JAYRAY a communications consultancy

Health Scan

At JayRay, we harness the knowledge of health care insiders with a perspective that’s results driven. And because we’ve worked with health care systems large and small, we’ve experienced it all. To get our tips from the trenches, or gather insights on a problem or emerging issue, follow the links below to search our blog, browse by category or subscribe.

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To engage, or not engage – is that really the question?

Posted by Guest Blogger in Care Line Marketing, Community Relations, Planning and Strategy
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©iStockphoto.com/webphotographeer

(Debra Carnes is a senior advisor at JayRay Ads & PR)

If hospitals are still determining whether to play in the social media sandbox, my suggestion would be to get your bucket and shovel, and join in.

Feb. 10, 2010 at 2:05pm

Make your copy scannable

Tips for keeping eyeballs on your on-screen message

Posted by Guest Blogger in Community Relations, Internal Communications, Media Relations, Publications
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©iStockphoto.com/skynesher

As much as I hate to admit it, I’m part of the majority of on-screen readers who don’t read but scan. Jakob Nielsen found “only 16 percent read word-by-word.”

The barrage of e-newsletters and announcements in my e-mail inbox provides an opportunity to observe what gets my attention. A couple recent examples:

Jan. 15, 2010 at 4:13pm

Go ahead, spend your ad budget!

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising
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©iStockphoto.com/ayzek

As 2009 drew to a close, the phones were ringing and our email inboxes pinging. What was all the commotion about?

Advertising!

While many of our health care clients faced budget cuts in 2009 and 2010 looks flat or only slightly better than 2009, there are still a lot of questions out how much to spend on advertising this year.

Dec. 15, 2009 at 9:55am

What will people find when they search for you on Google maps?

Five reasons to update your Google Local Business Listing

Posted by Kacie McKinney in Advertising, Care Line Marketing, Measurement
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©iStockphoto.com/geopaul

Chances are that you are already listed on Google Maps. But you may not know that you have the opportunity to add more to your listing (and it’s free!).

Nov. 20, 2009 at 1:35pm

How do you want them to feel?

Posted by Shari Campbell in Declassified, Internal Communications, Planning and Strategy
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©iStockphoto.com/mevans

“Don’t start with what you want to tell people; start with how you want them to feel!”

Oct. 9, 2009 at 12:16pm

Don’t do it just because everyone says to

10 social media tips

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Branding, Planning and Strategy
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©iStockphoto.com/henrik5000

You should blog!

Everyone says our hospital should have a Facebook page.

I’ll never convince the docs to Twitter!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 4:28pm

What does a senior look like?

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Advertising
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©iStockphoto.com/monkeybusinessimages

I just came back from a Sunday brunch at IHOP with my family. There were four seniors in our party of seven. By looking at us, I’m not sure you could tell who the seniors were. Being a senior depends on your definition of senior. And at least one of our senior diners is denying he is one. You see, IHOP considers you to be a senior at 55 years old.

Sep. 17, 2009 at 4:11pm

Real. Readable. Writing

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Measurement, Planning and Strategy
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I dropped my husband off at the airport this morning at 3:30 a.m., and all the caffeine in the world won’t keep me buzzing.

Sep. 2, 2009 at 10:37am

Be clear with your reviewers or beware

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Internal Communications
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Divining what a writer wants from a reviewer can be as difficult as making sense of dolphin speak. Reviewers of draft copy provide the evidence.

Aug. 21, 2009 at 11:13am

Done right, done cheap: A few good ideas

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Planning and Strategy
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How can you stretch your marketing dollars amid the current economic challenges? Here are some inexpensive ideas that will grab the attention of your audience. Read more

Aug. 11, 2009 at 8:51am

Left without being seen: It’s happening in places other than the hospital Emergency Department

Posted by Shari Campbell in Planning and Strategy, Practice Management
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LWBS stands for “left without being seen.” And while it has generally been a term applied to patients who get tired of waiting in hospital emergency departments, it’s what a good friend of mine did last Friday after waiting for nearly an hour in a nearly empty waiting room at a doctor’s office.

