Tips for the spring conference rush

The spring conference season is upon us, and marketers are scrambling to roll out their 2014 campaigns while preparing for all-important face-to-face events. I’ve attended dozens of trade shows over the years, and from my perspective there are several distinguishing factors of a well-prepared and organized conference presence.

Consistent marketing. All too often I see booth displays that have one type of message on the background, another in printed literature, and onsite representatives sharing another. Face time at booths is precious. A clearly defined message, reinforced through all booth elements (even the human element!) makes for an easier-to-remember takeaway for attendees.

Relevant tchotchkes. I’ve seen it all, from gross stress squish balls to hand-carved decorative boxes. If you’re going to pass out something, I advise it be related to your message. Creativity counts, of course. A crystal paperweight to “hold down your paper until we can help you implement an electronic health record” is more clever than, say, a pen—after all, in this case the point is to move away from handwritten documentation. And make attendees "work" for their goodies--a business card or badge scan is an appropriate trade.

Booth rules. You can tell when a marketing director has a strong hand in setting booth policy. Staff don’t eat at the booth. Sitting is not permitted while attendees are in the hall. The booth is never empty during hall hours. Literature is kept neat and refreshed. Checking e-mail is not permitted while attendees are walking by (This one is perhaps the most difficult to enforce, but are you receiving e-mail from your sales staff while they’re manning the booth? You shouldn't).

The right staff. Not everyone is a people person. The CEO might not be your best representative. Select outgoing, friendly, well-dressed team members to represent you. The booth is not the appropriate place for an entry-level assistant unless he/she is already well versed in your offerings.

These are just a few of my observations during the past 14 years of attending, running, and exhibiting at conferences. Such reminders might be helpful as you prepare your team for a strong and competitive start to this spring’s conference rush.

Ethical marketing: A needed conversation

At the annual conference of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers this May, I will be moderating a panel discussion on ethical marketing practices in the addiction treatment field. The panel was originally intended to focus on marketing best practices, but NAATP requested we focus specifically on ethics given the association’s increasing emphasis on this topic.

This certainly will be an engaging conversation. Providers are facing pressure from within and outside the field to address practices that may not only be unethical, but criminal. Payments to interventionists, transparency in marketing programs, and honest discussions with families and patients about what insurance will--and will not pay--are among the issues the panelists will discuss. I welcome your input in the comments section below on other topics that should be addressed during the discussion.

Parity and the Affordable Care Act open up the field to more reimbursement opportunities. But with those dollars comes greater scrutiny, and we all know there are treatment providers whose marketing practices are damaging to the entire field. At the same time, however, there are many gray areas in which the right direction is not as clear cut. This panel discussion, and continuing dialogue within organizations and at the national level, is essential to ensure that the addiction treatment field is on sound ethical footing as it becomes a greater component of the overall healthcare system.  

One of my favorite ads of 2013

Click on image to see larger version. Image courtesy of American Addiction Centers

At this time of year, I like to look back and consider what really grabbed my attention. In the addiction treatment and behavioral healthcare community, vendors of all stripes are sharing thousands of marketing messages to engage professionals. Many accomplish their objectives, but occasionally a campaign, ad, offer, or other marketing technique makes me stop and admire the marketers' handiwork.

 

I had such a reaction with the above ad, which is running in the Addiction Professional/Behavioral Healthcare annual calendar, mailing with the November/December 2013 issues. The ad, designed by Hiawatha Walker at American Addiction Centers, is featured in September and recognizes National Recovery Month.

I am impressed by this ad for several reasons. Most notably, I am delighted that it celebrates the recovery of one of AAC’s staff members. The photo is of Ben Hoback, an alumni concierge manager, celebrating "825 days and counting" of recovery. All too often marketers use stock photography (aka "clip art") in their collateral, and it's usually easy to spot that such images don't represent "real" people (or, more accurately, people really connected to the product or service being advertised).

I frequently encourage clients to feature actual patients or staff in their marketing messages. Those who do often turn to their head clinician to spotlight, but this is the first ad in recent memory featuring a "frontline" staff member. And that sort of recognition of those in the trenches day in and day out speaks volumes.

Plus, this ad adheres to my golden rule of marketing: "Know thy audience." This calendar is distributed to field professionals. Highlighting someone from their peer group is a wise tactic. Of course, AAC could have also highlighted a patient or family member, but recognizing a staff member provides a "behind-the-scenes" message that personnel matter to the organization's mission.

From a design perspective, the ad demonstrates an elegant balance of color and text. Ben's shirt provides an eye-catching pop, and the relatively subtle text is appropriate to the messaging. AAC’s logo is in a well-placed position (bottom right), providing a subdued yet clear branding message.

One suggestion I have is that AAC might have considered making the text in the bottom left a bit more relevant to the professional audience, such as "To learn how we can partner with you on your patients' recovery, call...." Yet overall this is an elegant demonstration of an effective branding message. For that reason I name it one of my personal favorites for 2013.

Are you part of the conversation?

Are you part of the conversation?

That is one of the questions marketers need to ask themselves at this time of year: budget season for many organizations.  Whether a vendor in the behavioral healthcare market is selling software or offering treatment services, a company needs to be part of the conversation in order to attract new business.

There are multiple ways to be part of the conversation. On a national level, is your organization engaged in discussions of policy, trends, or other field-changing activities? This can be accomplished through multiple thought leadership and content marketing activities, such as Webinars, conference presentations, association meetings, and so on. Although marketers often are pushed to focus only on immediate ROI, being part of a national conversation develops trust and credibility for your brand in the marketplace. These characteristics are essential for companies with long sales cycles, such as software companies and treatment centers.

