You Bet Your Brand on It

Not all events, social movements and images will fit your brand. It’s important to consider each item on its own merits and figure out whether or not it fits within your brand image. Every good marketing plan will be comprised of ways to promote your organizations brand. It could be through public relations, speaking engagements, publishing a blog or book, social media or other forms of

advertising.

However, it is important to know the right forums and topics to present as well as the best platforms to present them. 

For example, tomorrow is International Women’s Day. If you are a medical practice looking for ideas for content on social media, is International Women’s Day a good fit? If it is, how can you position it for your audience? These are the types of questions effective marketers must ask. Perhaps, with permission, spotlighting female patients who have made strides in the professional world or those in the community who have been an advocate for women’s healthcare and rights would be a good approach. In many circumstances, staying away from topics and movements that are highly political is a smart move for organizations.

You don’t have to look much further than Nordstrom’s decision to seemingly go political when it dropped Ivanka Trump’s clothing line. According to CNBC’s Berkely Lovelace “shares of Nordstrom  fell from session highs.” His article went on to say “Nordstrom’s stock is seriously hurting this year overall, too. With Wednesday’s drop, Nordstrom’s shares are down more than 10 percent year to date.” Whether or not the decision was politically motivated remains to be seen, however, the timing was certainly questionable and had pushed the brand into the middle of the political arena. In conclusion, it’s important to consider how the actions you take can affect your brand. Be sure you have thought through all possibilities as best possible before proceeding. 

Digital Overload

It’s no surprise that more and more research is warning parents of the negative effects of prolonged digital device usage. We’ve seen the effects from the last thirty years manifest itself in current generations. An increase in obesity, ADHD and other behavioral disorders have all been linked to too much time spent on digital devices such as television, smart phones and other devices. As communications professionals, it is important for us to understand these effects and consider them in our communications and advertising strategies for our organizations.

Research on conventional media, such as television, has recognized health concerns and negative consequences that relate to the length of time and content of viewing material. Over the last ten years, the consumption of digital media, including interactive and social media, has flourished, and research evidence proposes that these offer equally advantages and disadvantages to the wellbeing of children and teenagers. Some of the evidence-based benefits seen in the usage of digital and social media include early education, introduction to novel ideas and information, and increased social interaction. According to a 2016 article published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, 

“Risks of such media include negative health effects on sleep, attention, and learning; a higher incidence of obesity and depression; exposure to inaccurate, inappropriate, or unsafe content and contacts; and compromised privacy and confidentiality.” 

Over the last thirty years our exposure to media has drastically changed. For instance, in 1970, children began to watch television regularly around the age of four, however today, children begin interacting with digital media as early as four months of age.  In one study by Loprinzi and Davis, they studied almost 13,000 children and their viewing habits when it came to television between 2001 and 2012 using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The study showed significant decreases in average television viewing over time. However, despite these kinds of studies showing the time spent in front of the television has decreased, the majority of parents still report that their children watched television for two or more hours per day (Loprinzi, 2016). What is more concerning is while the amount of traditional television viewing has increased, it is simply being replaced by other digital devices and modes of entertainment such as apps and video games. Video games are very common among families; it is estimated that 4 out of 5 households own a device used to play video games, and approximately half of US homes own a dedicated game console. (Association, 2015).

According to Dr. Jim Taylor, an expert in child psychology, there is now an increasing amount of research that technology can be both beneficial and detrimental to different ways in which children think. He goes on to say 

“this influence isn’t just affecting children on the surface of their thinking. Rather, because their brains are still developing and malleable, frequent exposure by so-called digital natives to technology is actually wiring the brain in ways very different than in previous generations. What is clear is that, as with advances throughout history, the technology that is available determines how our brain develops. For example, as the technology writer Nicholas Carr has observed, the emergence of reading encouraged our brains to be focused and imaginative. In contrast, the rise of the Internet is strengthening our ability to scan information rapidly and efficiently” (Jim Taylor, 2012).

 Cris Rowan, a pediatric occupational therapists and writer also explains that children’s 

 “developing sensory, motor, and attachment systems have biologically not evolved to accommodate this sedentary, yet frenzied and chaotic nature of today’s technology. The impact of rapidly advancing technology on the developing child has seen an increase of physical, psychological and behavior disorders that the health and education systems are just beginning to detect, much less understand. Child obesity and diabetes are now national epidemics in both Canada and the U.S., causally related to technology overuse. Diagnoses of ADHD, autism, coordination disorder, developmental delays, unintelligible speech, learning difficulties, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders are associated with technology overuse, and are increasing at an alarming rate” (Rowan, 2013). 

Experts from various fields obviously agree that while there are some benefits from technology usage by children, there is far more research that needs to be done in order to see if the good outweighs the bad.

As strategic communications professionals, we have a responsibility to future generations on how we use this new digital age and what the effects will be on our audience.  Contemporary media has afforded expanding opportunities for marketing professionals and advertisers to target their audience in ways we have not seen before. They are able to change their messages to reach millions of people, which include children and teenagers. For example, even though restrictions exist to regulate exposure to advertisements for alcohol and tobacco products in traditional media, top alcohol and tobacco brands have a strong presence on social media which opens up the field of products and images that children and teenagers are exposed to. Searching for these products often makes them appear in the ads on social media pages. Advertisers, as well as social media sites, must practice responsible advertising practices and limit their ads to age appropriate audiences. A great example of this is a case study of a college campus anti-binge drinking campaign called “The Other Hangover”. 

