The idiom, “Don’t put the cart before the horse,” might have originated a couple thousand years ago. And roughly 500 years ago, the expression was a common figure of speech during the Renaissance. But as recently as last week, the age-old problem of putting things in the wrong order is, quite unfortunately, still alive and well...and […]
In an ordinary game of five-card poker there are 2,598,960 possible hands with a 52-card deck. Winning is always a gamble; it's a mix of luck in what you’ve been dealt and how the cards are played. Healthcare marketing and advertising has many more moving parts than poker; it's a lot more complex, and usually […]
All too often marketing professionals unintentionally alienate one of the largest (and most financially significant) target audiences, the over-50 crowd. Maybe they didn’t mean to, but the 30-something marketing person just doesn’t have a clue about the true mindset of the 50-, 60- or 70-something person they want to reach. We see this frequently when […]
The research folks at Pew Internet provide an insightful report about the multi-layered patterns of social networking by online adults. Marketing and communications professionals can determine the most engaging social media opportunities. Referring to Facebook as “dominant” is almost an understatement. Among online adults using social media (SM) sites, the Pew Research Center reports that […]
Any quiet “thinking time” in late December is likely to find a physician reflecting on the year-end...and the year ahead. For many providers, the only constant—past or future—has been, and will likely be, change…and New Year resolutions can often be distilled to a wish for “a better year.” Reward yourself this holiday season with a […]
No, I’m not bald. Not yet. But there are moments throughout the year when I’m ready to grab a handful of those threadlike strands and yank with gusto. Instead, please allow me this brief and civilized rant…a year-end vent for the little frustrations that I encounter in healthcare marketing and advertising. In fact, let’s consider […]
By this time in the planning process, you’ve nailed all the big picture items for 2014. All your major building blocks—marketing plan, campaigns, goals and budget—are stacked, and the countdown to the New Year is ticking. What’s next we’ll call “adding icing to the cake.” Here’s a roundup of ideas that don’t qualify as major […]
Curiously, the vast majority of all US hospitals do not participate in social media. We can’t help but wonder (and worry) if this at all reflects how some healthcare marketing pros are planning for the New Year. Having anything less than a first class Internet and social media strategy would be a large and painful […]
All too often, we’re just too busy…and we confuse activity with productivity. I’m guilty of this. I know doctors and hospital executives who admit to the problem. Likely, you can also relate. Non-stop multi-tasking blurs our perception of what’s important and what’s actually getting done. And that’s the moment when we need Indiana Jones. I […]
We’re not about to jump aboard the “traditional-is-dead” bandwagon. But it's no surprise which direction the parade is headed. Print, broadcast and other media belong in your marketing and advertising plan when they match your target audience and objectives. True, about 170 newspapers have disappeared in the past five years. TV viewership among young adults […]
Is your business model like playing solitaire? There's a brief back-story to my question. Sometimes, late at night after a long day, I still feel wound up, even though my family has long been asleep. So I grab my iPhone (in the dark) and play a little solitaire just to slow down. The fact that […]
Two interesting items in the online news caught our attention recently. Both were serious reports from the business world about the comparative effectiveness of search engines, social media and email. Both were completely credible, widely circulated, and good fodder for strategic thinking and planning. The contrasting information asks and answers vital questions. With an equal […]
