Are your brand messages ’sharable’?

April 2012

Fact: Consumers Share News

What happens after you read a particularly thought provoking, touching or informative article? You share it, of course.

Storified by MCS Healthcare Public Relations · Wed, Apr 25 2012 17:14:33

It is generally understood that an article published in thismorning’s newspaper will also be published online and potentially syndicated byother outlets.  What’s not as well known isthat the lifespan and reach of that same article actually extends far beyond traditional circulation.  The hard copy of the article may be passedaround and it could show up in online searches, but the social networks of interestedreaders are important dynamics often overlooked in the process of determining true metrics.

The method and reason for which news is shared within a social network varies.

It may evoke strong emotion:

please take the time to read this, its heartbreaking!Jade Kohalmi
It may be relevant to you or someone you know:
Read Melinda Beck’s great Wall Street Journal heart disease article (thanks Melinda for including my story) http://on.wsj.com/J44IkR via @WSJcarolyn thomas
or it may detail a current interest, event, etc:
Good read on making hemophilia a global priority http://fb.me/1zBoN9×5ONHF Idaho
How Different Amounts Of #Exercise Reduce Heart Attack Risks |WSJ| – http://on.wsj.com/IDrfUv http://twitpic.com/9av7pbMax Barry
Dick Clark dead at 82 http://www.hlntv.com/article/2012/04/18/dick-clark-dies-heart-attack-82-years-oldDevin Lezama
The consumer will decide if and how they want to share information, but you, the brand manager, communicator, company or third-party organization, have the ability to make your news ’sharable’.
   
     – Does your company, brand or campaign have key messages? Are they actionable?
     – Do you have a visual depiction of your data or messages? Can you make one?
     – Is your company involved in social media? Is your target audience?

However basic these questions may be, if you answered yes to any of them, your content lends itself to being shared.

Is print media dead?

March 2012

Although the past few years have resulted in the closing of the print versions of many regional daily newspapers, including the Rocky Mountain News and The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the larger national dailies have begun to reinvent themselves by offering various resources to retain their active consumers. According to a recent TrendingNOW poll, more than one-third of consumers consider The New York Times to be America’s newspaper. This comes as no surprise because the NYT is constantly adapting and creating new ways for people to get the news.

Here are some of the new media channels the NYT offers:

  • Digital subscriptions – Subscribers receive all of the same articles they would get with a print subscription (with the exception of crossword puzzles / apps), plus they receive access to all multimedia available on the NYT website.
  • Apps – Along with digital subscriptions, readers can view and share articles right from their mobile device.
  • Twitter – Not only is the Twitter widget present on every page to promote article sharing, but the NYT also provides a directory of its journalists and newsrooms with active Twitter accounts: http://www.nytimes.com/twitter?8qa
  • Facebook – As with Twitter, the NYT has its own branded Facebook page, a NYT topics webpage and includes a Facebook widget on every article for sharing.
  • Blogs / Vlogs – The NYT offers more than 50 blogs, providing insights from experts on technology, culture, health, etc.
  • TimesCast – News and opinion video is another multimedia component offered by the NYT and includes breaking news, investigative reporting, national and international coverage.

Of all the new media channels listed above, one word stands out above the rest – sharing. The ability to share news and to do so consistently and effectively is paramount. So to answer the initial question, is print media dead? No, there is a substantial amount of people who still prefer to read the hard copy of a newspaper, but in an effort to keep up with today’s emergent digital world, these same media are finding new ways to deliver their news.

How can healthcare marketers get in on the patient-physician discussion in today’s “non-promotional” world?

January 2012

The goal for any healthcare marketer is getting patients and physicians to actively discuss their healthcare product in a meaningful way. A credible and cost-effective method of doing this is to get your messages into the news media.

According to a recent TrendingNOW poll:

  • More than half of people said they are somewhat or very likely (50.4%) to discuss health-related news stories with their doctor.
  • Nearly half also said that they find news articles more influential than brand advertisements when deciding to purchase a new product (49% vs. 29.4%).

The good news is that with the breadth of today’s media landscape, opportunities within multiple news streams exist for healthcare marketers to customize messages that can meet the needs of diverse audiences. Generating news hooks through non-promotional disease awareness campaigns that involve both physician leaders and patient advocacy groups is one example of how to distinguish your brand’s key attributes and get your messages included in the discussion.