How to Market to Healthcare Professionals: Follow David Ogilvy’s Advice

Long before the Internet and pocket computers, advertising tycoon David Ogilvy said, “The more informative your advertising, the more persuasive it will be." That is still true when it comes to marketing to healthcare professionals.

They are education junkies. They know that consumers trust them more than anyone else to recommend what’s best. And the more health professionals know about your brand or product, the more likely it will be that they recommend it. Period.

Last month, we spent three days with 700 dietitians at the 2017 Today’s Dietitian Symposium in New Orleans getting their education fix. Though “Huge Ass Beers” was just down the street from the hotel, these dedicated professionals were eager to sit through 90-minute presentations in conference rooms and talk with brands on a trade show floor to gain a better understanding of how they can best help their patients and clients.

If you’re not educating health professionals about the health and nutrition benefits of your product, you’re missing a huge (dare we say huge-ass?) opportunity. Here’s how to do it.

Don’t market to them like ordinary consumers

Health professionals are dedicated to continuous learning. They want to know all they can about the options their clients face at the supermarket. The bottom line is this: Less is not more when marketing to them. 

Take a look at advertisements from the 1940s and ‘50s. Most consumers would give the copy-filled pages 0% of their time. Not these consumers. When writing for healthcare professionals, use Ogilvy’s old-fashioned equation: informative = persuasive. 

One of Ogilvy's own ads.

Share the details

These are smart, curious people who want the kind of resources they can leverage in their day-to-day practice. So, get down into the weeds a bit. Provide context, use charts and graphs, introduce new terms — health professionals can not only handle it, they want it. If you feel like you’re giving too much, you’re giving enough.

Add value to their client interactions

Think samples, coupons, pamphlets, brochures, one-pagers, and other physical pieces of information that health professionals can literally hand to their clients during a face-to-face conversation. Once they know enough about the health and nutrition benefits of your brand or product, there’s a chance you’ll make it into that verbal exchange. But by providing a dietician, for example, with paper-based information, you’re guaranteed to add value.

Make it a two-way situation

Like most curious learners, health professionals want to ask questions and give their feedback. For brands, this may be done through surveys, online forums, even webinars or Twitter chats. Don’t stop with promotional materials. Make it possible for health professionals to talk to you, too.

Brands, you have willing, eager consumers of information — and consumers themselves — who want to understand the health and nutrition benefits of your brand, product, or service. And they want to understand it so well that they can teach it to their clients, who are also consumers. Why wouldn’t you want to take advantage of this? 

It’s time to channel your inner Ogilvy. What’s old is new again!

The Most Effective Health & Wellness Marketing Device of 2017 Isn’t Digital

In the recent book “The Revenge of Analogue,” the creative director at Mohawk Paper, Chris Harold, is quoted saying that for millennials, “digital devices are a commodity; a commodity delivery platform.” Does this surprise you?  Maybe not. Maybe you’ve heard that adults who grew up with digital devices find all kinds of “old-fashioned” things refreshing, such as reading actual books and living out of vans. But the desire for information on paper is stronger than simple nostalgia.

Harold goes on to explain that “print has an ability to organize information in a special way,” compared to the always-clickable internet with its “endless loop of information.” In other words, even for digital natives, the fact that a printed handout is the beginning and the end can be a benefit. This is especially true for health and wellness brands, particularly when that printed material contains highly relevant information delivered in a face-to-face interaction with a trusted professional. 

Believe it: Paper remains one of the most effective health and wellness marketing devices yet.

The appeal of paper as a marketing device

We’ve been delivering face-to-face interactions between health and wellness influencers and consumers for nearly 20 years, and overwhelmingly, influencers prefer hard copy, printed materials. In fact, their preference for print has only gotten stronger in the wake of the digital explosion. 

Members of PulseConnect influencer collective tell us that printed educational materials handed out during a face-to-face interaction add significantly more value to their patients and clients. 

Think about it.  What would you trust more? A list of keywords to Google or a brand website URL provided by a dietitian, or a printed educational piece that you and that same dietitian sat down and walked through together.

