Share Moving Media

What You Need to Know When Searching for a Medical Manufacturing Marketing Agency

By

Marketing budgets aren’t limitless. That’s a fact.

When deciding where to put your marketing dollars, you’ve got to be smart. This is especially true for the hyper-competitive medical manufacturing field.

Do it right, and you can tap into a vast market. In medical devices alone, the United States remains the world’s largest supplier, claiming 40 % ($156 billion) of the global market in 2017. By 2023, the U.S. market share is expected to equal $208 billion. Some of the bigger device manufacturers in the U.S. are Medtronic, Stryker, Boston Scientific, BD, Baxter and 3M just to name a few.

A medical manufacturing marketing agency can help you get a bigger piece of that pie by boosting your brand to grow your market share. Finding the right agency is the first step.

Here’s what you need to know when searching for a healthcare product marketing agency. 

Not All Healthcare Marketing Agencies Are Created Equal

Look for a marketing agency that specializes in medical manufacturing and intimately understands, IDNs, GPOs and Medical Distribution. They should either be dedicated to healthcare marketing or, at the least, have a dedicated healthcare vertical.  

To verify this kind of expertise, you can:

  • Check Former Clients: Many marketing agencies include the logos of big-name clients on their websites. This is an easy first stop when researching a medical manufacturing marketing agency. If this info isn’t available online, ask directly.
  • View a Portfolio: Request to see a portfolio of relevant work. Medical manufacturing covers a huge range of products, from hearing aids to catheters and stents. Ideally, the agency will have experience in your niche.
  • Request Resumes: Ask for resumes of team members who will handle your medical marketing needs. Their experience should be clearly healthcare-focused – maybe they even used to work in the field in a “boots on the ground” role like medical device sales.

All of this adds up to expertise – and that’s precisely what you want. You don’t want generalist marketing. You want medical manufacturing marketing, provided by people who are passionate about the field. They will bring valuable knowledge because they know the industry from the inside out. 

They’ve been in hospitals, at doctor’s offices, and at R&D facilities, talking to the people who matter: the Supply Chain Leaders. And guess what? Harvard Business Review reports that the most successful brands focus on users, not buyers.

What to Look for in a Medical Manufacturing Marketing Agency

Once you’ve narrowed down the field to a selection of healthcare marketing agencies with dedicated experience in medical manufacturing, it’s time for a more detailed assessment. 

1. Digital Knowledge

Digital marketing is already dominating other industries, from fashion to food. It’s also the future of medical manufacturing marketing. The field has been slow to catch up, but it’s making progress. With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting large-scale healthcare events, digital will gain more ground.  

Find out what digital-specific experience the agency has, requesting samples of campaigns and asking what healthcare marketing tools they use. Look for media diversity, from social platforms to online trade publications and email newsletters.

2. Comprehensive Strategy

It’s not all about digital. Physical marketing still has its place. Cross-platform capability offers the best of both worlds. The messaging of an e-publication can also be adapted to a print magazine found in a physician’s office, for example. Different audiences have different needs and wants, and the right channel depends largely on the intended audience.

Look for examples of innovation across multiple channels. Inbound and outbound marketing work best together. Digital and physical media might be complemented with educational seminars, lectures, or investigator-initiated studies, for instance.

3. Knowledge of Market Segmentation

An understanding of market segmentation and buyer intent is essential to success. Attracting the attention of best-in-class supply chain leaders or high-interest IDNs like Mayo Clinic will arguably get you further than attracting the attention of rural physicians in the Midwest.

The best marketing agencies not only have the knowledge and tools to execute campaigns across multiple channels, but they also know which channels to use to reach the desired audience. Discuss your target audiences with the agency to see how they would approach each one.

4. Measurable Results

Marketing success is measurable. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. From quantitative metrics like clicks on digital campaigns to qualitative methods like surveys on brand reputation, it’s possible to see the difference good marketing makes. Then there’s always the bottom line: sales figures. 

