According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, research shows that patients who need medical treatment are listening more frequently to the recommendations of their peers that appear in TV advertisements or whom they find via social networking. As a consumer, we’re now trusting reviews and referrals that come from individuals who are most like ourselves. Because of that, many hospitals and drug companies are frequently using actual patient testimonials in their television commercials, print ads, and on their web and social media sites. Patient experiences can be among the most effective and relatable marketing messages. Patient to patient discussions are flourishing on social-networking sites, chat rooms, on-line message boards, Facebook and Twitter. Consumers want to get their information from other consumers.
Testimonials from real patients, with a positive outcome, can provide a reassuring example at a time when many people are anxious about their healthcare and that of their loved ones.
Personal storytelling commercials, such as Contrast Creative’s recent campaign for Alamance Regional Medical Center, feature actual patients with their health care providers sharing their compelling stories of quality care at ARMC. In a 30-second spot, viewers are able to engage emotionally with patients’ healthcare experiences. In a world where many health care facilities boast the latest and the greatest high-tech gadgets, the patient experience is what can instantly set you apart from the others. Making this a focus of your TV advertising succinctly allows you to tell a powerful story about how you care for patients, and what the viewer can expect in your care. This positive patient testimonial just went a long way towards helping you instill brand loyalty in your target audience.
Alamance Regional Medical Center went a few steps further, and created an integrated advertising campaign based on the patient experience that had a print, TV, and web component. Contrast Creative helped take the testimonials and patient stories featured in the TV commercials a step further by also producing web vignettes of the same patients and their caregivers and posting them on their website and Facebook page. Personal, emotional pieces such as these allow ARMC and their staff to shine by telling a more comprehensive story of the patients, their illnesses, and the medical professionals that make the ARMC experience so unique. In expanded stories, about 1 to 2 minutes in length, patients are able to fully express their feelings about how their care at ARMC impacted the quality of their health and their life. These web videos expand the effectiveness of each 30-second spot.
Healthcare marketing will continue to be very peer influenced in the coming years. We all look to each other for guidance, for opinions, and for support. Many facilities in the healthcare field offer essentially the same medical services and equipment. How do you make your facility stand out in a competitive crowd? Here’s what Contrast Creative suggests:
- Separate and differentiate yourself in the marketplace by focusing your advertising concepts on your patients and their needs.
- Remember that testimonials and first person accounts give your institution credibility, creates a level of trust and connects you to your target audience in a way an actor or a spokesperson can’t.
- Maximize your impact by employing an integrated marketing plan, like Alamance Regional Medical Center did.
- Show viewers and readers how your staff and facility work together in a meaningful way to create the optimal patient experience. Your patients and staff often tell their story the best. Let them!