Three factors of paper marketing success

Three factors make this old-fashioned marketing device one of the best-performing in the health-and-wellness space in 2017.

1. The information on it
   When it is beautifully designed and communicates just what its readers need (such as nutrition guidance and key brand messages), handouts, brochures, and tear pads are the widely preferred communication device—even for millennials.
    
2. The person who shares it
   The information on the paper must come from a trusted source—and for health and wellness, that’s a professional. Without a doubt, consumers trust their own doctor, nurse, dietitian, or fitness professional more than any other source for guidance on which healthy products meet their needs.
    
3. How it is shared
   It must be shared during a face-to-face interaction. Not via email or social media post. Not with a URL or a QR code. But with a professional looking the consumer in the eye and saying, “This is what can help you.” Targeted, impactful, and effective.

Yes, even in 2017, old school and analog solutions can be most effective when it comes to driving health and wellness sales. 

What the (other) experts say

Don’t just take our word for it.  

Neuromarketing firm TrueImpact did a study that found that paper-based messaging performs even better than digital ads. When asked to cite a brand they had just seen, recall was 70% higher among participants who were exposed to printed marketing materials (75%) versus a digital ad (44%). 

The numbers can only be higher when paired with a face-to-face recommendation from a trusted source. Pair it with your next digital execution, social media campaign, or PR effort and you’ve got the best of all worlds. Just don’t forget paper the next time you hear the term “marketing device.”

Marketing Through Health Influencers

Over the last few months, our Trust series of blog posts has focused on the difficulties of marketing in a trustless environment and the resulting importance of focusing your marketing efforts on sources consumers find credible and trustworthy, such as health influencers. 

In this final post of the series, we take a look at how healthy brands can build a relationship with these trusted health influencers and earn a coveted face-to-face brand recommendation to their target consumer. 

It’s important to note that while the keys below have been critical success factors for virtually all of the face-to-face, influencer-to-consumer programs and platforms we’ve built for clients over the past 18 years, there is no magic formula for success. Effective health influencer marketing requires understanding not just which health influencers are critical to your brand, but also the best strategy for engaging those influencers, including the right mix of messaging, outreach, and communication.

But for those marketers just starting down the path of talking to health influencers and encouraging them to share their brand with patients and clients, these three keys are vital:

1. Don’t Be One and Done: 

Far too often these days, marketers “pilot” programs at a small scale, hope to measure some form of success, and then move on to the next tactic if results from this modest investment of time and dollars don’t deliver oversized results. Frankly, this approach is guaranteed to fail with health influencers. These dedicated professionals are eager to engage with and support healthy brands that are committed to providing them with outstanding products and resources that improve the health & wellness of their patients and clients. But, they’ve seen “one and done” before and are naturally skeptical. Demonstrate your commitment to meeting their needs by emphasizing frequency of communication. Recognize that developing a relationship of trust and credibility with health influencers—a relationship that will deliver branded recommendations—is a process, one that involves ongoing engagement.

2. Educate First, Promote Second: 

Just as health influencers are skeptical of brands that make a big splash never to be heard from again, these professionals are also wary of brands that make bold but weakly substantiated claims or bombard them with promotional messages better suited to consumer-focused channels. Market your brand responsibly to health influencers and you will see results. Focus on adding value to their interactions with patients and clients through educational materials, product samples, and coupons. And don’t forget that the influencer needs education about your brand and need-state as well. Year after year, our research with PulseConnect influencers shows that familiarity with a brand and depth of product knowledge are directly correlated to willingness to recommend.

3. Make Your Outreach a Two-Way Street: 

One of the key reasons health influencers raise their hand and opt-in to PulseConnect to receive branded materials is the opportunity it provides to keep abreast of what is happening in the industry as well as the voice it provides them with manufacturers. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to engage health influencers in a two-way conversation about your brand. Solicit feedback about your product and programs, ask influencers for insights on upcoming innovations, and inquire about how your brand can better meet the needs of their patients and clients.

