Apr

The common characteristics of great health and healthy lifestyle brand models

There are many different brand models.

But there are common characteristics that distinguish ALL great (different) health and healthy lifestyle brands from others. They see their world, and that of their customers, differently. Which lets them think and do different things – to challenge conventions, hypothesize alternatives and explore new possibilities.

Based on principles of Blue Ocean Strategy, a proven framework for guiding companies to create new and uncontested market space, these include:

• looking across alternative industries, knowing that their products and services compete with companies outside their traditional market
• looking across strategic groups within industries, based on customers’ decision-making practices
• looking across different buyer (customer) groups, knowing there are those directly and indirectly involved in purchase decisions
• looking across complementary products and services, to break free from accepted boundaries of competitive offerings
• looking across the spectrum of functional or emotional appeals to buyers, to create new bases of appeal
• look across time, to shape (rather than adapt to) external trends over time

Are you one of these great brands?

Apr

Implications for health brand marketers – understanding why tweeters tweet

To learn new things and to get information needed to improve their lives.

This was, in my mind, the most important finding of a recently conducted MarketingProfs survey among 432 highly involved Twitter users (average of 2.7 hours per day on Twitter). Not exactly reflective of the typical Twitter user, but interesting findings nonetheless.

The survey set out to find- why do they use Twitter? How do they feel about common practices on Twitter? How do they view their experiences? Highlights of the survey appeared on Mashable.

This one finding has to do with the most important motivations for using Twitter. So what are the implications for health and healthy lifestyle brands:

• people crave interaction
• because the tools exist to provide it, they expect it
• brands are ideally suited to help people learn these new things and get the information they need to improve their lives

The brands that succeed in doing this will thrive (consider the social media efforts of Mayo Clinic) – as both consumer and brand energize one another.

Mar

Your healthcare brand promise needs to be social

I led a workshop the other day for one of our healthcare clients. We were refining their brand promise, in light of their new vision and mission. We assembled a cross-functional team rarely involved in this work, which was refreshing because they approached the exercise very simply from the standpoint of “promises are about people.”

Criteria for creating the promise flowed easily from here:

• One sentence that speaks in a simple and human voice, so that each team member is engaged and inspired to deliver on the promise each and every day
• Believable to, and can be delivered by, all facilities
• Unique, such that no other organization should fit within the statement
• Compelling in that it addresses benefits that communities are hungry for
• No throwaway words, as they don’t distinguish and just take up space

But there was one more point that we needed to consider. The promise needs to be deliverable through Web 2.0/social media dialogue. To accommodate two-way conversations when consumers demand.

Jan

Building healthcare brands from the inside-out

I gave a presentation to the global sales force of a current client this week. We’re formally relaunching the corporate brand next month. We introduced the team to the new brand direction and talked about how we were going to help them strengthen and build connections with current and prospective clients and partners.

For most healthcare brands your staff is your sales force. Branding begins from the inside out.

The timing for the meeting was particularly important. Because there’s a backdrop of doubt, uncertainty and lack of forward movement on the part of their clients. So the idea that they could actually ‘sell” a compelling and differentiating brand promise that transcended their suite of products and services really resonated with them.

In particular, there were a few concepts that stood out for them:

• that their brand is not a logo, a themeline, a product or service or manual. Rather, it’s the difference between an MP3 player and an iPOD, a battery and an “energizer bunny” battery, a banana and a Chiquita banana, the hundreds of defunct department stores and Target. Rather, brand is an expectation – of a product, service or organization – ultimately delivering a feeling- based on ideas and experiences.

• given a market backdrop of too many (and too similar) product choices, too much information, a discerning consumer who can now decide how they connect, create and consume media – the old modes of brand-building based on transactions has now evolved to connections (to dynamic conversations, doing vs. saying, experiences vs. touch-points, building community versus building audience).

• the fact that (to borrow on a native american saying) “it takes a thousand voices to tell a single story.” That absolutely everything the sales force (and the organization) does, either enhances or detracts from brand reputation. The fact that all actions have consequences – which compelled them to say to leadership and other supporting cast members “don’t screw this up for us.”

• that if you consider the advantages of building a strong brand – from both an internal and external, relationship and financial perspective – there are tangible financial and relationship benefits beyond what they had considered. And that they could actually sell against these benefits.

• the fact that brand value is tied to stock market value (in fact, represents a disproportionate share of stock market value in strong brand-driven companies); and that these corporate brands are supported by strong brand-centric cultures, where
all employees understand and are aligned in brand delivery.

The team was excited and energized about what the company was doing. They asked about additional materials and tools. And they extolled the company to please not let this one slip away. Pretty cool that this feedback was coming from the sales force.

Oct

Rebranding pitfalls that health brands can avoid

Your brand isn’t running on all cylinders. There are indicators that you’re leaving reputation, relationships and business behind. So you’ve made the decision to re-brand. Some organizations have the skills, discipline and stamina to execute a strategically and tactically brilliant, organization-changing result. Others, while good intentioned, leave something [if not a lot] behind.