Jul. 20, 2009 at 2:57pm

Fresh eyes and brand blight

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Branding, Community Relations
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“The map on the Web site routes visitors along a rundown block of houses rather than the grand tree-lined street to the campus entrance."

“Signage at the entrance leaves visitors confused about where to turn."

These are the first impressions of the new marketing director for a health care campus. How many prospects were similarly turned off?

Jul. 1, 2009 at 2:09pm

If hospitals were more like Starbucks

Posted by Shari Campbell in Community Relations
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I dropped by Starbucks recently to pick up a couple coffee cards—gifts for some patients who appeared in cardiac ads for one of our clients. In a hurry, I sprinted to the counter, grabbed two cards and gave them to the barista.

After up-selling me a latte, she promptly gave me the receipt and encouraged me to go online (Web site is on the receipt) and complete a customer survey. “It only takes a few minutes, it helps us improve our products and services” she pleaded, “and you’ll get a free beverage!”

Jun. 29, 2009 at 1:49pm

Smart marketers aren't tweeting

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Internal Communications, Planning and Strategy
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In a room of 30 smart hospital marketers last month, not one could think of good reason to take up Twitter personally. They’re already struggling to keep up with a crushing workload. I think they were hoping our Think Lab speaker, Andrew Fry, would let them off the hook. He didn’t—at least not completely.

May. 14, 2009 at 4:44pm

Rx from a recessionista

Posted by Guest Blogger in Community Relations, Planning and Strategy
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“I'm not home, but my shoes are. Leave them a message.” Beep.

So goes the greeting on the answering machine of one Carrie Bradshaw, the shopaholic protagonist on TV’s “Sex and the City.” Like Carrie, I love shoes. Unlike her, I’m into bargains. And I’m talking more than shoes—clothing, groceries, appliances, you name it. But there’s one notable exception: Health care.

Navigating clearance sales? Easy. Selecting insurance plans and buying prescriptions? Forget it.

May. 6, 2009 at 12:03pm

Piggyback your way to results

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Advertising, Special Events
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“Someone pushed it. We’re on our way.” Brilliant. And a timely lesson on my commute earlier today. I was looking at the back end of a Staples delivery truck featuring a large, red “Easy” button.

The truck graphics show two tried and true techniques for stretching a budget in good times and bad.

Apr. 27, 2009 at 11:40am

Thanks, Mr. Blue

Posted by Guest Blogger in Community Relations, Planning and Strategy
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Recently I posted an account of my frustrating experience with my insurance company’s patient access Web site (Singing The Blues: Delivering on your promise). The initial problem was the customer-unfriendly login.

Apr. 24, 2009 at 1:09pm

Don't keep me waiting

Posted by Shari Campbell in Internal Communications, Planning and Strategy, Practice Management
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Just returned from my annual mammogram appointment. I sat in the second waiting area for 15 minutes after I’d arrived on time for a 7 a.m. appointment.

Apr. 15, 2009 at 11:58am

Making changes, one fakinagel at a time

Posted by Shari Campbell in Internal Communications, Measurement, Planning and Strategy
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My favoite lunch is a fakinagel.

A few years ago, when my cholesterol crept over 200 despite my mostly healthy diet and mostly regular exercise, I realized I needed to make more changes.

Apr. 10, 2009 at 3:41pm

Employees ready for wellness at work

Posted by Guest Blogger in Declassified
Comments (1)

“Walk your way to a size 6!” teases a magazine headline.

But by now you’re already salivating over the photo of the four-layer chocolate cake also featured on the cover.

Healthy lifestyle information is so common, it has become easy to ignore. Recent research confirms that health care industry employees are tired of just reading about making healthy choices. They are ready to take action, and they would appreciate a nudge from their employers.

Mar. 27, 2009 at 3:25pm

March Madness, marketing and more

Posted by Guest Blogger in Planning and Strategy
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March Madness is upon us – and even if you’re not a sports fan, you’re probably vaguely aware that something significant is happening in the world of college basketball.