The visuals from this campaign were geared towards college students. However, when you think about a college campus there are places where students 18 and older would only go like the library or cafeteria. However, there are places like the football stadium where both college students and families may be present. In order to practice social responsibility, the organizers of this campaign should refrain from posting some of the images in places where children and adolescents may be. Responsible organizations need to consider who will be exposed to their messages and if children and adolescents are a part of the equation, then how can they tailor their message conscientiously. From the images we choose to the platforms on which we advertise, we can affect future generations for the good or the bad.  

Cancer Treatment Centers of America: The Branding of Cancer Care

Cancer: it is a word that far too many have heard in the context of themselves or loved ones. It strikes fear into the strongest of hearts. The one thing every cancer patient has in common is the search for hope. The latest technology and diagnostic equipment, along with groundbreaking treatments serve to offer hope to all cancer patients. However, these resources don’t come without an extensive cost to patients and their families. New cancer drugs cost, on average, $10,000 per month and that is not the only expense to cancer patients. According to a US News & World Report article, “drugs themselves account for only 24 percent of direct cancer costs. Hospital and outpatient facilities account for 54 percent of costs, and physician fees account for 22 percent” (Glover, 2015). Despite the growing cost for cancer care, one hospital system, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, has built a brand with a foundation of hope for cancer patients throughout the United States. Since they are a privately owned corporation, exact revenue data is hard to find. However, according to bizjournals.com, the company brings in over $965 million annually. (Owler, 2016)

Cancer Treatment Centers of America has built its brand by promising hope for patients and families facing a cancer diagnosis. The for-profit network of hospitals was founded in 1988 by Richard J. Stephenson. Stephenson, an investment banker who attended Northwestern University School of Law, founded the first hospital in Zion, Illinois after his mother was diagnosed and subsequently died from bladder cancer. Stephenson was dissatisfied with the treatment options for his mother and wanted a hospital that offered more comprehensive care (Cancer Treatment Centers of America). The hospital system currently has five locations strategically located near major cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Tulsa. They are expected to reach a patient count of close to seventy-five hundred in 2017 (Cook, 2016). Interestingly enough, the hospital system is not National Cancer Institute designated or even recognized by the medical community as the top cancer centers in the country (Sabin, 2014).

When it comes to branding and marketing, no one in the business of cancer care comes close to the marketing budget of Cancer Treatment Centers of America. It is estimated at around $102 million annually with the closest cancer institution, MD Anderson, only being at $14 million (Cook, 2016). Almost sixty percent of all cancer center advertising dollars in 2014 came from Cancer Treatment Centers of America (Vater, 2016). The organization has used a variety of marketing agencies to target specific audiences throughout the years. In 2013, they hired Infinity Concepts to assist in targeting evangelicals and Creative Civilization in order to target the Hispanic community (Inifinty Concepts, 2013) (Aldridge, 2013). In a Journal of the American Medical Association study, it was noted that Cancer Treatment Centers of America spent close to $59 million to reach a national audience and targeted nearly $19 million towards its internet campaign. Cancer Treatment Centers of America understand the art of content marketing and their television, radio and social media campaigns are centered around powerful patient testimonials.

Unfortunately, the hope promised in the moving patient testimonials are not always reality. In a 1996 Federal Trade Commission complaint launched against the organization, allegations of unsubstantiated claims and inflated survivorship statistics were made. According to the FTC's complaint describing the accusations, Cancer Treatment Centers of America’s:

promotional brochure, which was disseminated nationwide, represented that the respondents had statistical evidence to demonstrate that their survivorship rate for cancer patients was among the highest recorded and that whole body hyperthermia could successfully treat certain forms of cancer that were previously unresponsive to conventional types of cancer treatment. In addition, the FTC alleged that the brochure had falsely claimed that whole body hyperthermia had been approved for the treatment of cancer by an independent agency or medical organization. According to the complaint, however, the respondents did not have adequate evidence to back up any of these claims. These claims do not appear in the brochure that CTCA currently provides to consumers. The complaint also alleges that, through a print advertisement, respondents represented that, through a procedure identified as brachytheraphy, respondents were able to improve the chances of survival for many lung cancer patients. This representation was also not substantiated adequately, according to the complaint. Finally, according to the FTC, the respondents represented, without a reasonable basis, that consumer testimonials featured in their ads reflected the typical experience of patients who had undergone treatment at the respondents' treatment centers (Federal Trade Commission, 1996). 

Cancer Treatment Centers of America does not accept Medicaid and only accepts Medicare in a few of its hospitals. By eliminating these two populations, they skew their survival statistics in comparison to other national statistics such as those provided by the National Cancer Institute. By treating the young and newly diagnosed, it is argued that Cancer Treatment Centers of America distort their survival data heavily in their favor.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America use many platforms to market their brand with content heavy promotional campaigns. Social media sites such as Facebook®, Twitter® and Google+® are all laced with moving patient testimonials and cancer resources. They are graphic and video heavy with most posts leading back to original content produced by the organization. This original content, along with a paid Google AdWords® campaign, give them an optimal SEO ranking (Sabin, 2014). Their Pinterest® and YouTube® accounts are broken into sub-categories featuring nutrition, patient testimonials, research, caregiver information and many other resources for cancer patients and their families. Their television and digital media ads are centered around patient testimonials which are featured on all of their marketing platforms. Another marketing strategy used by the organization to promote their brand is sponsorships. Cancer Treatment Centers of America partners with organizations such as National Public Radio, Stand Up To Cancer and Stupid Cancer,
 just to name a few. These sponsorships allow the organization to target a more specific audience such as the wealthy and affluent with National Public Radio and the young with Stand Up To Cancer and Stupid Cancer.