Here are common common pitfalls to aviod:

a. Ready, Fire, Aim. The significant time and expense of re-branding warrants tangible returns. Isolate and agree upfront to the most important business and brand issue(s) that you’ll address through the effort.

b. Not Realizing What’s On The Table. As your brand encompasses all the characteristics, both tangible and intangible, that surround your offerings, realize that everything your organization says and does makes up the brand experience. So everything, as it should be, is up for evaluation and refinement.

c. Going It Alone. Just as you wouldn’t diagnose your own physical ailments, the objectivity and expertise of an external consultant is critical to evaluating, creating and credibly selling internally to your leadership and teams.

d. Not Having Key Influencers and Decision-Makers On Board. Do not undertake this effort until these important allies are on board. Understand their opinions and expectations. And keep them appraised along the way.

e. Lack of Demonstrated Senior Leadership Commitment. All the time and expense of this endeavor will never be taken seriously, and will certainly never stick, unless leadership has explicitly communicated [and is ready to demonstrate] their commitment.

f. Inward Perspective. Your external audiences are the arbiters of your success, so understand how they view the organization. Contrast and reconcile these perspectives against your own to determine the gaps that need to be filled to realize your objectives.

g. Disregarding Your Legacy. While you can’t be led by the past, you don’t cast aside those equities that you’ve worked so hard to create. Don’t disregard what’s working, because these are the building blocks for enhancing your relevancy.

h. Bypassing Insiders. Your employees will make or break the initiative. They need to understand and believe in the program and the desired outcome. And most important, they need to be emotionally engaged.

i. Branding As A One-Time Event. As James Gandolfini would say “fuggedaboudit.” Because branding is akin to a marathon, not a sprint to the finish line. It will take longer, and cost more, than you imagined.

j. Neglecting To Patrol And Control The Airwaves. Monitor and share in the web-based conversations about your organization. Participate in the blogisphere. Help yourself control (at least as much as you can) your own destiny.

Sep

Health brands that best stand out and apart – real. simple. branding

In a world filled with too much of everything (and just as much similarity), the ongoing process of building clear, valued and sustained differentiation through branding is a crucial step to forging relationships and growing business.

So how can your health brand stand out and apart? By aligning your organization, services or products around the promise of your brand. Ensuring that all you do from selling your brand’s story inside, to building your product, service, market, channel, pricing, customer service and communications strategies reinforce why you’re the best choice for consumers. And this is about REAL. SIMPLE. BRANDING:

REAL.
I remember calling AOL a few years ago. I was told via IVR that “we’ve doubled our number of customer service representatives to deliver a higher standard of customer service. Please hold and the next representative will be with you shortly. Your waiting time is approximately nine minutes.” That’s not real.

SIMPLE.
Stand for something. One thing. Be the best at safety, performance, whitening, speed, durability, magic, luxury. Put a stake in the ground and declare your one thing to the world. Remember Billy Crystal’s line in City Slickers. He tells his riding mates that life’s about one thing. Well, the same holds true for branding.

BRANDING.
Like any verb, connotes action. Practicing the REAL and SIMPLE of above. Managing the multiple (off line and on line) interactions that people have with your brand each day; and that either enhance or detract from your desired perceptions. Remember that whether you’re driving or not, your indelible mark is being stamped into consumers minds! It’s an imprint that’s hard to erase, so create it on your terms.

Aug

Healthcare system branding – some rules of the road

While brand-building fundamentals tend to be similar across many industries, Health Care Systems, with their many hospitals, facilities and audiences, possess a unique set of challenges and requirements. Based on our extensive work within this industry, here are some “Rules of the Road” starting points:

Leadership must take the lead
Brand-building commitment and demonstration must start from the top. It is imperative that leadership embrace branding as a strategic tool to proactively build and nurture relationships.

Start with your strategic plan direction
Any “system level” brand work needs to be grounded in reality. And this grounding starts with strategic plan direction. Business initiatives such as expanding into new geography, introducing new service lines, merging with other entities and physician groups will impact your brands value proposition.

Consider the importance of your multiple external and internal audiences
Externally, there are your local communities, patients and their families, media and politicians. Internally, there are doctors, nurses, staffs and volunteers, boards and foundations – who will make or break you brand-building effort. Ultimately, they all need to understand, connect with and be aligned around what your system brand stands for and how it relates.

Analyze where system-audience relationships exist, today and into the future
Have you historically focused on building relationships with the system brand or the individual hospitals and facilities that provide care? Consider these answers in the context of your strategic plan and annual business goals, e.g. creating a seamlessly integrated ” continuum of care” or an affiliation of specialists. Analyze the pros and cons of each possible branding system scenario.

Formalize your brand agenda
All system staffers, physicians and associates should have a clear and consistent understanding of what makes your brand unique and special. Commit your intended brand purpose, promises, personality, positioning and unifying brand idea to paper for all to help shape and embrace – and then use this as a guidepost for all brand actions and communications.

Audit, monitor and refine the myriad ways you express your brand
Consider all the ways your brand speaks to its audiences. All impart messages about your brand. To ensure that your brand consistently shines through, you need to audit all of these different touch points to gauge their effectiveness at conveying an ” on-brand” message.

Brand from the inside-out
Branding is all about building relationships to fuel business growth. And these relationships start inside your system. You must be aligned to deliver your brand promise day in and day out through the actions and interactions of your staffers and physicians. Every single touch point through which your local communities and patients experience your health care system brand should reinforce its vision.