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is in full swing as I write this, with only 16 teams out of 64 still standing, hoping their national title dreams will come true.

Mar. 11, 2009 at 11:25am

The walk-talk disconnect

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Branding, Community Relations
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I passed a McDonald’s filled with hospital employees recently as I walked down the hall of a major medical center. I took note because a few days earlier, a health care employee several states away had mentioned that same in-house McDonald’s as an example of a hospital not walking the talk about employee wellness.

Actions speak louder than words, you might say. The unbreakable lease signed 15 years ago still speaks today.

Mar. 3, 2009 at 3:00pm

What's in a name?

Posted by Shari Campbell in Branding
Comments (1)

Plenty! Not so much. Which is it? Read more

Feb. 26, 2009 at 2:58pm

Singing the Blues: Delivering on your promise

Posted by Guest Blogger in Community Relations, Planning and Strategy
Comments (1)

My big Mr. Blue health insurance company sent me an HTML newsletter based on its customer Web site, which I’ll call, “MyRudeness.com.” In spite of Mr. Blue’s statement that my experience with its Web site is important, my real experience was the opposite. I share my story in hopes it may help you. And I offer some tests that you can use to avoid similar traps.

Feb. 18, 2009 at 10:23am

Raise the barrier to entry

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Planning and Strategy
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I crave easy. So when Geno Church and Spike Jones from identity company Brains on Fire recommended raising the barrier to entry for would-be evangelists, I was startled. Their point: Word-of-mouth is spread by passionate people; don’t waste your effort on the somewhat interesteds.

Jan. 21, 2009 at 8:34am

Electronic conversion or confusion?

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Care Line Marketing, Community Relations, Internal Communications, Publications
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Think it’s time to ditch your paper newsletter for an electronic version? We’re hearing that more and more. We’re also hearing that sometimes losing the paper is a mistake. Here are some of the arguments for and against electronic newsletters:

Jan. 8, 2009 at 11:43am

Free promotion is a tweet

Posted by Kacie McKinney in Community Relations, Planning and Strategy
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I bet that a few years ago you would have laughed if I told you there was a way to get free advertising, publicity and networking just by typing two sentences and clicking a mouse. Read more

Dec. 31, 2008 at 9:13am

Lessons from Oprah and Middle Sister Rebel Red

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Care Line Marketing, Special Events
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It’s no secret that I like red wine. But my husband would tell you I enjoy selecting a great wine bottle label as much as I enjoy sipping the contents. Read more

Dec. 24, 2008 at 11:37am

Satisfying the little guy

Posted by Shari Campbell in Planning and Strategy
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“Ughhh. Those guys from diagnostic imaging are driving me nuts! They want me to provide the same level of marketing support that I offer to our heart center,” a hospital marketing director complained to me recently.

Dec. 17, 2008 at 9:50am

Nix the news conference

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Community Relations, Media Relations, Planning and Strategy
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When is a news conference the wrong answer? Most of the time. That practical lesson came to mind last week as I thumbed through an organization’s crisis communication plan.

Dec. 5, 2008 at 8:40am

Make them irrelevant

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Branding, Planning and Strategy, Practice Management
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“Don’t compete with them – make them irrelevant!”

Dec. 3, 2008 at 12:35pm

Are your ads like porn?

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Advertising, Branding, Planning and Strategy
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Sometimes I think creativity is a little like pornography – you recognize it when you see it. Read more

Nov. 20, 2008 at 4:41pm

The relevancy test

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Advertising, Planning and Strategy
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My husband is constantly pointing out car models he likes when we drive together. I only act interested. You see, where I see five lanes of clogged freeway, my husband sees a vast used car lot. Read more

Nov. 11, 2008 at 12:12pm

When you have to announce layoffs

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Internal Communications
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Grim... That’s the mood of some of our hospital clients who are cutting back and making due as the financial crisis persists. Especially the ones tasked with announcing program cuts, workforce reductions and laying off their own staff. Still, they are taking heart in knowing that good communication can help keep a bad situation from getting worse.

