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The Advantage of Brand Awareness within the Medical Industry

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If you’ve shopped at the grocery store and decided to commit to buying the brand-named product such as Colgate, Nestle, or Betty Crocker, then you’ve experienced brand awareness.

Brand awareness is the extent that consumers associate with and recognize a specific brand. Brand awareness embeds itself into consumers’ lifestyles. When a brand is well-advertised, a consumer makes purchasing decisions automatically without having to weigh the decision against another similar brand.

It is important for companies in the medical distribution industry to set themselves apart when marketing their business or products, so consumers choose your company over other options.

So, why is establishing brand awareness important? And how can your brand implement it?

Brand awareness fosters trust

With so many companies to choose from in today’s marketplace, healthcare industry consumers especially want to make purchases from brands that they know well and trust.

Consumers can do extensive research on a brand online and read about other consumer’s opinions of the company before ever making a purchasing decision of their own. Companies can leverage technology as an advantage and do extensive online marketing to reach more customers. When consumers are familiar with a brand and have experienced it many times in advertisements, they are more likely to trust the company and continue to make purchases.

Creating brand awareness

Strategically placed advertisements aimed toward a company’s target audiences attract a consumer’s attention and create an awareness of the brand.

Health systems can advertise through social media, event sponsorship, magazines, newspapers, and online, etc., which all creates visual imagery of a brand and fosters increased awareness among consumers.

Through online, social media, and event advertising, consumers view and interact with content, thus learning about the brand and creating customer recognition. Targeted ads on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn allow consumers to interact with posts, comment, and provide feedback, all of which spread the word about a brand.

Brand awareness builds equity

Brand equity is the value of a brand. Equity is determined by positive consumer experiences and brand perception. Effective brand awareness tactics create repetitive positive experiences with a brand for a customer.

When a customer is aware of a brand, they recognize it, make purchasing decisions, and start to prefer it over other similar brands. This preference over other brands for consumers indicates high brand awareness and will help to build a brand’s long-term equity.

Brands within the medical distribution industry can greatly benefit from increasing their brand awareness. Share Moving Media, with over 30 years of experience working within the medical supply chain industry, can help your brand create the content that is needed to foster consumer’s trust and increase brand awareness and equity.

3 Benefits of Online Training for Medical Sales Reps

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http://directory.repertoireconnect.com/ManufacturerLibraryList.aspx?i=1424&dfi=1665&n=2%20Minute%20Drills

Medical sales reps are always looking for an edge. Even the smallest detail could mean the difference between a successful client encounter or a missed opportunity. What one feature or benefit of a well-established product could you provide that would convince a physician office of its value? What new CPT code out there could make a difference for reimbursement? What new products from medical device manufacturers are coming out that promise to change the game in the med/surg market?

Research suggests that online learning has been shown to increase retention of information, and take less time, meaning the changes coronavirus have caused might be here to stay.

The following are 3 reasons that reps should consider investing their time and energy in online training.

What you need

A fine-tuned, industry tailored training site can give you the information you need in a digestible format. Training modules can provide all the necessary features and benefits of the product, why it is used, who to target, CPT codes and reimbursement, promotions, and links directly to the manufacturer.

Learn at your own pace

Distributor sales reps are incredibly busy – visiting clients, taking calls, working with internal team members and vendor reps. Online training allows the rep to schedule to learn about products when it fits their schedule, and even go back to items when they need to.

One location

According to the research, in 2022, 83 percent of 515 surveyed learning leaders said the shift to a hybrid environment forced companies to rethink how they handle corporate learning. Now instead of teaching in a room full of people, online learning has become a necessity. And that’s why 59 percent of the surveyed learning leaders believe traditional in-person learning will end.

Having a single portal for training on the products you sale that meets your needs is invaluable and saves you time. Rather than having to jump in and out of a myriad of websites, trying to remember which username and password goes to what platform, an effective training platform allows reps access to many different products they talk with clients about on a daily basis, across countless product categories that are used in physician offices, long-term care facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals, health systems and IDNs.

