Voyeurism on the Web may have started with the likes of the Jenny-cam but now the healthcare world is viewing its marketing possibilities with increasing favor.
Allowing cybersurfers to peek through a computer desktop window into the lives of "real people" receiving a variety of medical services is an exciting way to establish immediate credibility, trust and widespread exposure. Ethical questions will become key, however, if this trend continues to gain momentum.
Debunking the "Quick-Fix" Myth
The 1-800-Therapist Network (http://www.1-800-therapist.com) is using this technique to let the public witness actual counseling sessions and gain a more realistic view of therapy. Over a five-week period, starting Feb. 7, visitors can view the live sessions using free downloadable video software.
The site's director, Kevin Grold, says he hopes this technique will shed light on "what really happens in counseling" and undo the media's negative portrayal of therapy.
Television shows like "Ally McBeal" and "Frasier" trivialize therapy and popular talk shows like "Montell" and "Ricky Lake" promote 60-second "quick-fix solutions" to complex emotional problems.
Grold has firsthand experience with the media's treatment of the mental health profession. Print and broadcast media outlets often turn to his 1-800 international mental health referral network to find therapists to interview for their stories.
The online counseling sessions are sure to ignite ethical debates about privacy and confidentiality.
Grold emphasizes that the online sessions don't overstep any confidentiality or privacy limits that haven't already been pushed by television and radio talk shows that regularly feature therapy sessions.
The American Psychological Association (APA) takes exception. Showing real counseling sessions on the Web site will "undermine the public's confidence" in the privacy of therapy, says Rhea Farberman, the APA's director of public communications.
While the APA agrees that measures should be taken to counter the media's negative portrayal of therapy and promote "good" psychotherapy, Farberman says that airing mock therapy sessions on the Internet is a better alternative.
Watching Her Weight
Healthshop.com, a San Francisco-based site (http://www.healthshop.com) marketing natural health products, is offering visitors a three-month, round-the-clock opportunity to peek into the living room, kitchen and office of 29-year-old "Dani" (her last name is concealed for privacy and safety reasons) as she diets and exercises her way toward a "health transformation" in time for her April wedding. Visitors can witness Dani's daily routine, read her diary, and once inspired, use the site's "health planner" to develop their own health regimen.
The Danicom is an exciting way to fuse e-commerce and online interactivity and set Health.com apart from other health and wellness Web sites, says Bob Purcell, Health.com's VP of marketing. Dani's three month shape-up saga is generating high-profile news from mainstream and vertical outlets like Business Week and The Industry Standard, a high-tech trade magazine.
For now, the "real life, real-time" approach holds undeniable "leadership" positioning opportunities. A convincing case in point is the 1.4 million visitors who flocked to their computers last year for the first Webcast of a live birth, hosted by America's Health Network, which provides online health and medical programming. It is among the fastest growing medical sites on the Internet.
(Healthshop.com, Bob Purcell, 415/908-1801; 1-800-Therapist Network, Kevin Grold, 619/481-1515; APA, Rhea Farberman, 202/336-5709)
How to 'Get Real'
Launching a 'real life' campaign has definite marketing perks. Consider these factors:
- Screening: Select an individual who has a health problem that visitors can easily identify with and be motivated to offer feedback.
- Cost: While these programs are nominal at under $10,000, they do require a significant amount of planning and promotional strategy.
- Positioning: These efforts are ideal for differentiating your Web site among the competition and tend to attract a wide range of media attention from mainstream and vertical outlets.
Source: HPRMN