Oct. 29, 2008 at 12:03pm

Making the best of the worst:

Communicating in times of crisis

Posted by Shari Campbell in Community Relations, Declassified, Media Relations
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“The government surveyor approved our process.” “We don’t want to sound apologetic.” “He shouldn’t have been doing that!”

When faced with a tragedy or difficult issue, it’s not uncommon for finger pointing to spread through an organization like wildfire.

Oct. 21, 2008 at 9:13am

Got a minute, doc?

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Advertising, Practice Management
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A passenger who sees a dirty tray table, an airline CEO once remarked, is likely to question if the engines are maintained properly. That’s because consumers use cues to judge quality. I was reminded of this lesson just now as I reviewed the results of interviews, focus groups and surveys conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 14 communities around the country.

Oct. 7, 2008 at 1:26pm

Coming soon: A blue ocean in Michigan

Posted by Shari Campbell in Branding
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It’s been a few weeks since I hopped a plane from San Francisco, site of the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development’s (SHSMD) annual conference. With dozens of topics and tracks to select from, I always find this annual event to be helpful and thought-provoking.

Last month’s conference was no exception.

Sep. 22, 2008 at 8:46am

Are we overlooking families?

Posted by Guest Blogger in Care Line Marketing, Practice Management
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Until recently, I didn’t know that what I’ve been doing had a name: patient advocate. In the last few years, I have spent lots of time accompanying my family to hospitals, doctors’ offices and testing facilities. The providers are patient-focused, as they should be.

But are hospitals and clinics overlooking the importance of family and friends who accompany the patients? We are emotionally engaged with the patient. We watch intently as care is administered. We listen as employees talk to each other and our loved ones. We get lost in the hallways and sometimes don’t understand a test, procedure or treatment process.

Sep. 16, 2008 at 9:17am

Differentiation as a math problem

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Planning and Strategy, Practice Management
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Trying to differentiate your physician practice? Chances are someone else is doing the same thing you are. But do more different things, and it’s much harder to copy you. I was reminded of this lesson from Richard Horwath last week when I visited my gynecologist.

Add an activity, improve your odds Rich, a strategy professor and consultant, teaches that if you try to differentiate on just one activity, there is a 90 percent probability that a competitor will match it.

Sep. 5, 2008 at 8:50am

Make your claim matter

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Care Line Marketing, Planning and Strategy
Comments (1)

So what?

That was my initial response to a health care ad I glanced at this morning that claimed, “ … we have some of the fastest ER times in the state.”

Aug. 25, 2008 at 12:54pm

Newsletters that reward as we read

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Internal Communications, Planning and Strategy, Publications
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“People will read if the reward is large enough,” according to Ann Wylie, insightful writer and consultant. Defining the reward has been at the heart of our recent work as a member of a team planning a health care client’s new employee newsletter.

Here are some of our early ideas to make this publication a must-read:

Aug. 21, 2008 at 3:35pm

Three principles for crisis communications

Posted by Shari Campbell in Internal Communications, Media Relations, Planning and Strategy
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Intel. Odwalla. Jack in the Box. Alaska Air Lines.

These are just a few of the companies that came to mind earlier this week when I discussed with a client the impact of a potential crisis.

Of course, no crisis is the best scenario. And as hospital public relations and marketing professionals, there’s much we can do to prepare our organizations to handle a crisis before it ever happens.

Aug. 8, 2008 at 11:06am

Safety, experience lure boomers

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Advertising, Care Line Marketing, Planning and Strategy
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Consumers become more risk averse as they age, observes Peter Francese in Ad Age July 7, 2008. Francese is founder of American Demographics magazine and demographic trend analyst at Ogilvy Mather. So, we should appeal to aging boomers with messages of safety, experience and service guarantees.