Ask what tools and metrics the agency will use to measure success and how these results will be reported to you. You deserve to see whether those marketing dollars you’re investing are reaping the rewards. 

5. Innovative Mindset

The fact is that marketers fight an uphill battle. Only 4% of consumers believe advertisers and marketers act with integrity. Creativity is the key to overcoming that doubt. Less “sexy” markets like medical supplies can learn from other fields – like the 2020 Superbowl ads, an example of authenticity in action.

That might seem like a wild statement to make. But it’s that kind of unconventional thinking that leads to success. Choose a medical manufacturing marketing agency that isn’t afraid to think outside the box.

The Latest Medical Marketing News

Share Moving Media helps best-in-class medical manufacturing suppliers increase market share. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Marketing Minute, to stay up to date on best practices.

Interested in working together? Contact us.

What Medical Suppliers Can Learn from the Backlash Against Ellen DeGeneres

By

Seen as progressive – in part due to being an LGBT personality – Ellen DeGeneres has up until recently maintained a positive public persona. However, it seems like there are new “working for Ellen” horror stories every day.

Medical suppliers might ask, “What does this have to do with us?” We can learn a lot from paying attention to current events, whether it’s by observing Super Bowl ads or following celebrity news. 

What Happened to Ellen DeGeneres — and Can It Happen to Medical Suppliers?

It’s easy to forget that The Ellen DeGeneres Show is relatively new. She’s been in the limelight since the ‘80s. When she came out as a lesbian, it was a huge deal. Ratings of her sitcom dipped, and the series was canceled. It wasn’t until 2003 that DeGeneres found her footing in Hollywood again. 

America empathized with DeGeneres as she rose, stumbled, and got back up. That’s a compelling story! But it also laid the groundwork for what’s happening today. 

In a sense, 2020 marks her second fall from grace. 

Building trust is powerful – but when people fall in love, betrayal can sting. What could be more hurtful than finding out that someone preaching kindness is a mean person?

What her plight teaches us is that even great brands aren’t untouchable. Anyone can be brought down by a bad reputation.  Bad things usually happen fast, just think of 3M getting called out by President Trump a couple months ago in the Rose Garden.

3 Tips for Medical Suppliers to Avoid a Fall from Grace Like Ellen’s

When business leaders think of reputation management, their minds often go to damage control after the fact. The idea is actually to get ahead by influencing what people think of you in general.  

This way, unexpected messes can be cleaned up with ease. An excellent reputation could also be the deciding factor that gets a consumer to choose your hospital equipment over those offered by your competitors.

How do you take care of your reputation? Here are three tips gleaned from observing Ellen DeGeneres’ current PR battle.

1. Track What People Say About You Online

In 2016, comedian Kathy Griffin wrote a memoir. The book revealed that it was an open secret in Hollywood that a well-loved daytime TV host had a mean streak. Griffin later confirmed that she was talking about DeGeneres.

That wasn’t the first time people heard unpleasant descriptions about DeGeneres. Remarks on social media platforms surfaced from time to time, finally coming to a head this year.

So medical suppliers: Listen to your audience. Did you know that a business can lose over 20% of its customers if users find even one negative post about their brand online? 

That doesn’t mean you need a full-blown social media presence. Just know where your target audience hangs out online and monitor that space. 

You can also work with key opinion leaders to boost awareness. Let people know the basics, like:  

  • What types of products do you manufacture or distribute? 
  • How can IDNs learn more about your offerings? 

2. Don’t Ignore Customer Feedback

Respond to comments, especially if they’re bad reviews. 45% of consumers note that they’re most likely to visit a business that takes the time to address negative feedback. 

Rumors of the toxic work environment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show have been going around for more than a decade, but the TV host never confronted them. It took an official investigation into the franchise’s workplace culture for DeGeneres to apologize to her staff and acknowledge the issue.

Allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by the show’s top executives also surfaced. Some former employees believe executives shielded DeGeneres from the gory details and controlled what she knew of the set’s day-to-day activities.

Ignore a problem, and this is what happens. It grows! Medical suppliers, let this be another teachable moment. Do you read the Amazon reviews of your products?

It’s not enough to know what goes on online. The real world is still out there. Participate in industry events. Subscribe to and get your name in trade publications. Volunteer in industry workgroups, and most of all: respond quickly and recalibrate your work processes when needed.

3. Build Trust and Get to Know Your Audience

This is not so much an observation as it is advice for DeGeneres. Building trust back with her fans — not to mention her current staff — is key, but it’s not going to be easy. 

Whether you’re avoiding having something similar happen to you or you’re in the middle of some reputation troubleshooting yourself, the key is to know these two things: your target audiences and value propositions unique to each one. 

Decision-making during a B2B transaction involves six people on average. Do you have custom-tailored value propositions for those six stakeholders, or are you only focusing on clinicians making medical equipment purchases? Do your reps come from diverse backgrounds, able to deftly interact with different consumer bases – or are they all middle-aged men? 

Brand messaging in healthcare is crucial. When you know your audience, it’s easier to figure out your brand identity. When you know who you are, you’ll be that much more convincing when you talk about why your company matters and why your customers should remain loyal. 

How Can Share Moving Media Help Medical Suppliers?

Share Moving Media is a full-service content and media company committed to helping medical suppliers gain or increase their market share.

Interested in finding out more information about what we do and how we do it? Contact us and let us know what you need.

The Share Moving Media Blog: Your Marketing Resource for Healthcare Contracting Professionals

By

The Share Moving Media blog is the ultimate marketing resource for healthcare contracting professionals, such as medical suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors. Our goal is always to help you increase your customer market share through value-added content and opportunities for increased visibility and brand awareness.

Your feedback is important to us. If there’s a topic you’d like to see covered here, let us know. Meanwhile, be sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss important content that can show you how to create ideal customer relationships, boost revenue, and increase your authority in the field.

Healthcare Industry Challenges

A new world

At Share Moving Media, we believe now is the perfect time to launch our new blog series. Healthcare industry challenges have perhaps never been greater than in the last six months. However, we see this time as a window for rethinking business practices and creating new methods for addressing customer needs.

You’ve no doubt experienced some of the hurdles brought on by the novel coronavirus and the ensuing COVID-19 pandemic:

  • Supply chain disruptions at all levels for equipment, pharmaceuticals, raw ingredients, and materials
  • Supply/demand imbalances, shortages, and allocations
  • Increased marketplace competition in some sectors
  • Abrupt price changes and quality control issues
  • Development of nontraditional distribution pathways
  • Formation of government consortiums
  • Reallocation of medical and support staff, as well as budgets
  • Timeline shifts for mergers, acquisitions, and reorganizations
  • Stock market volatility and unpredictability
  • Shift from B2B to B2C selling and vice versa
  • Expanded focus on COVID, PPE, and vaccines
  • Decrease in non-emergent medical care
  • Implementation of telemedicine for routine care
  • Reduced onsite personnel and more remote work
  • Customer workplace visitation restrictions
  • Retail outlet closures and an increase in online business
  • Academic institution shutdowns
  • Patient loss of insurance coverage with unemployment

The healthcare industry as a whole has been reeling since the start of 2020. While the remainder of this year may seem shrouded in mystery, many companies are starting to see the fog clear. We want to assist you in developing marketing strategies moving forward, to the degree we are all able to plan for the future. Therefore, we will be addressing these challenges and much more in upcoming blog posts.

Introduction to Share Moving Media

Our publications and services

For readers not yet familiar with Share Moving Media, we are a full-service media and content company dedicated to medical providers, manufacturers, and distributors. Through our associations, educational services, and publications, we provide news, information, and brand visibility via advertising and sponsored content.

