THE CREATIVITY THE HEALTHCARE & THE MARKETING THE GUIDES TO APPLYING CREATIVITY TO HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATIONS
BENCHMARK MIDDLE EAST is a leading marketing communications agency specializing in the pharma industry. Renowned for its creativity and knowledge of the Middle Eastern market, the agency is blazing new trails in the world of medical marketing technology, breaking world records with innovative campaigns and pushing the boundaries in healthcare communications.
THE TABLE OF THE CONTENTS 1. The ‘Me Too’ Culture In Healthcare 2. Forming A Creative Think Tank 3. Finding Inspiration And Ideas 4. Where To Apply Creativity 5. Preparing For Your Next Campaign
CHAPTER 1 THE ‘ME TOO’ CULTURE IN HEALTHCARE MARKETING
THE CREATIVE CULTURE FORMING A CREATIVE THINK TANK
There’s no getting away from the fact that healthcare is a serious business. We are, after all, talking life and death. Does that mean that the medical industry is doomed to a world of safe, boring and predictable marketing campaigns forever more? Let’s hope not because the health of the public is at risk if it doesn’t change now. When you think of a healthcare advert or brochure, what image pops into your mind? Smiling, people in white lab coats? Smiling doctors in blue or green scrubs in hospitals? Individuals, couples or groups of people smiling at each other, their nurse or the camera? There are a lot of smiles in pharma marketing. Hey – we all love to see a happy face but ask yourself this: do you even remember what any of those happy people are smiling about? Probably not. ‘Me Too’ campaigns rarely work – especially in an intensely competitive, industry like pharma. Regulation and compliance have created a culture of fear in healthcare, killing creativity in its path, which has had a detrimental effect on what we’re all trying to achieve.
Fear has lessened the penetration of critical healthcare advice and dampened the awareness of life-changing medical products. It’s preventing the messages getting through to the people who really need to know. We won’t change lives unless we get creative.
The comfort zone is the great enemy to creativity; moving beyond it necessitates intuition, which in turn configures new perspectives and conquers fears. Dan Stevens
Creativity in healthcare doesn’t have to be high risk. Yes, it requires a good dose of courage to be different but it can, and should, be done with style and taste. Creativity isn’t about wacky humor or abstract ideas that no one outside of your ad agency understands. Creativity, in the context of this eBook, is about grabbing the attention of the audience in a way they haven’t seen, heard or experienced before. It’s about giving physicians, patients and the general public a new way of looking at the healthcare industry; one that stops them in their tracks, gets them talking and thinking, with the ultimate goal of getting them to seek help or save lives. Appreciating the need for creativity in healthcare is one thing. Coming up with good, unique ideas is a whole other story. This eBook is here to help you get started.
CHAPTER 2 FORMING A CREATIVE THINK TANK
Now that you’ve decided to be more creative in your next marketing campaign it’s -me to come up with the ideas. Easier said than done.
THE CREATIVE CULTURE FORMING A CREATIVE THINK TANK
Creativity doesn’t always switch on when you need it to. Often, you need to be in the right place – mentally and physically – to be able to come up with new ideas. For some, light bulb moments come when they’re cleaning their teeth before bed. For others, it happens during an enthusiastic, impromptu conversation with an interested colleague or friend at lunch or in the bar. Relaxation clearly aids ideas. One place the sparks of creativity rarely happen is sat in front of a computer, in an office cubicle, with a pressing to- do list awaiting attention. In order to form an effective think tank you need to create the right environment for fostering ideas. Encourage people to forget their job for a short while. Move into an area that invigorates the mind. Break away from routine and break the rules. Make it fun, safe and comfortable, relaxing people enough to speak up but not too much they zone out.
1. Create the right physical space 2. Break away from the norm 3. Approach problems from every angle 4. Encourage the ridiculous and judge no one 5. Keep a clear goal in mind
CHAPTER 3 FINDING INSPIRATION AND IDEAS
If you look at history, innovation doesn’t come just from giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect. Steven Johnson
When creating the right physical space for creative thinking, don’t be afraid to break the rules. Consider the light, décor and seating. Will people sit on beanbags, cushions, sofas or rugs? Does anyone even need to sit? Can they stand and brainstorm? How will the décor inspire? Does a boardroom really encourage innovation? Find a room that is free from preconceived ideas. Will there be art, photos, figurines or books against the walls? Can music or video play a part? Who will note down the ideas? Will you have a white board, large pieces of paper, a chalk board, or will you write on the windows or glass walls? Will you film or record the session? Why confine yourself with walls? Take the session outside. Walk and talk. Fresh air and exercise does wonders for creativity.
When looking for inspiration, look outside the healthcare industry. You don’t have to create something completely unique – you just need to do it differently. Don’t fall into the trap of following your competitors every move. You can do better than them. Look to businesses that have no similarities to you. Think about how you could adapt their ideas to your market.
It’s not where you take things from – it’s where you take them to. Jean-luc Godard
A good place to start is to look for case studies in the marketing media. You will always find a collection of success stories and notable creative campaigns from a variety of industries. Think about the brands you like personally – outside of the workplace. Where are your brand loyalties and why? Why do you buy what you buy? How did you come across them? Why do you remember one brand over another? Learn from the work of others. Build on it, adapt it and improve on it to continue the cycle of innovation.
CHAPTER 4 WHERE TO APPLY CREATIVITY
BEYOND THE AD WHERE TO APPLY CREATIVITY
You need to go much further than changing the benefit statement on your next advert or giving the detailing pitch a different look or campaign messages. Today’s pharma marketing landscape is complex but brings with it countless opportunities for creativity. From the message to the execution, your campaign can stand out in many ways. The way you educate patients and physicians now goes far beyond the basic campaign assets. Social media is becoming unavoidable, content is critical, good storytelling is a must, and the medical rep now needs a personalized arsenal of real-time information at their fingertips. You can leverage these new channels & tactics creatively. Take control & set a new benchmark in your industry. Give your audience the platforms and communities to engage with others .Set your own hashtag campaign. Host world records with events. Be bold with your language and take the decision to eliminate dry pharmaceutical jargon. Don’t be afraid to use emotion and warmth – remember you’re dealing with people regardless of whether you’re marketing to hospitals or the consumer. Everyone has their personal motivation triggers.
1. Give your audience a platform to engage 2. Set up your own social communities 3. Create your own hashtag campaigns 4. Explore the social world; embrace video 5. Look beyond stock images; look to illustrators & animators 6. Create world-record public events 7. Be bold with language and avoid pharma jargon 8. Be warm in tone and don’t be afraid to use emotion
CHAPTER 5 PREPARING FOR YOUR NEXT CAMPAIGN
The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself. Peter Drucker
How well you know your audience is critical in the preparation for campaign planning and creative brainstorming. The more you understand each influencer, decision maker and consumer, the more ideas you’ll generate for reaching them, and convincing them, in new, innovative ways. From government to hospital purchasing departments, pharmacies, physicians, medical reps, patients and local communities – you’ll need to spend the time profiling each, in depth. Think about what makes them tick, who they turn to for advice, where they look for information, who they trust for endorsement, where they hang out (online and offline), and how they make decisions. How do they digest information and how do they communicate? The further you can define and refine your audience, making each segment as small as possible, the more targeted the message and the greater chance of you being noticed and remembered which is, after all, what being creative in marketing is all about.
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