And we should do it carefully, especially among the boomers I know – and you probably do, too – who seem to get more pig-headed with age. “Resolutely opinionated consumers don’t want to admit their minds are closed, and they resent it when anyone suggests they are not willing to consider a new idea,” Francese writes.

Aug. 5, 2008 at 11:23am

Branding begins at home

Posted by Shari Campbell in Branding, Internal Communications, Measurement
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A health care company undergoing profound change asks its employees in an internal newsletter to support yet another reorganization. A nonprofit that helps people find affordable housing is considering expanding its role to include community development.

What do employees think about these changes? Will they embrace them or undermine them?

Jul. 17, 2008 at 9:15am

How to manage the thrill ride that is change

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Internal Communications
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Profound change is part of our territory: layoffs, a new CEO, the opening of a competing ambulatory surgery center. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. In talking with hospital marketers at a conference sponsored by the Missouri Association for Healthcare Marketing & Public Relations, I saw how helpful it can be to take a time out to talk about our experiences and consider our role in making change successful for our organizations.

Jul. 2, 2008 at 9:13am

Manage health care like your croquet set

Posted by Shari Campbell in Planning and Strategy
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“Our croquet set is now west of the Mississippi,” my husband Tim shouted from our computer this morning.

Last week he ordered a new croquet set online. Like a kid waiting for his new toy, Tim tracks its progress daily, providing us updates about its whereabouts.

Imagine his surprise when he had to call three times to correct our insurance information.

Jun. 25, 2008 at 2:14pm

Ration, tier or clone? Part two: evaluate

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Internal Communications, Planning and Strategy
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Here’s more on the theme of what to do when you have too much to do, a follow-up to my earlier post Part One: Anticipate. Let’s continue with the anticipate-evaluate-negotiate framework.

It’s no surprise that “follow the money” is the No. 1 criterion health care marketers cite for deciding what new project to take on or what to give up. It’s about ROI – generating margin, driving volume or increasing share. But when we probed a little deeper, we found that in practice the criteria are far more complex – and not always logical.

Jun. 16, 2008 at 2:16pm

Insights from the underwear drawer

Posted by Shari Campbell in Measurement, Planning and Strategy
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Market research is like looking in someone’s underwear drawer!

I don’t think I fully appreciated that statement when I first heard it some 25 years ago. It was uttered by my intern supervisor at St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham, just minutes before I attended a presentation on the hospital’s community perception study.

May. 28, 2008 at 2:17pm

Orthopedics, pediatrics, semantics - Oh my!

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Advertising, Care Line Marketing
Comments (1)

“Don’t overestimate the intelligence of your audience” may be sage advice. Yet overestimating their knowledge can be foolhardy or downright dangerous. The last 18 hours presented two telling examples:

Last night my husband and I caught a TV commercial that started with a grandfather playing with his grandson. It also had images of fancy technology and caring providers. The voiceover mentioned orthopedic services several times.

May. 23, 2008 at 2:18pm

To blog or not to blog?

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Branding, Planning and Strategy
Comments (1)

To blog or not to blog? That issue came up repeatedly at JayRay’s annual ThinkLab in Gig Harbor on May 9.

Several of our friends in health care marketing and public relations questioned the marketing value of blogging. I thought I’d share a few of my favorite blogs – and I’ll be curious to hear if, after checking out any of these blogs, the answer to this blog’s topic is any clearer.

May. 13, 2008 at 2:20pm

Ration, tier or clone? Part one: anticipate

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Internal Communications, Planning and Strategy
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What do we do when we can’t do everything we’re asked to do? (And no marketing or communications department can!) This question was on the minds of the health care pros we polled earlier this year as we planned our ThinkLab program. So when our friends in marketing and communications came together in Gig Harbor Friday for JayRay’s annual ThinkLab, they were eager to talk about practical solutions.

Apr. 29, 2008 at 2:22pm

Service made easy

Posted by Shari Campbell in Care Line Marketing, Internal Communications, Planning and Strategy
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Just over a week ago, my daughters and I watched my husband cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon. What an amazing event! More amazing still: the easy, simple ways we experienced stellar customer service on our vacation.

