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KBK Marketing & Consulting | Health Care Marketing and Consulting | Chicago, IL » Blog http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com KBK Marketing & Consulting Fri, 13 May 2011 16:48:20 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Executives: There’s Nowhere to Hide http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/nowheretohide.html http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/nowheretohide.html#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 16:48:20 +0000 Jan Beery http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/?p=1677

By: Jan Beery

Ninja

We still see you....Image by Seth W. via Flickr

My dear friend, Gini Dietrich, recently wrote about Executives and the Ostrich Syndrome.

The title does a great job of explaining what the post is about:  Executives are so afraid of the unknowns of doing business on the web, that rather than develop a strategy and take a proactive approach, they bury their heads in the sand, hoping that this “fad” will pass.

Our client base is one that is very protective of their information. They are so afraid of anyone accessing, sharing, criticizing, copying, or stealing any possible information about them, that their marketing strategies could be used as covert operation techniques, by our special forces.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the competitive table, there’s a lot happening. While you are nurturing cranial rectal inversion, your competitors, who are standing upright, are noticing, engaging and utilizing a strong tool.

  • They are on social media creating a reputation for themselves, as the industry leaders who are sources of information, or better yet– experts in their field.
  • They are resources, problem solvers, story tellers and real people.
  • They are targeting you, and anything you may say or do on the Internet. Their company information is showing up.
  • Posting slides from a presentation on SlideShare?  Your competitor has an ad at the bottom of the page.
  • Are your customers/potential customers doing a search on the web for a given product, service, diagnosis or treatment?  Your competitors are filling the search pages with blogs, tweets, video and ultimately their website.

As Gini so eloquently put it:

Which company would you rather be? The one that sticks its proverbial head in the sand and waits to see how all this digital stuff shakes out? Or the one that takes the bull by the horns, experiments with one or two technologies, deals with the negative conversations, and leaves its competition in the dust?

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

]]> http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/nowheretohide.html/feed 2 A Plea To Working Moms http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/a-plea-to-working-moms.html http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/a-plea-to-working-moms.html#comments Fri, 06 May 2011 16:13:31 +0000 Katie Fassl http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/?p=1663

By: Katie Fassl

A few weeks ago, I saw a link to an interesting article, on Spin Sucks.  The article, was entitled, “VC Confession: ‘I Have Doubts Once I Think Of Women Founders Having Kids And Being Distracted From Work.’”

Say what? Exsqueeze me?

As I read the article, its author, Paige Craig, kind of won me over.  Let me rephrase that: Craig was obviously coming from a place of honesty and sincerity…not a place of, for lack of a better word, assholiness.  The object of his doubts, Jessica Jackley, had a pretty great response.  One of my favorite parts?

“Turns out that getting at least a little sleep, exercising regularly, having healthy relationships outside of work, spending time with my family, reading a book for fun now and then, etc. makes me a better Founder/CEO.”

Amen.

The title of this post is: “A Plea to Working Moms.” So, what’s my plea?

Don’t stop.  Do not give-up.

I’m the light at the end of the tunnel.

By the time my mom was 26-years-old, she was the single mom of three kids, under the age of five.  She worked two jobs, was an avid runner, tickler, hugger, life-preparer, and breakfast-for-dinner-maker.

As the only girl between two boys, I looked to this amazing woman for support and guidance.  She was, and still is, who I want to be when I grow up.

Now, as an adult, my mom is my business partner.

She showed me that you can have it all.  It’s not easy.

I can’t tell you how many times she would tell me, “Kate, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.”

But it’s possible, and the challenge makes you and your children better for it.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.  I love and appreciate you, more than words can express.

]]> http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/a-plea-to-working-moms.html/feed 8 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-04-29 http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-29.html http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-29.html#comments Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-29.html ]]> http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-29.html/feed 0 Health Care Organizations Engaged in Social Media [List] http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/health-care-organizations-engaged-in-social-media-list.html http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/health-care-organizations-engaged-in-social-media-list.html#comments Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:18:37 +0000 admin http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/?p=1646

By: Linnea Wilke

Linnea is a Marketing & Social Media Marketing Associate at KBK. In her free time, she’s an accomplished pianist who enjoys avocados, crackling fires, old movies, and hanging out with her friends and family.