These three keys have been guiding principles for us as we’ve developed and executed hundreds of influencer-to-consumer marketing programs for healthy brands. The most successful programs have stuck to these core principles and developed into ongoing platforms that deliver significant value for the sponsoring brands.

Throughout this series, we’ve talked about the evolution of trust in the marketing world, as well as the desire of consumers to get valuable information and guidance from key trusted sources. At the end of the day, however, consumers and influencers alike want to support brands that share their values. Health influencer-to-consumer marketing, when well designed and executed, can be an invaluable way for healthy brands not just to communicate about their values to influencers and consumers, but to live those values. 

Expo West Recap

This month we ventured to Anaheim, CA for Natural Products Expo West. We navigated our way through more than 80,000 people and 2,700 booths to meet with clients, see friends, and discover what’s new in the natural products industry. With new products on display every year, the Expo is always buzzing with positive energy. Here were our takeaways of the trends at Expo West:

Nut Butters

The rise of nut butter brands shouldn’t be shocking. There’s been a shake-up in the $1.9 billion a year nut butter category, which was once almost completely dominated by peanut butter. At the Expo, you could also see lots of almond, cashew, and sunflower based products. 

Water

Everywhere we turned, there was a new water company. The big players in bottled water were not present, for the most part. Many younger brands, however, were. There were tons of variations on water, all bringing something unique to the table. We saw boxed, alkaline, sparkling, caffeinated, electrolyte infused, and fat water to name a few. 

It will be very interesting to watch this category over the next few years to see if smaller fringe brands can gain market share. 

Natural Energy

Energy has been a trend in the natural space for quite some time. However, this year we noticed even more companies promoting natural energy. This was, perhaps, our favorite trend, since traversing the Expo hall can get tiring. We needed the boost! There was certainly an increase in cold brew coffee companies. Green tea matcha was also featured in a lot of drinks. Unsurprisingly, there were scores of energy drinks. That, however, is not a new trend.

Coconuts

Coconuts had a huge presence in Anaheim. Over the last decade, coconut water sales have grown exponentially.  Now, coconut bites, coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut chips, and even coconut jerky are everywhere. 

There is certainly an opportunity in the coconut category. Those who are able to educate consumers on the benefits of coconut products will succeed. Currently, however, many people are skeptical of the real benefits. 

Meat Alternatives

The meat alternative category has exploded in popularity over the last few years. This category is no longer limited to Boca, MorningStar, and Tofurky. Smaller companies are joining in—and stealing market share. 

This is perhaps the most viable of the health trends we saw at Expo West. These alternatives are a great source of essential nutrients, and fit into many more diets. For example, meatless alternatives are perfect for flexitarians—those who consume mostly plant based foods with the occasional inclusion of meat. Also, meatless alternatives are a great option for the over 375 million vegetarians worldwide. 

Finally, meatless alternatives are a more sustainable option than meat. This is exceptionally important, as sustainability has become the third highest factor driving consumer purchasing in the grocery store. As more people become more conscious of how their decisions impact the planet, meat alternative sales will likely continue to increase. 

The Impact of Health & Wellness on Grocery Stores

Keep an eye out for grocers playing more of a role in health & wellness in the near future, a move fueled by consumer demand. According to Leslie Sarasin, President & CEO of Food Manufacturing Institute, grocery stores are situated perfectly to assist consumers on their health & wellness journey. This comes at a time of high competition for grocery stores—not only competing against themselves, but also online retailers, as we previously wrote about.  

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it now — as people prefer holistic approaches to health and wellness, food retailers, standing in the nexus position between food and pharmacy, as well as nutrition and provision of medical services, are uniquely positioned as health and wellness resources for their customers.” – Leslie Sarasin, FMI

Health and wellness engagement at grocery is a huge opportunity for healthy brands to pair with health influencers to meet the needs of Americans. Through their concerted efforts from office to shelf, health influencers and brands can influence the decisions of consumers at a much higher level.