Do all of those marketing dollars spent add up to bigger brand recognition and more patients? Well, in a 2015 BrandIndex survey, Cancer Treatment Centers of America captured a top ten brand recognition spot with along the likes of Amazon®, Netflix®, Apple® and Lowes® and patient numbers should top the seven thousand mark in 2017 (Lukovitz, 2016). Cancer Treatment Centers of America continues to grow and are even looking to expand internationally. They recently launched their first international patient concierge in Mexico City in 2015. They also market to Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East in efforts to recruit patients to one of the US cancer sites.
There is no doubt that Cancer Treatment Centers of America is a strong brand in cancer care. They own the cancer care market in terms of brand recognition. They effectively operate many media platforms to reach their national target audience as well as campaigns directed towards more specific marks such as the relatively young and wealthy. With revenues topping $900 million annually and brand recognition competing with some of the best brands globally like Apple® and Amazon®, much less in healthcare, it is hard to argue that the marketing efforts as it relates to brand recognition are more than paying off.


Bibliography
Aldridge, J. (2013, March 25). Creative Civilization lands Cancer Treatment Centers’ Hispanic ad account. Retrieved from sanantoniobusinessjournal.com: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2013/03/25/creative-civilization-lands-cancer.html
Cancer Treatment Centers of America. (n.d.). History. Retrieved from cancercenter.com: http://www.cancercenter.com/about-us/history/
Cook, D. (2016, July 13). Big ad budget pays off for Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Retrieved from benefitspro.com: http://www.benefitspro.com/2016/07/13/big-ad-budget-pays-off-for-cancer-treatment-center
Federal Trade Commission. (1996, March 13). Companies that Purport to Successfully Treat Cancer Agree to Settle FTC Charges Over their Claims. Washington, DC: Federal Trade Commission.
Glover, L. (2015, July 1). Oncologists Worry About Rising Costs of Cancer Treatment. Retrieved from usnews.com: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2015/07/01/oncologists-worry-about-rising-costs-of-cancer-treatment
Inifinty Concepts. (2013, February 3). INFINITY CONCEPTS ANNOUNCES CANCER TREATMENT CENTERS OF AMERICA AS NEWEST CLIENT. Retrieved from infinityconcepts.com: http://infinityconcepts.net/2013/02/infinity-concepts-announces-cancer-treatment-centers-of-america-as-newest-client/
Lukovitz, K. (2016, January 13). BrandIndex Ranks Perception Winners, Losers 2015. Retrieved from mediapost.com: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/266435/brandindex-ranks-perception-winners-losers-2015.html
Owler. (2016, December 31). Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Inc. Retrieved from bizjournals.com: http://companies.bizjournals.com/profile/cancer-treatment-centers-of-america/195504/
Sabin, G. (2014, June 23). Cancer Treatment Centers of America: 800-Pound Marketing Gorilla. Retrieved from fonconsulting.com: https://fonconsulting.com/blog/cancer-treatment-centers-of-america-800-pound-marketing-gorilla/#print
Vater, L. B. (2016). Trends in Cancer-Center Spending on Advertising in the United States, 2005 to 2014. JAMA Internal Medicine, 1214-1216.

Crowdsourcing is Where It is At

Crowdsourcing is not just for scientists and researchers. Crowdsourcing is becoming a critical tool used in strategic communications and marketing. So what is crowdsourcing? Crowdsourcing is a term coined by Wired writer Jeff Howe back in 2006. He defines crowdsourcing as how the power of the many can be leveraged to accomplish feats that were once the responsibility of a specialized few (Howe, 2009).  It is the action of taking a job done by a selected person, usually an employee, and outsourcing it to an indeterminate group of people. By using the collective intellectual power of the group rather than just a few, companies can tap into unlimited resources with less financial investment. Strategic communicators and marketers are no exception. Let’s take a look at three marketing campaigns that used crowdsourcing: Doritos, Lays and Starbucks.

One of the first companies to take advantage of crowdsourcing in a marketing campaign capacity is Doritos. In 2006, Andrew Robinson from The Marketing Arm ad agency pitched the idea for a consumer generated ad campaign for the Super Bowl and the “Crash the Super Bowl” campaign was born. This past Super Bowl in February was the tenth and final campaign. The “Crash the Super Bowl” contest has received over 32,000 submissions to date and Doritos has given out $7 million in prize money. It has also served as a great opportunity for individuals to receive recognition from advertising and video production companies. Mainstreethost.com reports for the final contest “Doritos will give away $1 million and the opportunity to work with esteemed director Zach Snyder, best known for movies like 300 and Man of Steel” (Speir, 2016). Doritos set the stage for other advertisers to get on board the crowdsourcing train and tap into the talent just waiting to be discovered. Consequently, Doritos saw a twelve percent increase in Dorito sales that year.

