together a service that rivals what is a standard part of all premium or even full-service hotel brands.

Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, Florida, is one BIG exception to the rule, which is exactly why we’re featuring their story in this week’s post.

Attached to the Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital, Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies is an aesthetically beautiful facility that welcomes, on average, 12,500 new lives into the community each year. Additionally, they feature one of the busiest NICUs in the country, with 120 beds routinely averaging near capacity census. As a result, there are a lot of moms, babies and visitors to keep track of in a hyper-security environment. Winnie Palmer not only does it, but they do it with the panache of a Five-Star Hotel.

The program’s architect is Winnie Palmer’s Jenna Stallard, Manager of Customer Relations. Jenna honed her customer service skills with Marriott and has taken the Winnie Palmer program from Kathy Swanson’s, President of Winnie Palmer, vision to a successful reality featuring guest amenities delivered by an engaged, professionally uniformed staff who greet patients, families and visitors with a smile and a friendly message of, “how can I help you get started with your experience at Winnie Palmer?”

"Every room at Winnie Palmer Hospital is a private room offering floor to ceiling windows and a Murphy bed for loved ones,” said Jenna. “While every patient benefits from a beautifully appointed room, our Concierge offers additional amenities to enhance their stay.” Upgrades include spa inspired robes, slippers, Gilchrist and Soames Toiletries, upgraded linens, celebratory gourmet meals and in-room spa services. Complimentary Concierge services include movie rentals, accommodations for hospitality, house and hotel reservations, maps and directions, gift arrangement, wrapping and delivery, business services, and assistance with scheduling Winnie Palmer Hospital OB tours and maternal education classes. Concierge hours are from 7am to 10:30pm.

As a separate function, Jenna’s Guest Services staff mans the main Information Desk, along with the Labor & Delivery, NICU and Surgery waiting areas. They also handle the important security function of visitor badging over 1,000 guests per day.

When Jenna set out to build Winnie Palmer’s Concierge & Guest Services Programs, she really couldn’t find another hospital to benchmark, so she created one. And in the process, Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies became the benchmark that other hospitals can aspire to be.

Jenna Stallard can be reached at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, Florida.

Visit Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies

-Scott Boie is Chief Healthcare Strategist at tomsheehan worldwide. He can be reached at scottboie@tomsheehan.com.