Indeed, online training can get you up to speed, and even ahead of the pack, if you’re willing to invest the time to make each client encounter great. In a recent survey, 87% of distribution reps said they will not bring up a product if they haven’t trained on it. In the same survey distribution rep said they give on average 12-15 sales presentations following online training.

Fortunately, you don’t have to spend the time looking for those keys to success. SMM delivers training in multiple ways:

  • 2-Minute Drills, which are short videos that teach the rep how to start a conversation around a product.
  • EOL training modules, which are more in depth 8-12 minute trainings on a product or service.
  • Live videos with manufacturers going over their products and services. 
  • Podcasts on topics manufacturers want distribution reps to know as they call on their accounts. 

Share Moving Media is a market leader in designing programs to help train distribution, manufacturers, or end-users on market trends or products. For more information, click here.

Sponsored vs. Earned Media

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In the healthcare industry, marketing strategies that stand apart from competitors are integral to navigating today’s saturated marketplace. Content creation can have numerous positive impacts in Med/Surg sales. There are many forms media can take when consumed by customers, and it is paramount to know the differences so they can be utilized to benefit your company.

Consumers often respond well to omni channel marketing strategies.

Omni channel marketing is a brand’s presence across multiple channels. Online channels include websites, apps, social media, and email. Medical suppliers increase their exposure through creation of a consistent brand experience. Omni channel marketing a is customer-centric form of brand promotion, meaning customers can interact with a business on their own terms, resulting in a better overall experience.

Having multiple forms of content increases the likeliness that a customer will be exposed to your brand and make purchasing decisions.

Sponsored media

Sponsored media is exposure that a company pays for. This content can take any form and is considered paid media as long as there is a financial component to publishing it. It can include blogs, articles, infographics, videos, websites, webinars, social media posts, etc.

Sponsored media can be created by the brand themselves, but typically companies pay for content creation to be outsourced. Share Moving Media has extensive experience creating content for clients in the medical distribution industry. Our knowledge of medical distribution, medical manufacturing, ambulatory surgery centers, GPOs, RPCs, supply chain executives, IDNs and health systems in the United States allows for an understanding of the content that will gain your brand recognition such as through blogs, podcasts, and articles that stands out among competitors.

For instance, Repertoire Publisher Scott Adams interviewed NASCAR driver Will Rodgers on his Liver Health Foundation, whose collaboration with OraSure Technologies provided individuals with free HCV testing from CLIA-waived healthcare professionals using the rapid point-of-care OraQuick HCV Rapid Antibody Test. The interview was presented in a podcast, as well as a story in a print and online issue of Repertoire Magazine. The multiple formats gave the sponsor increased visibility among the med/surg audience.

This format was also used on the IDN supply chain side in an interview with Quidel’s Doug Bryant on respiratory season, both in a podcast and article in The Journal of Healthcare Contracting

Earned media

Earned Media is brand exposure from methods other than paid advertising. Earned media is usually seen in the form of mentions, shares, reposts, reviews, recommendations and content picked up by third party sites.

Great content in the form of press releases, articles, podcasts, blogs, and more is crucial to share online and in print so your brand can receive the value of earned media. Each weekday, Repertoire’s and JHC’s Daile News often include earned media via press releases and reposts of information critical to medical distribution stakeholders

Share Moving Media has been creating marketing content for the healthcare industry for over 30 years. With trusted publications such as The Journal of Healthcare Consulting and Repertoire, we can assist you with any marketing content creation needs you may have and ensure great content to boost your marketing strategy. For more information, visit www.sharemovingmedia.com.

The Benefits of Print and Digital Marketing

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Marketing content is everywhere around us: on billboards, social media, the internet, in the mail. With the advent of technology, marketing material in the healthcare supply chain industry has been increasing online.