The Starbucks #WhiteCupContest developed when baristas continuously saw Starbucks white coffee cups used as backdrops for their creative and artistic customers to draw on. So in 2014, the coffee company launched the White Cup Contest. Customers were asked to submit original designs through social media using the hashtag #whitecupcontest. “The cups are such a great canvas because you can try an abstract design and just keep adding to it,” said Briar Waterman, creative director for Starbucks digital team. “The design variations can be infinite” (Experience, 2014). The winning drawing was submitted by Brita Lynn Thompson, a Pittsburgh art student, and her image was used on the limited edition cup for 2014. Each year, Starbucks announces a new design for the cups and as an added incentive to cut down on waste, you receive discount every time you use one. This is all a part of the company’s efforts to urge customers to be more environmentally responsible. This campaign is a great example of an organization engaging its customers through crowdsourcing but also using social media in order to facilitate the contest. As an added bonus, they were able to incorporate one of their missions as an organization.

PepsiCo, which owns Lays and Doritos, held another crowdsourcing opportunity for one of its business units. However, this time rather than crowdsourcing how the product was marketed they crowdsourced the actual product. The “Do Us A Flavor” contest began in 2012 and was actually preceded by a contest in the UK back in 2010. Ann Mukherjee, president of the company’s global snacks group and global insights division said “The first time we did it [in the U.S.], we estimated we’d get a million votes; we got four million, “Last year, we did it for the second time and got over 14 million votes” (Wharton, 2015). Do Us A Flavor invites customers to submit their ideas for the next potato chip flavor for the brand. After narrowing down the submissions, the unique flavors were sold in retail stores across the country to give consumers an opportunity to try them all. Then, a vote was held on Lay’s website to crown the winner. Winner Karen Weber-Mendham, a librarian submitted a cheesy garlic bread flavor that won her the one million dollar prize. Lays saw a five percent increase in sales during the initial campaign.  According to Forbes, “the chip manufacturer seems to be reaping the rewards of the ten month long crowdsourcing campaign. The four flavors in the final, chosen from over 14.4 million public submissions, were announced on July 28, and the company’s consumer ratings have been improving across the board over the voting period: Ad Awareness has increased by 2 per cent, and Lay’s Buzz score (calculated by asking people if they have heard anything positive or negative about the brand in the past two weeks and subtracting negative from positive feedback) is up 3 points” (Index, 2014). By asking consumers to get involved in the actual product, Lays used crowdsourcing to give a fresh new image to the seventy-five year old classic chip company. Like Starbucks, they engaged their customers through social media and continue to encourage new flavor submissions.

These are just three of the many examples of companies using crowdsourcing to change the dynamics of not only their marketing campaigns but their products as well. By using the power of the crowd, sometimes numbering in the millions, organizations can tap into a wealth of information. Whether through public contests, collaborative crowd communities or crowd complementors, organizations have a variety of opportunities and ways to get into crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing can offer opportunities for retired experts in your field to exercise their skills or for those with a passing interest in your area to flex their creative skills.  As Jeff Howe described back in 2006, crowdsourcing is how the power of the many can be leveraged to accomplish feats that were once the responsibility of a specialized few (Howe, 2009).  By taking talks traditionally done by whole marketing and public relations firms or departments and outsourcing it through crowdsourcing, you can gain the collective intellectual power of the group. Examples like Doritos “Crash the Superbowl”, Starbucks #WhiteCupContest or Lays “Do Us A Flavor” campaigns and contests provide the foundation for a new way of thinking in strategic communication and marketing.  Organizations that continue doing business the same old way will soon find themselves out of touch with today’s marketplace and consumers. Consumers want to be a part of the process. They want to be heard. Organizations that find a way to accomplish this goal will find loyalty from those consumers who feel invested in their brand.

Sources

Experience, C. (2014, April 22). Starbucks Invites You to Decorate its Iconic White Cup. Retrieved from starbucksnewsroom.com: https://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-invites-you-to-decorate-its-iconic-white-cup

Howe, J. (2009). Crowdsourcing:Why the Power of the Crowd is Driving the Future of Business. Crown Business.

Index, B. (2014, October 11). Crowdsourcing campaign appears to boost brand perception for Lay's. Retrieved from forbes.com: http://www.forbes.com/sites/brandindex/2014/10/11/crowdsourcing-campaign-appears-to-boost-brand-perception-for-lays/#d57f5675141b

Speir, K. (2016, January 7). 4 EXAMPLES OF CLEVER CROWDSOURCING CAMPAIGNS. Retrieved from mainstreethost.com: http://www.mainstreethost.com/blog/four-examples-of-clever-crowdsourcing-campaigns/

Wharton. (2015, May 13). Cheesy Garlic Bread Chips: Lay’s Lesson in Marketing and Brand Awareness. Retrieved from Wharton School of Business: http://kwhs.wharton.upenn.edu/2015/05/lays-lesson-in-brand-awareness/

Get a Little Closer

There is texting, emailing, blogging, instant messaging, SnapChating, Facetiming and a whole other host of ways to communicate either directly or indirectly with each other. With all of this technology that should enable us to communicate more and improve our communication skills, why are we seeing the opposite effects? 

