I’m sure you’ve seen the now-famous picture of Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, standing in front of a laptop that has tape over the webcam. If someone as big in the tech industry as Zuckerberg is using this kind of solution, it begs the question, Who is watching?

Lately I’ve been wondering who is listening and why? In the last month or so, I’ve had some curious – let’s call them coincidences – happen to me. The first was with Facebook. I was playing golf with a friend of mine and he was telling me about a lady he just started dating. He mentioned her name two or three times – all while I was skimming through Facebook. The next time I opened Facebook was later that evening. My friend’s new romantic interest was the first person Facebook suggested I friend. We had 7 common friends but I had never heard her name before that afternoon. Coincidence? Maybe.

Another incident that caught my attention happened when my wife was driving me in her car. I asked if she had any Tums (her chili always gets to me). As I asked her this, I was opening my Twitter app and the very first ad was for Prilosec OTC, another heartburn medicine. Coincidence? Possibly.

I am not a paranoid guy and I don’t usually buy into big conspiracy theories, but just think about how often we are in a position to be heard, recorded, or observed.

Our TVs could be listening, our phones are always within reach, and our cars are wired. Not to mention that Alexa device you bought specifically to listen and help you when asked… Think how valuable it would be to Ford Motor Company to know everyone who commented positively about one of its car commercials or how valuable it would be to a local realtor to know that you mentioned you would like to list your home next spring…

OK, OK, so you think I’m a paranoid who thinks he’s being spied on. But let me ask you this:

What if you knew which IDNs:

• Are thinking about your category?
• Wanted to learn more about the value your brand offers?
• Are considering putting out an RFP for your product line?  

Do you think this information could help you? (Spoiler: It can.) If you want to know how this info can help you move market share, give us a call! We’ll show you how we listen to the big IDNs!

I get asked all the time “When can I mention my competitor?”. It’s a slippery slope. We all know you want to yell “My competitor cheats, their stuff sucks and they charge you too much!”

It cracked me up watching the Bud light Super Bowl commercial that was set in a medieval Bud Light plant and the crew notices that Corn Syrup was delivered as one of the ingredients for the brewing process. They then declare it must be a wrong delivery because Bud Light doesn’t use Corn Syrup.

Frankly, I didn’t know Corn Syrup was bad for you or ruined a nice cold beer…but OK, I’ll keep watching. So, the crew decides it must have been a shipment meant for Miller Lite, so they load it up in the wagon and take it to the Miller Lite plant.

Miller Lite opens the gate and declares they received their barrels of Corn Syrup, so it must have been meant for Coors Light.

Kind of a fun way to point out a differentiation and it certainly works well in the light beer market, but not sure it would with a drug, stent or MRI machine.  Nonetheless, it begs the question:

When is ok to mention your competitor by name?

I don’t have a comprehensive list of dos and don’ts for naming your competitor, but I think far too many great brands avoid boosting their overall product category in fear of it benefitting their competitor.

In the 80’s and 90’s there was a famous campaign by the main trade association for tire manufacturers that ran TV commercials and print ads showing that if you put a penny in your tread and it hit Lincoln’s head you need new tires!

This sold a ton of tires for all brands! What if Firestone would have released this campaign? Would it have benefitted Bridgestone? Goodrich? Hankook?

You bet it would have!

We need more of this in healthcare! Investment in important topics like:

• Infection prevention
• Good hand hygiene protocols
• Cyber security
• Patient safety
• Worker safety

The list can go on and on, but you get the picture. Maybe it’s high time we start branding the value we bring and why it is needed and the market will rise for all of us!

If you haven’t seen the Bud Light commercial it will give you a good laugh at the link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoLiRI5swVk

If you would like some ideas on how to brand your solution contact me here!

I know I probably just dated myself with that headline, but that is exactly what I think many times when I see a brand’s marketing information and collateral.

It seems simple enough; but answer honestly…who are you talking to with your marketing?

Think of all the stakeholders you must connect with?

• Clinicians
• Supply Chain
• C-suite
• Distribution
• GPO
• Prospects
• Current users
• A competitor’s client

The list can go on and on, but you get the picture.

I saw a recent statistic that the typical B2B transaction has 6 people involved in the decision-making process. Are you publishing content for the 6 stakeholders deciding whether to convert to your solution? If not, you should be!

The very best brands are publishing content that answers the questions their prospect would most likely google about their category. You may not have to answer those questions but having a discussion will greatly benefit your cause.

Another stat that should be important to great marketers is “65% of buyers rely on peer recommendations and review sites”. I am pretty sure most medical suppliers are not on trip advisor or Yelp, but you better believe your prospects are asking other clients of yours about your brand!

Have you curated client reviews and posted their responses? If not, I think you should look into it, maybe even see if you can publish on someone else’s website, as that is much more believable!