By now you’ve heard of Social Media and chances are you’re engaged. And, at the risk of stating the obvious: it’s everywhere. You can’t walk through a store without signage, inviting you to connect. Watch TV? You’re bombarded with Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube logos; inviting and calling you to engage. You can read the staggering social media statistics, but, as a health care organization, is it really worth spending your time?

The answer is, quite simply: yes. Position yourself, or your organization as the expert, add a helping of human touch, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

There are many, many health care organizations engaged in social media. Last October, Ed Bennett compiled a great list of Hospitals on Social Media. To add to that, I went ahead and began to research non-profit health care organizations.

Go ahead and friend, follow, or like to your heart’s content… and while you’re at it, check out each of these health care organizations’ social media!

Note: Comment below or click here to add to this list. I know there are many, many more out there!


]]> http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/health-care-organizations-engaged-in-social-media-list.html/feed 2 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-04-22 http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-22.html http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-22.html#comments Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-22.html ]]> http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-22.html/feed 0 Protect and Rebuild Your Reputation the Toyota Way http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/toyotarecall.html http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/toyotarecall.html#comments Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:48:04 +0000 Jan Beery http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/?p=1634

By: Jan Beery

We all know the story about what happened to Toyota.  To say their brand’s reputation was severely compromised would be an understatement.  With a recall that involved 9 million vehicles in the U.S., Toyota needed to think fast and address the negative press, head-on.

Enter Social Media.  Why should you be engaged? Russel Working’s recent post, on Ragan.com, did a great job of citing several lessons Toyota learned:

  1. Have a team in place. Are you already engaging and active in social media?

  2. Plan for the worst. If you’re prepared and have your communications channels open, you’ll be ready to respond in a big way.

  3. Get your executives out in front. Love this one!  Toyota used community chats and put their leadership out there as much as possible.  This creates such a human connection.  Remember, even with all we have available with social media, people still buy from people.

  4. Inform and direct consumers. All of us who own a Toyota were concerned, me included.  They directed their consumers to a hub to find out more info.  Basically, as a brand, you need to be proactive!

  5. Let consumers be your advocate. I love telling people when I had a good experience, especially after something upset me with a product or service. Give a forum for your advocates to express themselves. Toyota had an auto-biography on Facebook as a place for people to share.

  6. Blend traditional and social media. If you haven’t seen the “Swagger Wagon” campaign, you need to check it out.

This leads me to a couple of questions: What would you do in a crisis? Proactive or reactive…Are you ready?

]]> http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/toyotarecall.html/feed 0 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-04-15 http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-15.html http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-15.html#comments Fri, 15 Apr 2011 21:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-15.html ]]> http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-15.html/feed 0 #DearCEO: What Every Business Leader Needs to Hear in 2011 http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/dearceo-what-every-business-leader-needs-to-hear-in-2011.html http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/dearceo-what-every-business-leader-needs-to-hear-in-2011.html#comments Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:00:45 +0000 Jan Beery http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/?p=1627

By: Jan Beery

Several months ago, Gini Dietrich, came to me with a request: Write a letter to the CEO of today.  The method behind her madness?  Compile letters from various industry experts and share their wisdom in a book.  The result?  “Dear CEO: Letters to the C-Suite from Experts on Vision, Culture, Community, and Integration”

The contributors are an amazing group of leaders, each addressing areas of thought; and providing advice and compelling insight that CEO’s should be considering, as they navigate 2011.  I am both humbled and honored to be in such great company.

This e-book is a must read for any C-suite executive, no matter your industry.  Read, implement, share, repeat!

Following is my letter:

Dear CEO,

As we move into 2011, we move into a changing market that is as exciting as it is challenging. With the rise of social media and the empowered patient, individual physicians and large hospitals are working in a level playing field that affords those at each end of the spectrum the same opportunities; market yourself with the new tools available and you will be competitive. Do business as you always have, and you will miss the chance to meet your full growth potential this year.