A 1998 study by Robert Kraut at Carnegie Mellon showed that 

“The paradox we observe, then, is that the Internet is a social technology used for communication with individuals and groups, but it is associated with declines in social involvement and the psychological well-being that goes with social involvement”. 

The study goes on to say that interpersonal communications on the internet certainly do not foster strong relationships (Kraut, 1998). Most people who have worked for some time understand the importance of effective communication and relationships in the workplace. How you relate to co-workers, subordinates and supervisors can be the deciding factor in whether or not you have a successful career. On top of that, depending on your work environment, you may also have customers and vendors that you must foster good relationships with in order to be prosperous.  Professor Betsy Stevens  wrote  “successful careers require the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; these critical competencies will become more will become more valuable as technology intensifies the significant role of messages in the workplace” in her article responding to a survey about what Silicon Valley employers needed in new employees (Stevens, 2005). Employers outside of Silicon Valley are looking for the same quality communication skills in new graduates they are looking to hire. Unfortunately, what they are discovering is a generation who while they may be tech savvy, they cannot effectively communicate within the workforce.  

Tons of articles have been written on how the Millennials lack problem solving skills and the ability to communicate in forms greater than a Tweet or Facebook post.  I see it with my own college age step-daughters. Both have every type of social media platform available and communicate with vibrant personality on SnapChat or Facebook (when it was popular) however, neither can carry on in depth conversations in an articulate professional manner. I have seen the ramifications of this play out in their inability to perform academically or hold employment. For years I complained that they needed to put the phones down and interact with people face to face.  For years I have heard friends and family members in supervisory positions complain about not being able to fill vacant job openings because they couldn’t find people with adequate communication skills.  

I found the YouTube video “Connect but Alone” by Sherry Turkle from MIT fascinating because she has dedicated her life to studying the effects of technology on our human psyches.  When you stop and think about it, while all of these technologies that allow us to connect and communicate socially are great tools, they cannot replace the ability to read body language and facial expressions or listen to tone of voice. On top of that, typically the communication that is being done through social media, the predominant mode of communication by millennials, is typically trivial topics such as what they had for dinner or the latest selfie to publicize their latest outing and attire.  Now please don’t misunderstand me. I am not intending to bash all millennials. I happen to be fortunate enough to work with a couple who are very bright articulate young women.  My point is that the world they have grown up in of communicating in sound bites and mostly about inconsequential happenings leaves many of them lacking in the ability to establish much needed effective communication skills. As I mentioned earlier, if you are in a meeting giving a presentation and have honed the skill of being able to read your audiences faces, then you can read their faces to pick up on cues that can help guide your discussion.  If you are out on a business dinner with your CEO and have developed good communication skills then you are much more likely to impress.  A Chicago Tribune article from 2014 cites human resource executives’ biggest frustrations with millennials as their overoptimistic expectancy about how rapidly they can climb the corporate ladder, their incredible sense of entitlement, their lack of interpersonal communication skills and their lack of work ethic.  The article goes on to describe their lack of communication skills by “noting that this age demographic is most comfortable texting and can often seem socially inept, those surveyed say it borders on an avoidant society” (Bisceglia, 2014).

As communications professionals, whether you are a millennial or not, good communication skills are critical to your success. Being able to navigate Twitter and Facebook are great but if you can’t communicate effectively with messages bigger than a soundbite, then you may struggle.  Also the messages you craft are always intended for specific audiences. Knowing how to craft a communications piece that touches your audience requires critical thinking as well as effective communication skills.  While digital platforms such as text, email, instant messaging or SnapChat may be great vehicles for communication, the key is to find balance in using these in your efforts to communicate with those around you. When in a meeting, place your phone in your pocket or bag. Walk over to the finance department to discuss that issue rather than firing off email after email. I had an issue with one of our programs at work and could not get anyone in that department to resolve my issue. I set up a face to face meeting, reviewed my issues and was able to get them resolved right there on the spot, not to mention learn a little bit more personally about the technician who was fixing my issue. Now, any time I have an issue all I have to do is shoot him a quick instant message and usually he’s happy to help. Putting a face and more importantly a personality to a name, I find solves a great number of communication issues. So by all means, text, email, instant message and even SnapChat, however, just remember to add in that personal face-to-face connection that we all desire.

Resources:

Bisceglia, S. (2014, September 5). Outside Opinion: Millennials frustrate HR execs. Retrieved from chicagotribune.com: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-hiring-millennials-outside-opinion-0907-biz-20140905-story.html

Kraut, R. (1998). Internet Paradox. American Psychologist, 1017-1031.

Stevens, B. (2005). What communication skills do employers want? silicon valley recruiters respond. Journal of Employment Counseling, 2-9.

Bueller, Bueller?

The World Wide Web seems to have made the world not so wide anymore. With a click or a swipe we can easily get connected to different countries, languages, cultures and even planets.  Social media theorist Clay Shirky, discusses how the media landscape of the 20^th century dramatically changed with the invention of the internet and how this lead to “the largest increase in expressive capability in human history”.  It falls in line with historical changes on communication such as the printing press, telephone, television and radio. It has changed how we communicate with each other personally, in masses and how we relate as a society.  It has changed how we watch television, get our news, and listen to music and a whole host of other activities.  A 2015 Pew Research Center poll shows about sixty-one percent of Millennials state they get political news on Facebook in a given week, a much larger percentage than turn to any other news source. We’ve seen in the last two elections how social media and the internet have played key roles in the political process. So how is a strategic communicator to harness this information and power?