Here are a few examples:

Apr. 17, 2008 at 2:24pm

Crisis calls for visible leadership

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Media Relations
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In the throes of a crisis, the CEO was hearing conflicting advice: “You should be the media spokesperson on this issue” was countered by “Let your PR manager step up to the microphone.” A TV crew was on the way.

A consultant argued that the organization should protect its CEO when the news is bad. Instead, allow a staffer to be associated with the bad stuff.

I offered an opposing rationale.

Apr. 11, 2008 at 2:26pm

Dumb it down, please

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Care Line Marketing, Practice Management
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“I haven’t been in a Cath Lab since I was in medical school,” confessed a well-respected family practice physician during a recent dinner meeting.

Always curious, I was quizzing her about what newsletters she reads, what she knows about sophisticated medical procedures and how she makes decisions about where to refer patients.

It was an eye-opening discussion.

Apr. 2, 2008 at 2:27pm

Effective wayfinding takes fresh perspective

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Branding, Measurement
No comments

“Thank goodness we got a personal tour. I’m not sure we could have found the hospital room on our own,” one visitor remarked.

This was a comment from a group of health system employees, my travel companions, who took time during a business trip this week to visit a seriously ill colleague hospitalized nearby. I was struck by how our perspectives change when we become the visitors.

Mar. 25, 2008 at 2:28pm

The three Ps of branding

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Branding, Planning and Strategy
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How do we “choose” a brand?

I’m working with several clients to answer this important question. And while our process at JayRay involves a number of strategic and thoughtful steps, our clients seem to most appreciate when we work with them to develop and test the three Ps: position, promise and personality.

Here’s a peek inside the process for a new Catholic high school:

Mar. 13, 2008 at 2:29pm

Asking yourself the questions you hope you are never asked

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Internal Communications, Media Relations
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You know what they are after when the crisis hits: What happened? What caused it? What does it mean?

Like you, we often prepare for questions from the media, employees and the anxious and the curious by asking ourselves the tough questions and then drafting answers before they are asked. Vincent T. Covello, Ph.D., long-time counselor to government and industry facing environmental hazards, gets a head start by pulling out a standard list of 80-odd questions he created.

Feb. 29, 2008 at 2:30pm

Sweat the small stuff

Posted by Shari Campbell in Planning and Strategy
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Last week I attended the annual awards dinner for a professional association.

It should’ve been a banner night. But a series of little mistakes added up to disaster for the event organizers. The event was oversold. Organizers ran out of tables for guests. And they even ran out of extra chairs, leaving some of us leaning against a wall, without food or beverages for the lengthy award ceremony.

This is an event planner’s worst nightmare. But it need not happen to you. A few suggestions that could’ve made a big difference for this event:

Feb. 22, 2008 at 2:32pm

Call centers and customer satisfaction

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Measurement, Planning and Strategy
Comments (1)

I was on the phone recently with a hospital CEO who was fuming about his IT help desk. “So call wait times are down, but is anyone tracking to see if they are solving problems?”

The CEO’s question came to mind today while I waited on hold for more than 20 minutes after calling Expedia. I ended the call smiling. A polite customer service representative kept me on hold as she called the airline I was booked on to assure I had a seat on an earlier flight to avoid a five-hour layover. She ended the call with an apology for my wait – and earned my gratitude.

Feb. 15, 2008 at 2:33pm

Coffee and a colonoscopy

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Care Line Marketing, Planning and Strategy
No comments

Last week’s episode of “Dance War: Bruno versus Carrie Ann” provided surprising inspiration for one of the key elements of branding: differentiation.

For those of you who missed the show, country sensation Taylor Swift made a guest appearance and offered advice to the dance teams. ”When I was 11-years-old,“ the now 18-year-old recalled, “I knocked on the door of dozens of record companies. Now I don’t know if I’d advise you to do that, but I learned one thing from that experience: figure out how you’re different and stick to it.”