The advantage will go to brands that are smart about engaging key influencers geo-targeted to store locations and partnering with key customers to promote their products and offerings. Pairing “near store” influencer and consumer reach with “in store” shopper marketing will certainly help consumers make healthier decisions.

The Importance of Influencers in a Changing Grocery Landscape

The way Americans shop for groceries is changing. Online food shopping is on the rise, and it is predicted to grow five-fold over the next decade. This is a great opportunity for brands to get their products to consumers. However, with the rise of online shopping, the opportunities to get in front of consumers have been reduced, and the number of these opportunities will continue to diminish. We’re not expecting online shopping to turn the grocery store model on its head, but it will lead to change in how CPG brands market their products. That’s why, now more than ever, face-to-face influencers are so important for connecting healthy brands to consumers.

Grocery Stores Are Here To Stay

First off, the grocery store model will not become extinct anytime soon. Yes, online grocery shopping is increasing, and will continue to increase. However, the majority of shopping is still done in person. Currently, only 25% of household buy groceries online, and online shopping represents less than 5% of all grocery sales. But the online grocery platform is expected to grow rapidly. So much so, that grocery stores have even adopted digital shopping—tying online ordering with curbside pick up. In this way, they are better able to compete with the convenience of online options.

Landscape For Marketers

Online grocery shopping has provided a challenge for marketers. As powerful as shopper marketing is, it could see a diminished role in an environment where consumers aren’t going into the store. However, marketers can still effectively reach consumers through tried and tested ways—print, digital, social, and face-to-face interactions.

Reaching Consumers In An Increasingly Digital World

In the gold-rush excitement surrounding this seemingly untapped platform, marketers must remember that the digital shopper is still... well, a shopper. These shoppers seek recommendations from trusted sources of information—dietitians, personal trainers, nurses, pediatricians, etc. Through face-to-face influencers, brands can get even more than impactful recommendations. These influencers provide a personal experience with the brand, an increasingly valuable interaction.

Grocery stores are here to stay, and so is shopper marketing. But their roles will change as we move forward. Digital platforms are not only shaping the way people buy their groceries, but also path to purchase. With less opportunities for brands to get in front of consumers, health influencers will continue to valuable intermediary between healthy brands and consumers.  

What Makes a Source Credible and Trustworthy?

In a time when trust in traditional advertising is declining, consumers are constantly evaluating the sources from which they get information. With so much fake news and misleading stories, what should people look for in a reliable source?

We’ve found that there are three characteristics that make a source credible and trustworthy. First, they must be knowledgeable on diet and nutrition. Second, they should have interests that are aligned with the consumer—promoting a healthy lifestyle. Finally, this trusted and credible source must be able to provide relevant, actionable advice.

Knowledge and Expertise

Knowledge and expertise are arguably the two most important factors in determining the credibility of a source. Consumers are constantly looking for answers to complicated health & wellness questions—and often these answers vary depending on the person. A quick Google search seeking a solution to nutrition advice can yield “answers” from scores of so-called “experts.” But who are these people? Do they have a nutritional background? Do they know the consumer and their dietary needs? The internet is cluttered with so-called “experts,” making it extremely difficult to understand whose opinions matter, and what advice to act on.

With the media creating this clutter, where can consumers turn for dietary advice? Their hand-picked health professional. Why? This professional has gone through the extensive education required to obtain a degree and are counseling people everyday! The same cannot be said about the blogger or journalist, whose interests are not always in line with consumers’.

Interests That Align With the Consumer

The evolution of internet marketing has led to an enormous number of conflicting voices in the health & wellness conversation. For bloggers and journalists, it is in their interest to promote products or headlines that will attract attention, drive clicks, and increase advertising revenue. Based on their incentive to create traffic, their credibility should immediately be questioned. Are they truly interested in improving consumers’ health, or in gaining clicks?

The main objective of everyday health influencers is exceptionally clear: to help the people they counsel adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. These professionals want to share information and findings that are relevant to the people they counsel. Finally, they want to share relevant better-for-you products, because that can lead to change.