In order to develop a digital strategy that is effective for your organization you must learn the best ways to grab the attention in an ever-buzzing, fast moving, always changing digital world. Forbes writer Neil Patel discusses a few digital strategies that marketers should consider in their digital marketing plans. Strategies such as moving to content marketing as opposed to outbound marketing are shown to be far more effective. The Content Marketing institute defines content marketing as 

“Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action”.

Your content should be interactive. It should engage your target audience.  It can be in the form of a podcast, infographic or any other format that consumers find relevant and want to share. WiseGEEK.com defines interactive media as “in its broadest sense, is any source of information that forces direct participation from the consumer”.  Examples include everything from video gaming, social media, quizzes and infographics. You can see them in the device sitting on your table at Applebee’s which allows you to play games, order food, look at the specials and pay all while sitting at your table.  Or take a look at the iAd video below. 

Social media is a great platform that should be included in your digital strategy. Clever ideas such as the Cisco Integrated Workforce Experience that was implemented in 2010 are great ways to incorporate social media even on an internal level. Cisco built an internal social media network designed to enable internal and external partnerships and decision making. It gave real time news feed which provided updates on employees’ status and information about significant projects and customer interactions (hbr.org 2011). Social media can also be a great avenue to gain insight about what is important to your target audience. What are their interests? What content instigates action from them? My organization recently reviewed our social media analytics and one thing we discovered was that there was more interaction when we posted human interest stories. There are a lot of places where patients and their families can get statistics about cancer. But what they really seemed interested in were the stories of hope or just unique features relating to cancer. As we began planning our 2017 social media strategy, one thing I said to my team was that I wanted them to think about the things they are most likely to interact with on social media. What kinds of content caught their attention or did they see floating around on sites like Facebook, besides talking dogs and dancing kittens. Then our task was to take the core components that lead to the attraction of the content and see if it had a place in our social media plan. As we all saw from Dallas resident Ana-Alecia Ayala who posted videos of her and her friend dancing during chemotherapy, cancer doesn’t always have to be serious. 

Her video went viral and was an inspiration to many battling cancer. So look at your organization and how you can use social media channels to create interest in your products and/or services.

Other ways strategic communicators can use the digital world to develop smarter communications and marketing plans is by collecting and analyzing data from the analytical tools available to dig deeper into consumer’s digital habits. Tools like Google® Analytics and Facebook® Analytics can give you great insight into the demographics of your target audience.  Data can be pulled from any electronic device with web capability. By looking at trends and patterns, you can see how your audience behaves in the digital world.  Adage.com lists four ways you can measure your social media: identify your key performance indicators (KPIs), align your social media goals with your business objectives, set up Google Analytics to track conversions and assign values to your KPIs. Those values can measure things like how much do you earn from each customer on average? How much is each potential visit worth to you based on the percentage that converts? How much is the average purchase through your site? How much would you end up paying if you were to use ads to achieve the same social media results? And finally benchmark against your competitors. (adage.com, 2016)

There truly is a world wide web out there filled with a million ways to inform, educate and entertain us. Strategic communicators must find creative ways to harness these resources sift through the clutter and create communications strategies that engage consumers.  Communication strategies have to be more sophisticated and use a variety of platforms.  All statistics seem to point towards mobile devices and PC’s being where the majority of consumers get their information. So ask yourself, are your digital communications interactive? Do they draw your audience in and make them want to learn more about your organization. If not, then maybe it’s time to utilize some of the strategies mentioned today. Otherwise you might as well be saying "Bueller, Bueller" to your customers. 

It's Mobile Baby Yeah

"It's Mobile Baby, Yeah"

Mobile communication is where it’s at. In the 2015 Internet Trends Report from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, time users spent in digital media was 51% as compared to 42% spent on a desktop.

 The 2016 US Mobile App Report by ComScore showed that digital media time has grown more than fifty percent in the past three years and that ninety percent of that growth was due to mobile apps. 

Mobile apps are approaching sixty percent of total digital time spent (comScore 2016). We don’t need statistics to prove this point to us. How many times are we in public or even in our own homes and see a version of the picture below?

Statistics have been showing the trend for years that eventually mobile will overtake PC’s and that is exactly what has transpired. Dollars spent in mobile digital ads is increasing as well. Mobile Marketing Magazine predicted a fifty percent increase in 2016 spend in digital advertising dollars on mobile platforms. But as we move to the mobile age, organizations must evaluate their mobile strategy in order to keep from becoming a “me too” in the world of mobile applications.

According to Nielson, apps account for eighty-nine percent of mobile media time. Consumers use apps to do everything from personal banking, shopping, research and a myriad of other activities. The challenge for organizations is to find that unique mobile application that engages users and becomes a useful tool, not just another application sitting in the digital space with no real purpose other than to say “we have a mobile app”.  Entrepreneur.com posted an article in July 2014 by Contributor Rahul Varsheya, “6 Common traits of the Biggest Aps”. In his article, Varsheya discusses that successful mobile apps must solve a problem, be easy to use, not using a cross platform, being regularly updated, have strong support and be treated like a business.