Feb. 8, 2008 at 2:34pm

When in crisis, think compassion-action-context

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Internal Communications, Media Relations, Planning and Strategy
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“Dennis Quaid’s newborn babies were given a huge overdose of a drug two months ago at a hospital with a top-notch reputation.” So continues coverage in the LA Times of the tragic error.

It got me thinking about “deer in the headlights,” that stunned moment when you realize you or your reluctant exec has to step up to the mike. Now.

Jan. 31, 2008 at 2:38pm

Made to stick

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Care Line Marketing, Planning and Strategy
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Sorting through a week’s worth of mail from my post office box got me thinking about this week’s blog post.

Consider all the junk mail you get. If you’re like me, you quickly locate the bills and the rest is dumped into recycle. But early this morning, well before the first few ounces of caffeine had reached my brain, a random piece of mail caught my attention. In red type, the envelope screamed:

Jan. 25, 2008 at 2:40pm

The three markers of transparency

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Community Relations, Internal Communications, Media Relations
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What it means to be transparent can be murky.

I remember years ago being uneasy following surgery when I felt my doctor had left out important information about my procedure. Would I have recovered faster if I had a different surgery? Why was my surgery in the facility across the street from the hospital? Why wasn’t I warned that I would receive a separate bill from the anesthesiologist?

Jan. 24, 2008 at 2:41pm

The power of WOM

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Measurement, Planning and Strategy
No comments

Sunday’s Seattle Times was filled with ads from competing hospitals. As I quickly scanned them, I couldn’t help but think about a few random statistics I’ve read recently:

A friend’s recommendation is five times more trustworthy than an ad
People learn from advertising, but make their decisions by listening to a trusted source
It’s estimated that in 2007, 66 million adults shared reviews and advice about products and services and 27 million “exerted influence” online

Jan. 2, 2008 at 2:42pm

Delivering doggedly good service

Posted by Shari Campbell in Planning and Strategy, Practice Management
No comments

Bailey, our beloved Golden Retriever, needs to go to the vet for her annual exam.

I probably would’ve forgotten this, much like I’ve forgotten to schedule my daughters’ annual check-ups for, well, the past three years.

But there’s one big difference:

Dec. 27, 2007 at 2:44pm

Story training

Posted by Shari Campbell in Care Line Marketing, Media Relations
No comments

Your clinic gets a new MRI. An occupational therapist garners a special certification. A physician calls you with exciting news that your hospital will be the first and only facility in the state to perform robotic surgery.

What’s news? And what’s not?

Dec. 24, 2007 at 1:28pm

Saving lives, the ultimate metric

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Declassified, Measurement
No comments

How was your day today, dear? Great, I saved a life.

Not too many marketing or communications professionals can make that claim – or could we? Imagine if we decided our job was to save lives. Here are three ways you can do just that.

Dec. 18, 2007 at 1:33pm

Editing away the curse of knowledge

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Declassified, Publications
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Find yourself talking to patients rather than talking with them? The more we study up on theory, research, best practice - the more we risk falling victim to the Curse of Knowledge. The curse, as discussed in the highly readable and helpful book “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath, is knowing so much you can’t express yourself simply or effectively on the topic. (For more on the topic, check out the Heaths’ blog posts on the Curse of Knowledge.)

Nov. 19, 2007 at 1:36pm

Special events: expect the unexpected

Posted by Shari Campbell in Planning and Strategy, Special Events
No comments

If I ever win the lottery, I won’t quit my day job. But I’ll gladly, and in no uncertain terms, give up one of my areas of expertise: special events.

Why?

Nov. 16, 2007 at 1:40pm

Five tips to get the word out to employees

Posted by Shari Campbell in Internal Communications
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"Our employees never know anything about what we’re doing!”

It’s a frustration I hear expressed frequently by communications professionals in organizations large and small. So how do you get the attention of your employees and keep them informed about your company’s news, events and strategic initiatives? Here are five tips I’ve culled from friends and colleagues:

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