Is the Internet all it's cracked up to be, or could it be this year's refrigerator magnet, just another marketing gimmick?
The Internet certainly has a couple things in common with marketing gimmicks of the past - the physician liaisons, the TV image spots, the "guest relations" seminars.
First of all, both are communication channels that can be used to deliver and receive information while in pursuit of a broader objective: to promote greater utilization of a
healthcare service. Secondly, the Net is the object of the same kind of adulation showered on previous healthcare marketing "solutions" that have not proven themselves over time.
While the Internet is truly a communications revolution, it is still in its infancy in terms of capabilities and its ability to generate longterm results.
At a recent high-level conference for PR and marketing folks, each time slot included multiple presentations, on topics ranging from strategic partnerships to crisis
management, stakeholder development to labor relations.
And, of course, there was an "e" track. The vast majority of attendees packed into these Net sessions, hour after hour, uninterested in patient satisfaction or physician
relationships. Said one conference organizer, "It's like they think it's some sort of magic."
Word to the wise: don't fall for all the hype. Across my desk last week came a flier for an e-healthcare newsletter. The promises? Generate additional revenue streams, promote
key services and highlight new product offerings. Improve customer service and enhance operations while reducing costs. Who wouldn't take all of the marketing and communications
eggs and put them in this one, single channel, given how effective it is?
Wise marketers, that's who - marketers who have emerged, often battle-scarred, after having to pick up the pieces of failed strategies.
These marketers understand that while the Internet is a powerful tool, it's still a tool, a tactic to be deployed as part of a broader business strategy. And they understand
that even the e-world has its limits.
When taking the online plunge, here are some reality checks to keep you grounded:
Not everyone uses the web.
Yes, the Web world expands daily to embrace more and more users - but there still are millions of people who aren't online. As part of a multi-faceted communications strategy,
an Internet site has the power to reach, teach, motivate and mobilize people - the people who already are using the Web. And if that admittedly upscale audience is sufficient to
meet marketing goals, fine. But if the organization needs to reach other audience segments, then other channels are essential.
Computer owners aren't necessarily Net-meisters.
Even people who sit in front of a computer screen most of the day, with the Web only a couple of clicks away, vary widely in terms of how and when they surf. That especially
holds true for doctors.
Take, for instance, the typical physician's office. Ask, "Are you online," and nearly every doctor will say yes. But what many of them mean is that they have a computer system
in the office that's used - by someone else - for billing, records and appointments. Ask, "So, do you go online every day to find information about diseases, therapies, new
treatments, etc.," and the e-group shrinks.
Downloading doesn't translate to trust.
Everyone's heard the tale of patients going to their doctors with "armloads" of information. But just because they sought out the information and hit the print button doesn't
mean they know what they read. In focus groups, many patients say they're carrying that pile of information around so they can ask the doctor to explain it. They're even more
vehement about wanting and needing physician input.
Building a Web presence doesn't mean they'll come.
Launching a site, even with listings on all the best search engines, does not mean people will come for a first visit - let alone repeat visits. Offline promotion is needed to
build awareness and buzz about the site and an effective, attractive, informative site is the only way to get return visits.
There's still no magic bullet.
Using the Net with a solid understanding of its strengths and its weaknesses, as part of a broad communications and marketing strategy, is the best move. Obsessing about your
Web site and devoting all or most of the communications budget to it will leave few resources to reach the Web-challenged segments.
But the Internet has to play its part along with effective patient relations/satisfaction programs, ongoing physician relations programs, and an array of communications
channels chosen to reach specific audiences in the way that's most effective for them.
Kathy Lewton is SVP of Fleishman Hillard's healthcare/biotechnology division in New York.
She is author of Public Relations in Health Care: A Guide For Professionals. She can be reached at 212/453-2447, email: [email protected]