The Case for Integrated Marketing

“Your staff must determine what aspects of your product’s capabilities/features are mission-critical to your potential client’s business operation/success. ”

 

When you examine the marketing communications programs of many healthcare vendors, you find that many use a disjointed, shotgun approach for delivering their marketing communications messages. Quite frequently their print ads, email marketing and electronic banner ads appear to be coming from several different companies, when in fact, the messages are originating from a single company.

This white paper examines the benefits of conducting an integrated marketing communications program. We define integrated marketing as a marketing communications program that presents an integrated marketing message(s) and delivers those messages via an integrated media campaign. As with all well-crafted marketing programs, the first task is to select the message or messages you want to present to your targeted audiences. You can start with as long a list as you wish, but you should pare it down to no more than three messages. Targeted audiences can be easily confused and have short attention spans.

How to Select Your Marketing Message

The first step in message selection is to determine what you want your marketing message to accomplish. (1). Do you want to produce leads that will develop into closed business? (2). Do you want to differentiate your product from other products in your marketplace? (3). Do you want to establish your company as an expert provider of services in your marketplace? All of these are legitimate goals for marketing messages, but each one requires a different tact be used in its creation.

In this white paper we’re going to use all three of the foregoing marketing messages as examples. Message number one, requires you use the expertise of your marketing staff to examine the business needs of your potential clients and end users. In creating this marketing message, your staff must determine what aspects of your product’s capabilities/features are mission-critical to your potential client’s business operation/success. After these product capabilities have been determined, your marketing staff must craft a message that conveys the criticality/importance of these features to your potential client’s successful business operation – “You must have these product features if you’re going to be successful.”

Marketing message number two requires that some competitive research be accomplished by your marketing staff. Select your top five competitors and do an in-depth examination of their products’ features. How does your product measure up to each? Create a comparative matrix if you need to. Brainstorm with your marketing staff to identify some area or areas of your product offering that are superior to your competitors. Focus on these product areas in your marketing message. Your product might not be superior to your competitors in all aspects, but focus on the areas where they are.

Establishing your company as an expert provider in your marketplace can be accomplished in a number of ways in your messaging. One is years of service in the marketplace; longevity can used as a benchmark for experience and wisdom. Another way is superior product development accomplished by experts in your particular field. For example, “Our product was developed by several experts with many years experience in this particular marketplace.” Another way is by association of your company’s management team. The people who lead our company know your specific business needs and have the business acumen to fulfill them.

Integrating Your Messages into an Integrated Media Mix

There have been many shifts in the general advertising and media industry in recent years; this shift has also affected the healthcare industry and has necessitated the reevaluation of media selection strategy for an integrated marketing program.

Our focus is on healthcare marketing and media selection, so the broader general media – television, radio, newspapers and the myriad of other methodologies for reaching a mass audience – are not applicable for this white paper. We will focus on how to integrate your messages into an integrated media campaign aimed at a specific target audience.

It almost goes without saying that all your web site and printed marketing communications materials – data sheets, brochures, etc. – should stay on target in delivering your chosen messages.

As with most healthcare companies, budget is always a concern, so we’ll start with the most targeted media/communications tactics down to the least. If your product serves a particular healthcare segment or provider title, you should investigate the value of purchasing good print and electronic mailing lists from reputable vendors for your target audiences. You know who your prospects are; you know where they work; your challenge is to get them to read your messages.

“Be careful not to burden your target audience with too many messages. ”

 

The next step is to integrate your marketing messages – in a compelling and creative manner – into these two media. Do two or three tests, using the same creative in a print direct mail campaign and in an email blast campaign. See which one works better for you. If they both work equally well, I would continue using both on an alternating basis.

If your target audience seems to respond well to electronic media such as, email blasts, e-newsletters and webinar programs, I would suggest setting up a program that uses these media on an alternating basis to deliver your marketing messages. Be careful not to burden your target audience with too many messages. The number and timing of your marketing pieces should be carefully considered by your marketing staff.

The next media to be considered for delivering your messages are healthcare trade journals specific to your target audiences. Due to budget constraints, print advertising has declined in recent years, but it is still an excellent medium for delivering a creative marketing message, if your budget can afford it.

How do you find out which magazines your target audience reads? Call them and ask. If there are no trade journals specific to your target audiences, select broader coverage magazines they receive/read. For instance, if your target audiences use information technology, they are most likely receiving healthcare IT magazines. Many busy healthcare providers today subscribe to the electronic versions of healthcare magazines. You may want to consider putting your messages into electronic banner ads in these media.

Your media research can be used in two ways. In addition to helping you select the right magazines for your messages, the editors and writers of these magazines become your targets for a proactive media relations program. This type of program is a critical part of your integrated message delivery and should be conducted aggressively on an ongoing basis.

The final targeted marketing tactic for delivery of your messages are trade shows specific to your product offering. Even the most niche products usually have some sort of trade show specific to their users. Unless the shows are small and fairly targeted, I would avoid them. Most large trade shows are a waste of small to medium-sized companies’ marketing budgets.

What Are the Benefits of an Integrated Marketing Program?

• Your messaging is focused and aimed at specific target audience(s), which will produce more cost-effective campaigns and result in more productive lead generation.
• Your messaging will build the perception that your company is a specialist in your prospect’s own field, and you will increasingly build your reputation as being an expert in that field.
• Your messaging will seem highly relevant to your prospects’ needs, and their success as a company.
• Your messaging will differentiate you from your competitors.
• By differentiating yourself from your competitors, prospective customers will focus on how you can help them be successful, and the cost of your product will not be a key issue, thus enhancing your profit margins

Conclusion

Execution of an integrated marketing campaign, even if you have multiple product lines, will result in enhanced marketplace awareness, improved lead generation and increased closed business. If you are not presently conducting this type of marketing within your healthcare company, you should consider outsourcing this work to a proven marketing communications company who has the expertise and know-how to conduct a totally integrated marketing communications program.