When organizations decide to create mobile apps the first question they must ask is what value does this bring to my customers?  What problems will it solve or why would your customers want to use this application. In my organization I recently pitched the idea of developing a mobile app where cancer patients across the country could connect through an application similar to Instagram®.  Patients could check in when they go to receive chemotherapy or visit their oncologists. They could post pictures or short videos of their experience. Being diagnosed with cancer can be a very lonely journey, even when you are surrounded by family. I know from first-hand experience. If cancer patients had a way to share their experiences within a cancer community, perhaps they would feel less alone in their journey. They could also choose to share on social media, but could keep their posts within the cancer community app as well. This application would solve the problem of their being a social network dedicated solely to cancer patients and for cancer patients. There are apps out there that provide resources for cancer patients but none that I have found that are solely dedicated to bringing cancer patients together through social media.

Ease of use was the next characteristic Varsheya mentioned. By using an Instagram type of platform, the app should be easy to use and have a familiar style that consumers would be used to.  This is why I chose the Instagram style platform. It allows for simple posts consisting of pictures or short videos but also allows other Followers to interact through Likes and Comments. It’s a platform type that is widely used and would be familiar to most users.  It would also adhere to Varsheya’s third principle of not being a cross plat-form with any other application.

The fourth characteristic Varsheya references are the commitment to update it frequently.  As the cancer community application evolved, it could be modified to meet the needs of the cancer patient community.  Perhaps patients might want the ability to share articles or information they find useful in their cancer care. One frustrating thing to me about Instagram is that you cannot share direct url links. In order to be able to consistently update the application and have it evolve to meet your customers’ needs you must tap into his fifth principle of having strong support. You must have a way for customers to interact with you for feedback and technical issues. A customer knowing someone is there to resolve their issues or listen to their comments is vital in the success for a digital application. How many of us have downloaded apps, had an issue and subsequently deleted the app because there wasn’t adequate customer support?

Finally, as strategic communicators we must remember to treat the application as a business. While having a purpose or solving a problem for our customers can be part of the goal, it cannot be the only goal. Questions like how we can use the application to increase revenue or brand awareness are just a few of the questions we should be asking as we develop our mobile application strategy. In the case of the cancer community application, part of my proposal would add an additional revenue stream to our business as well as increase national brand recognition. By partnering with pharmaceutical companies or other cancer organizations for advertising campaigns on the application, we could at least create an additional; revenue source. We could promote national brand awareness through the advertisement of the application through grass roots efforts in our clinics as well as a digital and social media adverting campaign.

The mobile application and mobile communication arena is the fastest growing sector when it comes to not only user time spent but also advertising dollars spent. With almost sixty percent of users total digital time being spent on mobile apps, organizations cannot afford to ignore this platform. As you can see from the picture below, I use apps to creatively capture the important moments in my life. 

Smart organizations will incorporate a mobile strategy into their marketing and communications plan. The best strategies will be the ones who pay attention to the characteristics of those who have been successful in the mobile communications field.  So what will the mobile future of your organization look like?

 

Moving at the Speed of Light

 We are in the digital age. Technology is changing faster than we can keep up. The fact that the 45^th President of the United States asked if he should keep his personal Twitter account is just one example of how the digital world has changed the way we communicate. I think we will see a decline in officially press releases through print media, but more given through social media with links to videos or documents. So with the convergence of digital media in our world today, how can strategic communicators use this platform to advance our messages? 

In Tom Wheeler’s Book “Net Effects: The Past, Present and Future of Our Networks” he says 

“What is clear about our network revolution, however, is that the new information networks are the new economy. Whereas earlier networks enabled the economic activities of their era, our network revolution defines virtually all aspects of the current economy.”

 This is so true. Never before have we seen technology define so many aspects of our lives and define the way we live, work and function as a society.  As strategic communicators our challenge is to find innovative ways to use this technology to the advantage of our organizations.  How you position your E-Commerce brand or your social media strategy could mean the difference between you being profitable and delivering to shareholders or you having a very different conversation when the fiscal year is up. Strategic communicators must figure out how to make their organization valuable in the barrage of information thrown at consumers on a regular basis. Wheeler mentions a USA Today article that says “Technology was supposed to free us and make our lives easier, but it’s done the opposite. It’s creating havoc in our lives. Everyone is overwhelmed and stressed out.”

So how can strategic communicators become be both artisans and industrialists in this new age of digital technology? How can we utilize the digital networks to streamline our respective fields?  Wheeler uses a great example in healthcare where “…new networks create the opportunity to transform medical treatment from an ex post experience dealing with a presented problem, to an ex ante experience that anticipates the problem and prevents or mitigates it- at a significantly lower cost. They offer, in other words, a new combination: the bigness of scale economics with the personalization of the individual design. The power of mass production meets the individual artisan”.  In my field of cancer care, precision medicine is where the treatment of cancer is heading. Technology has allowed oncologists to tailor a patient’s treatment based on biomedical markers based on their genetic, proteinaceous, and metabolic profile. According to the American Cancer Society’s Cutting Edge Cancer Science Series from April 2015,

 “researchers have learned over time is that cancer can arise from any number of genetic malfunctions, and often is due to a combination of errors, that ultimately lead to the out-of-control cell growth that causes tumors to grow and spread. This knowledge has allowed doctors to sometimes move cancer treatment from a broad-brush approach – using radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy to wipe out cancer and taking out normal healthy cells in the process – to a more targeted technique”. 

