Dec. 31, 2008 at 9:13am

Lessons from Oprah and Middle Sister Rebel Red

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Care Line Marketing, Special Events
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It’s no secret that I like red wine. But my husband would tell you I enjoy selecting a great wine bottle label as much as I enjoy sipping the contents. Read more

Dec. 24, 2008 at 11:37am

Satisfying the little guy

Posted by Shari Campbell in Planning and Strategy
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“Ughhh. Those guys from diagnostic imaging are driving me nuts! They want me to provide the same level of marketing support that I offer to our heart center,” a hospital marketing director complained to me recently.

Dec. 17, 2008 at 9:50am

Nix the news conference

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Community Relations, Media Relations, Planning and Strategy
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When is a news conference the wrong answer? Most of the time. That practical lesson came to mind last week as I thumbed through an organization’s crisis communication plan.

Dec. 5, 2008 at 8:40am

Make them irrelevant

Posted by Shari Campbell in Advertising, Branding, Planning and Strategy, Practice Management
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“Don’t compete with them – make them irrelevant!”

Dec. 3, 2008 at 12:35pm

Are your ads like porn?

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Advertising, Branding, Planning and Strategy
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Sometimes I think creativity is a little like pornography – you recognize it when you see it. Read more

Nov. 20, 2008 at 4:41pm

The relevancy test

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Advertising, Planning and Strategy
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My husband is constantly pointing out car models he likes when we drive together. I only act interested. You see, where I see five lanes of clogged freeway, my husband sees a vast used car lot. Read more

Nov. 11, 2008 at 12:12pm

When you have to announce layoffs

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Internal Communications
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Grim... That’s the mood of some of our hospital clients who are cutting back and making due as the financial crisis persists. Especially the ones tasked with announcing program cuts, workforce reductions and laying off their own staff. Still, they are taking heart in knowing that good communication can help keep a bad situation from getting worse.

Oct. 29, 2008 at 12:03pm

Making the best of the worst:

Communicating in times of crisis

Posted by Shari Campbell in Community Relations, Declassified, Media Relations
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“The government surveyor approved our process.” “We don’t want to sound apologetic.” “He shouldn’t have been doing that!”

When faced with a tragedy or difficult issue, it’s not uncommon for finger pointing to spread through an organization like wildfire.

Oct. 21, 2008 at 9:13am

Got a minute, doc?

Posted by Kathleen Deakins in Advertising, Practice Management
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A passenger who sees a dirty tray table, an airline CEO once remarked, is likely to question if the engines are maintained properly. That’s because consumers use cues to judge quality. I was reminded of this lesson just now as I reviewed the results of interviews, focus groups and surveys conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 14 communities around the country.

Oct. 7, 2008 at 1:26pm

Coming soon: A blue ocean in Michigan

Posted by Shari Campbell in Branding
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It’s been a few weeks since I hopped a plane from San Francisco, site of the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development’s (SHSMD) annual conference. With dozens of topics and tracks to select from, I always find this annual event to be helpful and thought-provoking.

Last month’s conference was no exception.

Plenty more in the Archives