Zeno Group Blog

I’ve been working in digital media for a couple of years now, though I don’t pretend to be an expert in health care.  Social media marketing in health care is a whole different world than pure consumer categories, and with all the rules and regulations set forth by the FDA it’s no wonder why so many health care companies are hesitant to dip their toes in the murky waters.

A few weeks ago, I attended a Health Care Social Media Webinar, presented by WOMMA, and was intrigued by the discussion that took place.  The conversation centered on the pros and cons of engaging directly with patients online, as well as applying guidelines for health care and pharmaceutical companies to current social media marketing tactics (a topic that has been hotly debated for some time).  The bottom line is, at this point no one knows the rules yet, and it’s a scary place for some companies in the health care industry.  But for many, social media is becoming a reality however good or bad that may be, thus they must take the initial steps to understand it and eventually incorporate it into their overall business strategy.

Despite moderating and reporting adverse events, or sticking to the Fair Balance “one click” rule, social media presents some exciting opportunities for health care and pharmaceutical companies, as well as everyday consumers seeking health information.  Patients and anyone interested in health are more empowered than ever.  Web 1.0 fostered patient education through the presentation of new content, and now Web 2.0 allows the opportunity to engage directly with companies.  Hospitals and pharma companies have spent millions of dollars in years past trying to push their messages out to consumers, with mediocre results at best.  Today, social media allows them the opportunity to reach their core audience directly and have a conversation with them.

A 2008 report published by the California HealthCare Foundation maintained that Web 2.0 puts the power back into the hands of the consumer, but I don’t know if I completely agree with that statement.  In fact, I think it’s a nice balance of power between the two parties.  Consumers have always had the potential to be empowered; however, I think social media truly empowers the health care companies who are trying to reach and engage with people in a meaningful way.  From finding distinct groups of people to recruit for clinical trials to mining social networks for valuable customer feedback to discussing hot topics that affect health care companies as a whole, patients are finally willing to listen to what they have to say.  Social media allows all parties involved in health care, from doctors to pharma companies to patients, to engage in a meaningful, direct conversation; the next step for health care companies is learning to navigate the hurdles presented by FDA regulations in order to truly engage.

As we all digest the very sad news of the death of Senator Ted Kennedy, I feel there is some irony and injustice in his death. He was the champion of health care reform and led the charge for a long while for universal health. He knew the importance of good health care. The irony is despite the excellent health care he had access to from the Federal program and through his own family wealth, the current health care treatments could not save his life.

This is important to recognize as we grapple with health care reform. We must make sure that research dollars for new treatments are preserved and access to experimental drugs becomes a little easier. Yes it’s absolutely important for all Americans to have access to basic health care and current treatments, but let us all not forget that we must still keep working to find new therapies for all those illneses that do not have cures or for patients where the current treatments fail them. Only once we have these discoveries and treatments will we truly have universal health care.

Here are some articles the Zeno team has been reading from June 30th through August 24th:

• Yahoo! News: Attack on Obama riles Beck’s advertisers
• NYTimes.com: Britons Shudder Over ESPN Broadcasting Premier League Soccer
• Wall Street Journal: How Moms Feel About Social Media

I love demographic terms and the names marketers come up with to define consumer categories. Recssionistas have garnered significant attention from companies and press. The question is not only how women are shopping today, but when the recession ends, will they ever return to former buying patterns? As the mother of two teenage daughters who view shopping as a competitive sport, leaner times have given us a chance to review and rethink how we buy. We continue to remain brand loyal, but shop smarter. Like other consumers, we search for the most competitive prices of the products we love. We find great satisfaction from extending our dollar in as many ways possible. With the passion of big game hunters, we are on the prowl for “the deal.” While we may spend more as the economy rebounds, our new found quest for great buys, will remain. The message to companies is help consumers feel good about shopping by providing value and appeal to our sense of deal-hunting.

I am all for a lively exchange. From town halls to pundits, from papers to blogs, lots of folks all are focused on how we are going to tackle health care. Just a few observations:

1) On July 23, Pres. Obama referred to “health insurance reform” when in Cleveland. While few noticed this substantive change in White House strategy back then, kudos to Cathy Arnst, BusinessWeek, for flagging it. The strategy is to assign blame to a segment (the insurance industry).

2) As has been noted by many, when Social Security was created, Americans tended to retire at 65 and die in the following year or so. Thanks to medical and health advances, we are living longer. The challenge is how to pay for our longer lives and the advances that help to make that happen.

3) Care of health care reform, I have learned a little something about Twitter: I commented on a tweet about health care being a right. I got a direct message back that was questioning my opinion. I tried to send a direct message back, but can’t until that person follows me. (This frustration further confirms my earlier blog that I am twitless.)

At the root of my health care reform post was that we need to consider the quantity of health care provided. Surely, this is very complicated. While “death panels” are a flash point, in fact, we need to do a much better job providing end of life care. Americans are optimists and we all hope for a miracle cure. I agree that a well informed physician and patient team should be in control of the decision. Ultimately, though, we need to become more realistic about the intended outcomes of care, the evidence that is available to guide the decision and weigh the options. By the time anyone reaches middle age, just like getting the invitation to join the AARP, we should also embrace the critical landmark of establishing a living will and ensuring we have done the very best we can to plan financially for long lives.