Yet we continue to see print-based forms of media thrive such as magazines, brochures, catalogues, etc.

For marketers, it doesn’t have to be either/or. Successfully reaching potential customers takes a both/and approach. The following are benefits of each platform:

Digital Media

  1. Far reach

Consumers are constantly online. Through digital media marketing, a brand has the power to reach a customer throughout the day (or night) and across many platforms.

  1. Multiple strategies

Digital marketing allows a business to promote through multiple marketing strategies. Digital marketing outlets are numerous and include social media, blogs, podcasts, contacting a customer directly by phone, email, website engagement, and more.

  1. Monitor marketing progress

With the increase in digital marketing comes further statistical and results-based technology to track a brand’s marketing reach. Through search engine optimization (SEO) and digital analytics trackers, a business can track exactly what customer base they are reaching. A brand can then formulate a plan to improve their strategy based on online results.

Print Media:

  1. Tangible and personal

Customers enjoy feeling connected to a brand. Printed material captures attention and conveys a memorable image of the brand. According to a survey conducted by Two Sides, a non-profit organization, 72% of respondents preferred to read the print version of magazines and books.

  1. Targeted readers

Print media reaches targeted audiences who are more likely to spend time with the publication. This allows a business to reach market segments and gain exposure to new and diverse audiences.

  1. Builds brand credibility

The digital marketing space is often crowded. The print media isn’t as saturated, resulting in an increased level of trust for consumers receiving print marketing.

Share Moving Media has over 30 years of experience in marketing within the medical distribution industry. With proven success in print media such as with our trusted healthcare industry magazines Repertoire and The Journal of Healthcare consulting, and expertise in multi-channel digital marketing, we can assist with determining your brand’s marketing and content creation needs. Please contact us by emailing us or visiting our website for more information.

Why Best in Class Brands Outsource Content Creation to Niche Publishers

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Content outsourcing is producing articles, press releases, social media, and any marketing related material outside of an organization. Content generated through content creation is critical to a business’ success and is used for external marketing and search engine optimization (SEO).

Best in class brands often have a consistent brand image maintained across all of their communications, marketing, and content. Having a marketing strategy can set you apart from competitors, increase brand image and awareness, and boost sales.

There is always work to do when maintaining the busy operations of a medical distribution company. Often, businesses lack the time and resources it takes to create and maintain consistent creation of marketing materials. Outsourcing content creation to niche publishers that are experienced in the healthcare industry ensures a consistent brand identity and far-reaching market exposure.

Below are 4 reasons to outsource content creation:

  1. Timesaving:

Written content requires extensive research, time to write, and through editing. This content could take an in-house employee hours, when they could be accomplishing other work tasks. If marketing responsibilities are handled by experienced professionals in the healthcare industry, your business can save time and effort in the workplace.

  1. Cost Effective:

Hiring and paying an in-house marketing employee is expensive. Delegating content creation to niche healthcare industry publishers assures timely, reliable, and affordable content.

  1. Expertise:

Industry publishers are experienced in writing content that resonates with healthcare industry audiences. Niche publishers are a trustworthy source when it comes to creating compelling content and understanding your brand and the industry.

  1. Editorial Calendar:

This is one of the top reasons medical supply companies contact us about their content needs. An editorial team can plan, create, and implement an editorial calendar. Forward-thinking companies recognize that with a myriad of communication and marketing objectives within their own organization, having the expertise of a niche publisher to handle an editorial calendar frees their resources up to be used elsewhere.

At Share Moving Media, our team of professional publishers and writers in the industry will take the stress of marketing off your business’ plate. As publishers of The Journal of Healthcare Contracting and Repertoire Magazine, we are familiar with the medical distribution industry and its stakeholders. For over 30 years, we have partnered with supply chain professionals and distributors to create unique brand content that stands out among competitors. Contact us and we will effectively tell your brand’s story.