Our high-quality content includes:

  • Articles
  • Blog posts
  • Ebooks
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • Podcasts
  • Graphics

We produce multiple publications in the healthcare contracting vertical. You may already be familiar with Repertoire, our magazine for the healthcare distribution channel focusing on physician offices, hospitals, surgery centers, and long-term care institutions. We also publish The Journal of Healthcare Contracting for healthcare supply professionals. This popular publication features content for healthcare systems and facilities, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and group purchasing organizations.

Pillars of our mission

We’re confident that Share Moving Media stands out from other healthcare contracting media companies by virtue of our three mission pillars:

  • To provide and promote marketing excellence in healthcare
  • To enhance healthcare brand communications via storytelling and unique case studies
  • To use persona-based marketing to help clients finetune consumer demographics and to identify and address evolving industry demands

Healthcare Contracting Help Where You Need It

How our blog will elevate your business

Whether you’re a small niche supplier or an integrated delivery network, our blog will help you take your business to the next level. In future posts, we’ll be discussing diverse topics in the industry, such as:

  • Contract management software
  • Medical device innovation
  • Integrated delivery networks
  • Equipment purchasing
  • Hospital inventory management
  • Healthcare marketing analytics
  • Brand messaging
  • Thought leadership

Through examples and best practices, we want to help you:

  • Tell the story of your brand and earn an audience
  • Guide your brand through its lifecycle, from launch to customer conversion and retention
  • Demonstrate how your products are beneficial
  • Evaluate different content forms (blogs, white papers, videos, etc.) to determine which one is right for your varying needs at any given time
  • Develop one-of-a-kind marketing content to set you apart from the competition and to provide invaluable tools for sales staff
  • Discover how to use content and advertising together to complement each other

We’ll be talking about health insurance trends, group purchasing, medical distribution, supply chains, sales creativity, and more.

Reach Out to Share Moving Media Today

Interested in how you can start working with Share Moving Media to help your business reach its goals? Contact us today and let us know how we can assist you. And we look forward to welcoming you as a new blog subscriber.

The #1 Reason Why People Will Follow Your Brand on Facebook

By

“Facebook?” you may say. “Does anyone even use Facebook anymore?” The answer, of course, is yes, millions of people still use Facebook regularly. Perhaps the question you should be asking is if you are successfully marketing to your Facebook audience? While selfies, funny pet videos, and political rants may fill many users’ feeds, countless people also use this social media outlet to “Like” their favorite brands. But why? What exactly are they looking for when the click on that little thumbs up?

Opportunity Lost?

Facebook has faced a lot of bad press recently, but the truth remains that if you don’t have a definitive marketing strategy for this social media network, you’re missing a big opportunity. A recent MarketingCharts article found that while Facebook has experienced a decline in usage amongst younger generations, it remains the most used platform for Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers. And according to the Pew Research Center, 68% of Americans use Facebook as of 2018!

Let’s think of the “Bs” and “Cs” for a moment—that is, business to business (b2b) versus business to consumer (b2c). How you market depends heavily on to whom you are trying to market. In healthcare, we often market to other companies or to salespeople who are selling our products for us. This is a different tactic than we should use when trying to speak directly to consumers. Marketing through social media is a cost-effective and enjoyable way to engage with your customers. According to MarketingSherpa, 95% of online adults ages 18 to 34 are likely to follow a brand on social media, so if you aren’t marketing through these platforms it truly is opportunity lost.

What are the Motivators?

The question now turns to the reasoning behind the like—why someone likes a video of a golden retriever (it’s cute!) is very different to why someone likes a post from Coca-Cola.

Surely customers want to learn about your product…right? It turns out people don’t often seek out informational content through social media. The number one motivator is all about saving a buck or two! Your customers want information about upcoming sales. Saving 10% on your favorite sneakers or getting a low interest rate on that new car you’ve had your eye on is quite the motivator!