The digital age has allowed researchers and oncologists to share research findings and treatment protocols and their outcomes. The networks of today allow for data to be tracked, collected and examined in order to find data points of significance that impact cancer care. As a strategic communicator in the field of oncology, my role is to help my organization find the best ways to empower patients and healthcare providers through this new technology. Arming patients with the latest news on clinical trials and how to become a part of them or that they have a choice in their cancer treatment and how to know which oncologist is right for them.

From a provider standpoint, what resources can we provide as an organization to address their needs as a healthcare provider? Providing an understanding the new reimbursement models from CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) may ease the anxiety of a rural physician who doesn’t have a large staff committed to staying on top of physician requirements for the program.

So while living in a digital age opens us up to a wealth of information, it’s what we do with that information and how we use it to benefit our organization that makes it valuable.

A part of this now digital age come questions such as privacy and accessibility. Strategic communicators must consider this part of the equation when developing a communications strategy for your organization. If you are a part of a healthcare organization HIPPA governs patient privacy. You must take this into consideration anytime you are creating pieces that involve patients or their data. A strategy to offer alternative methods for obtaining information may be relevant if accessibility is a factor for your audience. Providing print material, multiple languages and downloads are just one way our organization helps rural practices address this issue of digital accessibility.

In conclusion, strategic communicators must embrace the digital age. They must also develop a strategy for their organization on how to effectively use the platforms made available by digital networking. The “how” is as important as the “what” at times.  How the President of the United States chooses to use his Twitter account is far more impactful to the nation than the platform itself. How the healthcare community chooses to use the power of this new digital network can greatly impact the way we treat horrible diseases such as cancer. How we address issues such as privacy and accessibility are also part of the equation. By embracing the good and the bad digital technology brings to our world will allow us to create communication strategies that make put our organization on the forefront of their respective fields. Strategic communicators must stay on top of the ever changing digital world and how to best use these changes for our organizations. 

Television: The Man in the Mirror

How does television reflect the conscience and values of our culture? It’s hard to find anything on television worth watching these days. Reality television, gory dramas like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead seem to be all the rage. According to television executive Lauren Zalaznick, studies show that the content on television reflects the values of America. In her Ted Talk she discusses how since the 1960’s multiple studies show a correlation between how the culture was feeling and its values and what programs were rated the highest on television. Comfort shows like Bonanza, Andy Griffith and such were popular until the late sixties when events like the Vietnam War, Watergate and other event begin to push the demand for Irreverent televisions shows like Mash and Archie Bunker. Those shows are mild irreverence compared to what we see in movies and television today. Even women have gotten in on the irreverent behavior. Amy Schumer has made a career out of being crude and impudent as possible. I shudder to think what primetime television will look like when my children are adults.

Is all hope lost? Will we ever see wholesome family values reign supreme on television again?

In her December 13, 2016 Fox News article, Diana Falzone reported that the wholesome family network The Hallmark Channel had seen a forty-six percent increase in viewership in 2016 according to Nielson. Maybe that’s a sign that America is looking for something more family friendly to entertain them. The success of shows like Dancing with the Stars seems to suggest a pull towards the nostalgic, perhaps a longing for a time when life was simpler. Even Disney grabbed a hold of the past in launching its show “Girl Meets World” which is a spin off from the 90’s show “Boy Meets World”. Netflix launched “Fuller House”, a spinoff of the 80’s show “Full House”.

In today’s world, the younger generation is watching less and less of traditional television. They have the ability to watch any movie or television show whenever they choose on an array of devices. Geoff Weiss reports in a June 2016 article for tubefilter.com that Nielson reports fifty-two percent of American homes have a streaming device. How will this phenomena change the television landscape? Will the younger generation eventually get tired of the gore and violent shows and want television shows that comfort them or offer comedic relief? Or will those be a thing of the past? Only time will tell.

As strategic communicators we need to pay attention to what is being reflected on television. What is American identifying with? Which types of television is resonating with what demographic? For instance, do Matthew McConaughey’s Lincoln commercials,  that seem more about getting in touch with the spiritual or philosophical side of its viewers really reach the target demographic for Lincoln? If so, should you brand try a more philosophic “touchy-feely” approach? Or if you are going after a younger demographic such as a millennial then Toyota’s “You Don’t Own Me” campaign or Jeeps “Free to Be” campaign 

which focuses on the ability to be unique and free hit a home run with its target audiences. Fantasy shows like “Westworld” and “Game of Thrones” seems to suggest audiences want to escape their reality. Perhaps a reflection of the unpredictable times we live in. Perhaps the Presidential election, civil unrest with Black Lives Matter, violence against the police and general corruption indicates Americans are wanting to escape into worlds that do not remind them in any way of modern times. Hopefully we will begin to see a period of stability in our nation which will give the next generation the desire for the "Leave It To Beaver" type of shows. One thing that was very interesting to me in the Ted Talk from Lauren Zalaznick was the one constant over the decades were strong mother figures in television. June Cleaver in the fifties, Lucille Ball in the sixties and even Murphy Brown in the 80's. While the looks and issues these mothers faced may have evolved over the decades, their desire to be good mothers to their children was the constant. Perhaps at the end of the day we are all looking for those comforts we only get through maternal nurturing anyway.