Doing business in the medical industry has historically involved a vast sales staff educating health care institutions. As they sold their product or service from hospital door to hospital door, those at the corporate level strategized how to grow, and used traditional media outlets to deliver their message. This approach is a solid one, but as the face of media has evolved, it has become a foundation and not a comprehensive strategy. Your sales force still needs to knock on doors. Now, however, your message must be heard before they pull into the parking lot. By harnessing the opportunities afforded by the new marketing environment, your brand will be built independently of your sales team – not in place of the sales call, but to give them an advantage once they arrive.

To effectively sell your services in 2011, you need to understand the current marketing dynamics, dynamics that have been shaped by the rise of social media, and determine how to harness them to your advantage.

The Marketing Evolution. We are in the midst of a change in social dynamic that has altered the definition of successful marketing. As we enter 2011, we enter an era of educated patients, consumers, and business leaders. Choice in care now begins with a Google search, Twitter chat, or a Facebook update; not a physician referral. We are empowered as consumers, patients, CEOs, presidents, leaders, parents, and caretakers; these empowered individuals are your clients.

Who’s engaged? Hospitals nationwide, physicians, manufacturers, distributors, case managers, insurance companies, and Workers’ Comp attorneys are all a part of this marketing revolution and are actively searching for information about your product. If you are not engaged in social media, your competition is. This is the age of the empowered client; gone are the days when patients simply went to the hospital or physician closest to their home. Today, the patient seeks out information and makes educated decisions; they are as informed and educated about your product and services as the professionals who make up your client base, if not more so.

How do you engage? If you lack a presence where your client base does their research, you do not exist. No matter how solid your expertise, if you don’t prove it through the media that your customers rely on, the companies that do will outsell you. A successful marketing presence is now driven by the answers to these questions: Are you the expert in your field? Is your customer service delivering quick online responses? Are you available to the more than 10 million Twitter and more than 400 million Facebook users?

As we face the challenges of growing the business of medical professionals in a new environment and challenging economy, we do so excited about the ever-changing marketing touch points available for our clients and look forward to partnering with you in achieving your strategic goals in 2011.

Kindly,

Jan Beery

To purchase copies of the book, for your team, go to Spin Sucks Marketplace.  Scroll down to the second item on the page.

To follow all of the authors on Twitter, go here.

Gini and her team gave us several copies of this great tool, to offer as giveaways. Our ask?  Honestly answer this question, by commenting below: What are you implementing in 2011, that’s outside of your business’ traditional box?

We’ll choose three winners.  Ready, set, go!

]]> http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/dearceo-what-every-business-leader-needs-to-hear-in-2011.html/feed 0 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-04-08 http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-08.html http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-08.html#comments Fri, 08 Apr 2011 21:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-08.html ]]> http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2011-04-08.html/feed 0 Happiness Provides THE Greatest Competitive Edge http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/happiness-and-business.html http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/blog/happiness-and-business.html#comments Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:31:08 +0000 Katie Fassl http://www.kbkmarketingandconsulting.com/?p=1620

By: Jan Beery

Recently I got busted for responding to a Spin Sucks blog post by Gini Dietrich titled, Is Happiness the Same as Being Dumb?

The reason?  I tend to be stuck on fast forward, and I do my “fly by” behavior of commenting and moving on.  Well, Gini and KBK’s Katie pushed encouraged me to blog on the subject.

In Gini’s post, she referenced Blogger Shawn Anchor’s Harvard Business Review blog post, which brings to light the idea that happiness provides THE greatest competitive edge; and only 25% of your job successes are based on intellect and technical skills.  All while our education and company recruitment practices are focused on this 25%.

The “silent 75%” Gini references is truly where the focus should be.  Shawn Anchor refers to this “silent 75%” as being:

“…Based upon your ability to positively adapt to the world: optimism, social support creation, and viewing stress as a challenge instead of as a threat.”

Simply put: it’s where our ultimate successes reside.

My silent 75% focus?

If we aren’t remaining relevant and as much ahead of the curve as possible for our clients, we lose our value and the aforementioned 25% doesn’t matter.  Our clients and industry are counting on us to navigate, lead by example, provide information and programs that will keep us all relevant.

So here’s the question: What’s in your “silent 75%” that’s bringing value to your clients, patients, or customers?

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