Andre Ivanchuk

We want to bring greater transparency to the way we partner with leading medical, scientific and patient organizations,” said Jeffrey B. Kindler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer.

Jeff continues by stating that this move will break down a major barrier, and increase trust healthcare providers must have when prescribing to medicines. Without a doubt Pfizer will gain more trust from their participants by positioning themselves as an open and transparent organization.

When walls come down, you as a business gain trust by those that keep you in business because they see that you are not hiding or withholding anything.

There has never been a time in history when the consumer, and in this case the patient, have had so much purchasing power. Prior to facing the physician, the patient enters the exam room equipped with information, symptoms, possible causes, new medicine, recent treatment practices, etc. The physician is put in an awkward position to have to answer to what the patient brings to the table.

The lines of the communication and acquiring information are not longer the same. It is time for health care providers to embrace the new methods of communication to better provide for their patients.

Give this a quick thought: Big-brand retailers are plastering the apperal they sell with their brand marks, logos and slogans. Why are consumers not demanding advertising fees for wearing the brand-marked apparel?

I recently viewed a 30 minute spot for a local (Central/Upstate NY) automotive dealership FX Caprara – a 30 minute, not seconds. I could not help but wonder what marketing/advertising agency had given this dealership the creative & marketing direction on this spot.  In general, the automotive industry has had the weakest marketing strategies in history. There are a few that have broken out of the mundane marketing approach. As a result, their stories have made a lasting impact on their audience.

What you say, and how you say it – whether verbal, in print, or digital – speaks volumes about your brand, your personality, your values, the owners and the stakeholders. You have but one opportunity to make a positive lasting impression. Afterward, you’re either reinforcing your brand image, or fixing it.

The below observations were noted on the FX Caprara spot, but these issues are just as real for much of the automotive industry:

• A big banner with the dealership website address was suspended in the background. Great move, but unfortunately the web address was blocked by a colorful bouquet of balloons. TAKE ACTION: When composing the shot, note every element you are using, particularly the elements that call for action from the viewers (like visiting a website). You need to be considerate at all times of the Conversion factor – getting the greatest response from your audience (call, visit website, visit location, etc.)
• The spokesperson, Charlie Caprara (owner) was very engaging, exciting to listen to, had a great personality – but, I do not remember him pausing, allowing the viewer to process the information. I understand that time is money and we all do our best to get the most for our investments, but Charlie just went on and on. It is counter-production to provide so much information. The audience would have remembered more information had he said less. Less is more!
• As the camera changed locations, the environment  greatly effected the audio quality. Be considerate of how the audio behaves as you change locations. If the environment is negatively impacting the audio quality, just pick a better location – don’t ruin the entire spot.
• One of the shots paned across a parking log of their vehicles. Smart move, but the vehicles were all covered with snow – I couldn’t tell one from the other. It’s these small things that add to the overall experience the audience has.
• From beginning to end, the lower third of the screen was flooder with too much copy, set in a small type – an issue of legibility (and my television screen is not small). Besides the FX Caprara logo, I could not read the other information.
• I did not see any exciting footage of the vehicles they were selling; not to mention any interior, close-ups, 3/4 views, etc. Buying a vehicle is as much an emotional decision as it is logical. Images speak volumes.

What happened with doing things with quality?!

There has never been a time in history when the consumer had so much purchasing power as today. Screaming, yelling, and flashing no longer works. The consumer has become extremely intelligent, having valuable information and resources a click-away. Automotive Industry – it’s time to take a new approach to your marketing strategies!

1. Define the Goal – The things are you trying to accomplish; set up measurable and realistic goals; also setup several audacious goals – honor and respect them as well. Throughout the campaign, never lose sight of the goal(s). Write the goals down and keep them in front of you.

Measure Success – Also, you must establish means by which you will know when your actions are yielding desirable results. Ask this questions, “When do I know our actions are yielding successful results?”

2. Develop a Strategy – Design an action plan and a timeline; think short-term and long-term.

3.  Develop a Team – Build the team very early on. Cast the vision and make sure the team believes in the vision; make sure they are all on board. Empower them to fully execute the vision. Do not micromanage them. Allow honest and open feedback from each person.  Trust your team. And always thank your team.

Suspend your ego and hire the best talent you can afford. Do not be intimidated by an individual that has more experience than you in a particular area. You are only as successful as the average of the people you spend time with.

Interesting points made in the bnet article regarding the shift of marketing methods. But here’s something we need to realize; those in traditional media are just as concerned about maintaining business as any other industry, and therefore are willing to offer great deals, discounts and incentives to keep their clients. There are deals being made that were previously unheard of. But you need to ask big and not budge.