Some of the other top motivators may surprise you:

Upcoming sales
Incentives, such as promotions and coupons
Info about new products
Supporting a favorite brand
Entertainment value

The right Facebook post will help you reach specific audiences depending on your goal and should compel users to respond. The more reactions and responses your post gets, the more curious others become. In short, clicks lead to more clicks, and if users share your posts then they will introduce potential customers to your brand!

Avoiding Common Blunders

We’ve all seen it—a company posts what they think is acceptable content on a social media platform that ends up backfiring in one way or another. It’s wise to think of social media interactions like dinner with your co-workers or in-laws—avoid religion and politics! It’s safe to assume that unless you cater very specifically within those topics you won’t always understand how your customers feel about your brand’s relationship with those subjects.

If many of your customers reside in another country, brush up on their customs and beliefs. What is appropriate here many not be appropriate there! Additionally, you may feel inclined to post on some of the hundreds of holidays and “awareness” days, but ask yourself if these days really resonate with your audience? For example, it wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense for one of the top car manufacturers to try to connect with customers on Small Business Saturday.

Ultimately, remember what your customers are looking for (sales and incentives likely top the list!) and use Facebook as a tool to generate meaningful interactions that will increase your visibility and hopefully reach new audiences.

COVID-19 Support Series: New Workplace Dynamics

By

A person sitting at home office desk

             
Our team here at Share Moving Media is currently working remotely and know from talking to many of you that your organizations are working remotely as well. So, we got to thinking… this is a challenging and vastly different time for all of us and we thought it would be helpful if we compiled some tips for the change in times right now, both business and personal. I would venture to say that we are currently in an unprecedented time of blurred lines between personal and business lives (I’m looking at you- working parent who is now working from home AND ensuring that your kids are maintaining their school work).

We want to tackle this transitional time from many angles and hopefully share ideas on how to make the most of the situation while we are in it together.

This week, we’re talking about our new normal of working from home and getting our offices set up. We’ve included some ideas below and Graham Garrison from our team weighs in with a little reminder for all of us.

                                       Working from Home- The new normal

1. Communication tools

We all need interaction and to stay connected. And while working from home may make that a little tougher, the technology at our fingertips can help us feel connected, while remaining socially distant.

  • Microsoft Teams -a great internal chat and screenshare tool if your company uses Microsoft office
  • Slack – designed to replace email as your primary method of communication and sharing. Its workspaces allow you to organize communications by channels for group discussions and allows for private messages to share information, files, and more all in one place.
  • Zoom– With both free and paid options, this video conferencing tool allows you to connect via phone, screenshare, and video with your customers and colleagues
  • Go to meeting– This web conference platform has options for small to large meetings and webinars and integrates easily with many calendar tools for easy scheduling
  • Marco Polo– Missing your coworkers and want to make them smile? This great video messaging app you to have an ongoing conversation via short videos in one running conversation reel. This one also doubles as a tool to use with your family and friends so that you can still stay connected during this time (and can send fun videos of your family to grandparents, friends, etc.)
  • Basecamp– this tool allows you to break work into separate projects that contain everything related to the work at hand (all the people, discussions, file, task, etc.).

2. Productivity

  • Block out your calendar- with less time traveling, we might have a little more office time to get deliberate about scheduling out our days
  • Keep a routine
  • Get dressed for the day- sometimes it really is just a mindset thing, but if you dress for the day (vs. staying in your pajamas), you might find that your mind stays more focused on business

3. Working at home with your kids

  • Try to carve your home into zones to keep a little bit of separation for people
  • Keep to a schedule

4.Setting up your home office

  • If you are staying in a bit this weekend, it could be a great time get your home office set up so that it functions really well and so that you can use video conferencing tools to still engage with your colleagues and customers while remaining professional

Over the coming weeks, we will be sending helpful tips from our team members that you might consider during this time of COVID-19 quarantine. What are some hacks or tools that you have found helpful during this time? We’d love to hear from you!