On an industry level, is your organization visible to prospects in the market? Branding is crucial as more and more options emerge, such as the proliferation of treatment centers in recent years. Although branding is often constrained by budget realities, companies in the behavioral healthcare and addiction treatment market need to maintain a consistent and memorable presence at industry events, in publications, and through other media and venues that interact with prospects. After all, when the time comes to make a referral or issue an RPF, you want to be at the top of that prospect’s mind. And remember that branding is not only for the benefit of prospects but for existing customers/referral sources as well, who look to your branding to not only to learn about new developments but to reassure themselves that they made the right choice by selecting your products and services.

On an individual level, is your organization part of the conversation at organizations looking to make a referral or purchase your product or service? Consistent lead generation – and lead nurturing – activities are essential to ensure you are feeding sales and admissions staff a consistent pipeline of prospects. National and industry-level conversation efforts will make this process easier, but marketers must make sure they are being considered in the organizations ready to purchase or refer.

All of this points to an integrated marketing campaign for generating new business in the addiction treatment and behavioral healthcare market. Being part of the conversation is just an early step to closing the deal, but if you’re not part of the conversation you certainly can’t be part of the solution the prospect is seeking.

E-newsletter best practices

I receive many e-newsletters from vendors and treatment centers in the addiction and behavioral healthcare markets--probably too many. Yet I subscribe to all that I find so that I can monitor how the vendor community is sharing information with prospects, customers, and referral sources. Over the years I’ve seen several missteps that are worth sharing.

Generic subject lines: An e-newsletter with a bland subject line such as “October E-newsletter” won’t generate interest, opens, or clicks—or at least not as many as possible with a more topic-focused subject line such as “Top 10 Reasons Why Parity Isn’t Working.”

No audience definition: Readers are looking for relevant content. In the addiction treatment market particularly, one must adhere to my ultimate marketing commandment: Know Thy Audience. Sending one e-newsletter to family members, alumni, and referral sources isn’t likely to be as successful as is a series of e-newsletters with content tailored to the unique needs of each audience segment. Thus, content development for e-newsletters, and your particular targets, must be a priority. (And personally I don’t think recipes make compelling e-newsletter content.)

No click-through options: Some organizations share all of their content in the body of the e-newsletter. Not only does this make the message unwieldy long, it prevents the sender from gathering useful data on who is clicking on which links. The e-newsletter is just the teaser vehicle—the content should live on your Web site. After all, the e-newsletter is a way to deliver content and learn about your audience.

Poor design: Some organizations have very slick Web sites, but their e-newsletters do not reflect that design. In fact, they are so poorly organized that they distract a reader away from the value of the content. If you are investing in a professional Web site, make sure one of your key delivery vehicles—your e-newsletter—reflects that look. Opting for a generic template is probably insufficient.

E-newsletters are an essential way to not only stay in touch with your referral and customer communities, but to also generate interest in new services and gather data on how your readers are consuming your content. All too often e-newsletters are an afterthought in a marketing strategy, but they need to be front and center in your audience engagement efforts.

Do you have an exceptional e-newsletter? I’d love to see it and feature it on my blog. Please send me a copy—and sign me up!—to edwards.douglas.j@gmail.com.

Conference swag: Going beyond pens and notepads

The fall conference season is upon us, and in exhibit halls across the country vendors of all stripes are handing out pens, mugs, books, clips, and other swag to leave a memorable impression on attendees. All marketers eventually ask themselves, does this stuff really make a difference?

I see swag as a way to start a conversation. Vendors who use swag that ties into their mission, strategic marketing message, or a conference theme are likely more successful. For example, at a recent lunch’n’learn I received the above “stress squeeze” horse from Hopewell, a therapeutic farm for people with serious mental illness outside of Cleveland. It certainly is more memorable than, say, a pen or sticky notes, and the horse clearly connects to Hopewell’s therapeutic philosophy. It's an ideal little handout to capture people's interest and share details about Hopewell's program.

Tchotchkes like this can serve as a good conversation starter at a booth, but savvy marketers have even better swag hidden for particularly hot prospects or current customers/referral sources who stop by. For example, a coffee mug might be a treatment center’s standard (albeit not too inspired) booth fare, but representatives may have cookbooks written by the facility’s executive chef available for those who are truly interested in the program’s nutritional elements. (Leave out the "good" stuff on any show floor and expect unscrupulous attendees to take them--by the handful.)

I believe the best swag, or rather what should really be seen as small thank-you gestures, is saved and sent to prospects post-show, when it’s not only unexpected but a tangible reminder of the conversation and much more effective than a post-event e-blast. For instance, an electronic health records company could send hot prospects a crystal paperweight with the message “This will hold down your paper until your system is up and running," or a treatment center might send a potentially good referral source a gourmet coffee blend to be used in the mug the attendee picked up.

I see a lot of swag in my travels. I suspect in many cases a junior marketer has selected the booth giveaways under tight budget constraints. Yet swag is a visible take-home message about an organization, and wise marketers give swag as much consideration as the other materials they prepare for their booth.  

What do you get when you cross a zebra and an elephant?

Recently I came across one of the strangest conference logos I've ever seen. The logo, for a substance abuse prevention summit, features an elephant with zebra stripes with its tusk harpooning a neon green apple. A quick review of the site doesn't provide much insight into the design, although it certainly plays into the conference's tag line to "Stand up stand out." As much as I find the logo puzzling, I admit that it does have a "viral" quality to it--I'm talking about it and sharing it with you, after all. In fact, the logo is so memorable, albeit odd, that the design just might be a stroke of genius. I wouldn't recommend most organizations take a similar approach, but I am very curious if the buzz surrounding the design just might pay off.