Social media policies quickly reveal which organizations “get it” and which don’t with respect to new media. A policy that’s being unveiled today by the Southeastern Conference in advance of the 2009 college football season shows that the SEC belongs in the category of “lost and confused.”

Earlier this year the SEC informed their member schools that “ticketed fans can’t ‘produce or disseminate (or aid in producing or disseminating) any material or information about the Event, including, but not limited to, any account, description, picture, video, audio, reproduction or other information concerning the Event.” The policy received such negative backlash that a revised version is coming out today, but the underlying message will likely remain the same: the SEC doesn’t want fans’ tweets, status updates, Flickr pictures and other social media accounts of their games landing on the Web.

The first story I read about the policy was from St. Petersburg Times staff writer Michal Kruse, who said “Many are saying this makes the bosses of the SEC look like fuddy-duddy technophobes — that they don’t ‘get’ new media. They get it. The language of the conference’s policy suggests they know all too well the high-stakes fight that’s just beginning.”

Kruse argues that the broad policy is designed not so much to ban the present-day social media tools- the tweets and Facebook photos that could come from gameday at an SEC venue, but to prepare for the future. When technology arrives that makes it possible to broadcast live streaming video from your cell phone, a policy prohibiting that will already be in place. I understand that line of thinking; CBS has a multi-billion dollar TV contract in place that they want protected (and obviously the SEC wants to protect that source of revenue). Future technology could become an alternative to watching games on the network.

But in the meantime, the policy comes off as pretty short-sighted, not to mention practically impossible to enforce in real time. As Mashable’s Adam Ostorow points out, how often do you see a Facebook update that someone is watching or attending a sporting event and feel inclined to turn on the TV? In my opinion, social media builds fan affinity in a way that ultimately helps the brand.

Ask any college football fan the best way to enjoy gameday and almost all of them will answer one of two ways: being at the stadium, or watching the game on TV, be that at someone’s home or at a sports bar. An old school minority still enjoys games on the radio, but no one is going to use a student or even a journalist tweeting from the stands or press box as their primary source if they have access to a TV or tickets to the game. The thought that this communications diminishes the value of CBS’ current contract with the SEC is folly. Social media brings fans closer to the games they love, and ultimately the television rights holder reaps the benefit.

Octagon Vice President David Schwab serves as managing director for First Call, the company’s celebrity acquisition and activation division. In doing so, he connects celebrities with companies and non-profit associations. David has been with Octagon since 1999, when he started with the company as director of communications. Recently I posed five questions to David about trends in the celebrity spokesperson industry.

Q: Can you give us an overview of the role Octagon plays in pairing celebrities and athletes with companies?
A: We created Octagon First Call because we felt the model/relationship between brand, marketing agency and celebrity was broken. Obviously each have different objectives in putting a deal together but a program really works if they have the same final goal. Thus, we consult with brands and marketing agencies to help determine if a celebrity could help amplify their program via advertising, PR, social media, hospitality and more. Finding the celebrity is the easy part, the challenge is creating a program that works for the particular celebrity chosen. There’s no cookie cutter approach as each celebrity has their own strengths, assets and weaknesses, too.

Q: What are some of the common traits you see in the most effective celebrity endorsers and spokespeople?
A: A person and program that is relatable to the target audience, is genuinely believable and one that can be used across multiple marketing channels, including traditional media relations, online video, and the celebrity’s own assets, such as their personal website.

Q: In the past decade, reality shows and niche cable networks (HGTV, Food Network) have created a new wave of celebrities and expert spokespeople. How has the emergence of this group impacted the industry?
A: It has helped the industry because brands have more to choose from. The increased supply of talent has given brands additional leverage in the marketplace. Also, they are able to pick people that are truly relevant and experts to their brand. Years ago, brands would use football players to promote the grilling season. Now one can choose a chef. While it seems obvious, these chefs did not have big followings/fans before the advent of the Food Network.

Q: How can clients who don’t have the budget for a “marquee name” maximize their investment in a spokesperson?
A: Marquee names do not dictate success. The program and leveraging the celebrity dictate success (along with the fee you are able to negotiate). Social media (for the most part) is free, take advantage of that. Also, if your tactics include online video, find a celebrity that is talented/funny so that people want to see the video. Remember, there is no such thing as viral video. There is only video that is successful so it becomes viral. Also, as we mentioned above, find celebrities that come to the table with more than just their name/likeness. Find people that have strong followings on Twitter or have upcoming projects where your brand can be organically associated with.

Q: What do you see as some of the important industry trends to watch over the next few years?
A: Without question, the internet and mobile devices is and will change the future of these deals. No longer can a brand truly control territory and term and it will be interesting to see how these “legal words” are changed in the coming years. And I would expect to see more brand integration into celebrities’ TV shows, movies, books, web presence and other assets.

In addition to the First Call blog, you can follow David on Twitter: @david_schwab.