Context and Action

How valuable is health advice if it’s not applicable and actionable? Creating relevant and actionable advice is a huge hurdle for online sources. Often times, a problem is highlighted, an argument is made and supported, and the article ends. The reader is left with no actionable advice. Further, that health & wellness monologue might not even apply to them!

Personal healthcare professionals have an advantage that other sources don’t. They have the benefit of a two-way conversation. They can assess the dietary needs, restrictions, or preferences of their patient. These health professionals can then, in turn, make a personal and actionable recommendation.

Personal, everyday, health professionals meet all of these criteria. No other source does. When consumers don’t know where to turn, health professionals can cut through the clutter.

Meeting Consumers Where They Are

Allied health professionals are leaving their offices to meet consumers where they are—both literally and figuratively. This LA Times article describes the efforts of health professionals in California to meet people wherever they can influence purchasing decisions, including the grocery store. 

“It’s become increasingly clear that people’s regular eating and exercise habits have a much bigger effect on their health than the time spent at a doctor’s appointment.”  - Glen Melnick, USC Health Economics Professor

The conversation between health professionals and consumers about the foods they eat is a critical component of a preventive approach to health and wellness. The conversations between health professionals and consumers are exceptionally important to educating consumers, and in turn, preventing diseases. The location of this conversation is no longer limited to an office.

The Real Trends in Health & Wellness for 2017

It’s that time of year again—the time when our email inboxes and web browsers overflow with predictions about the key food trends for the coming year. Will 2017 be the year of sorghum? Will matcha take over the beverage market? Will people start swapping jackfruit for meat? 

While these trends represent exciting innovations in the food world, we don’t believe that they are the trends that will drive health & wellness in America next year. Instead, we encourage people to use this year-end period to take a step back and think about the big picture for 2017.

Americans Want to Be Healthier

A significant—and growing—percentage of Americans want to be healthier, lose weight, and feel better about their physical well being in 2017. So much so that in a recent survey, nearly half of Americans said that they are actively trying to lose weight. The number of Americans who use a gym has reached an all-time high—58 million people! This number has risen steadily since 2000, and we can expect this trend to continue.

Consumers Are Confused

We’ve written about the conflicting reports in the media that have created a cluttered space when it comes to health & wellness. Google any health-related topic and you’ll get dozens of conflicting opinions by self-proclaimed “experts.” People are confused about what to believe—and who to trust. 

Personal healthcare professionals are the most trusted source of health & wellness information, according to IFIC. As fake news, biased content, and questionably credentialed experts continue to proliferate online, consumers will turn to these trusted sources to cut through the clutter.

Trust and Credibility are Hard Won

Building trust and credibility is perhaps the most important “trend” for 2017. Americans have been skeptical of the media. Then came the presidential election, in which fake news garnered more attention on Facebook than the real news. 

While false claims are made by a very small percentage of brands, they have led 77% of consumers to believe that diet products aren’t as healthy as they claim to be. The uncertainty about who or what to trust online will make the role of face-to-face health professionals even more important in 2017.

Wishing you all health and prosperity in 2017!

Improving Consumers’ 200 Food Choices

The current level of uncertainty around healthcare in America brings self-care, and personal responsibility, to the forefront. Americans can combat this uncertainty by taking their health into their own hands. How so? By taking the first line of defense—making better food decisions. But how do consumers learn about new, better-for-you, products? Who can they trust for the information they need to stay healthy and well?

A recent article cited that Americans make over 200 food decisions every day. Yes, you read that correctly... The average consumer makes more than 200 food choices each day. So, as people begin to take charge of their health, there is a huge opportunity for healthy brands to become part of the consideration set. Consumers just need to know about them! 

Beyond brand awareness, consumers need education. They need to know the benefits of a product before they alter one of their 200 food choices. A recent 2016 IFIC study reminds us that consumers trust their health influencers—their own personal health advisors—for nutrition information more than any other source. Together, with full transparency and no financial incentives, healthy brands and influencers can accelerate awareness and make an impactful change on the dietary habits of Americans.