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Supply Chain Transparency

Customers expect more transparency from brands than ever before, want to know where their stuff is coming from and ensure their values are being reflected in a brands practice. As marketers, it is important that we create transparency within our supply chains.

A Transparent Supply Chain

It is important to first note what a transparent supply chain looks like. Traditional supply chains have been guarded by brands out of fear of losing their edge, disclosing limited information about the origin of raw materials and the working conditions of their facilities. Today, consumers want to know where the ingredients to their favorite product came from and how it has been processed. This means brands must not only monitor and report the conditions within their own facilities, but also their upstream counterparts.  

Why Transparency?

While the main force driving transparency comes from consumer demand, it can also benefit brands. Sharing data at every step of a supply chain can help stakeholders reduce operational costs by identifying and correcting weak points in a system.  Transparent systems also improve an brands reputation, while increasing profits and productivity.

Consumers want to know how their favorite brands operate and the working conditions of their employees. Brands, therefore, must be transparent in their sourcing and distribution to maintain customer loyalty.

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Omnichannel Communication in Healthcare

As marketers, we need to keep up with customer expectations. The retail and service sectors have developed seamless customer experiences, and patients are now expecting this service from their healthcare providers too. Integration of omnichannel communication strategies in healthcare organizations is necessary to meet the needs of patients in today’s market.

For Providers

As healthcare technologies have become more advanced, many providers have begun investing in omnichannel communication strategies to improve care and efficiency. Integrating telehealth with in-person care allows providers to mitigate risk between patients and providers during outbreaks and to better triage patient care. Integration of these services could also help to ease the congestion in ER waiting rooms, with patients being evaluated at home before arrival.

For Patients

Omnichannel strategies within healthcare systems will also increase patient experience and satisfaction. Integration of telehealth into traditional healthcare systems helps to reduce the barriers to access and improve care. Integrated systems can also facilitate better communication between patients and their healthcare providers via email and chat.

To meet the needs of patients, healthcare systems must invest in omnichannel communication systems. The expectation of seamless delivery is becoming more common as these systems become more widely used across industries. The future of healthcare is agile and integrated with omnichannel communication strategies to provide the best care for all.

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Fighting Public Health Misinformation

As public health marketers it is our job to encourage people to make informed choices based accurate information. This, however, can be difficult. Often public health data is misinterpreted, and misinformation is spread. One way to combat this misinformation is to educate our audiences on how data should be used, as well as how to spot misinformation in the future.  

Education is Key

Although the information others put into the world is out of our control, we can educate our audiences and lead them toward accurate interpretations of information. Dr. Katrine Wallace is particularly effective at this kind of educational work. She is an epidemiologist, science communicator, and social media influencer, who has been working diligently to provide her followers with timely and accurate information regarding public health topics. With accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, Dr. Kat is redefining what public health marketing can look like.

Her social media centers around responding to claims made by individuals misinterpreting data and spreading misinformation. Along with her regular updates, Dr. Kat also works to educate her audiences on misinformation techniques and how to spot them. A prime example is her video on base rate fallacy, where she explains how public health data can be misinterpreted when comparing populations.

Understanding how to use public health data is important when fighting against misinformation. Therefore, educating audiences is important in stopping its spread. As public health marketers we must developing engaging approaches to educate our audiences and ensure they’re accurately interpreting information.

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Cognitive Bias and Public Health Policy

As public health marketers it is our job to promote policies and behaviors that will promote informed decision making. To do this work, marketers must combat cognitive biases people may hold, especially when these biases would result in worse health outcomes.  While individual biases will always occur, we as marketers should keep them in mind when developing messaging.

Pandemics and Bias

The Covid-19 pandemic uncovered several biases within our public health systems. One of the most notable was the Availability Bias. Since the US had not experienced a large-scale viral outbreak since 1920, American populations were less likely to see Covid-19 as a major threat. Meanwhile, South Korea has been impacted by novel viruses more recently, so their people took precautionary measures more seriously. 

In the US, the Identifiable Victim Effect also had major implications to public health policy. Public health data is often given on the population level, which can make it difficult for individuals to conceptualize the threat. Early on, people were much more concerned with the availability of ventilators than social distancing and masking. The tragic stories of people unable to find a ventilator were much more immediate given the bias toward individual stories. However, while the availability of ventilators was important, proper mask use and social distancing was much more effective at decreasing the mortality rates.

There will always be personal biases that prevent individuals form engaging in public health actions. However, as public health marketers we must understand these biases to address them. The success of public health policy depends on convincing a wide range of people and overcoming pre-existing thoughts and beliefs in some segments of that population.  

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COVID’s Effect on Distribution Channels

It has been widely covered that Covid-19 crippled supply chains worldwide. As marketers we must ensure resilient and flexible supply chains to mitigate shortages and curb losses. The healthcare field in particular must ensure that they have the necessary supplies to keep people safe.

Healthcare and Shortages

Over the course of the pandemic hospitals around the world struggled to obtain the PPE necessary to keep their practitioners and patients safe. This has been exaggerated as supply chains become strained and new variants evolve. As marketers we must both increase our inventories and diversify our supply chains to ensure our operations run smoothly. Preparedness and resilience will also help your organization to build trust withing the community and become people’s number one choice for healthcare. 

It is critical that healthcare marketers ensure their facilities have robust and flexible supply chains. This not only ensures the safely of individuals but also builds trust in the brand. Diversifying our supply chains and increasing emergency inventories are necessary for an organizations resilience in today’s global supply network.

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Importance of the B2B Supply Chain

As marketers, it can be easy to overlook an organization’s B2B supply chain. This however is a mistake, the B2B supply chain is a necessary component to every organization.  As marketers we must put more emphasis on our B2B supply chains to ensure our organizations are able to avoid delays and losses.

B2B

As noted above, B2B sales are where the majority of transactions occur. In fact, global supply chains have increased in both length and complexity over the past decade. A single item may have components produced and assembled in multiple countries, and a single delay can greatly impact production. Therefore, marketers must work to ensure diversity and resilience in their supply chains to minimize loss due to delays.

Impact on Healthcare

The global health supply chain was greatly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. As ports and countries shut down, it became nearly impossible to obtain the necessary supplies for providers to stay safe. Obtaining appropriate PPE, once an afterthought for providers, is now the top concern for hospitals around the country highlighting the importance of B2B supply chains.

As global supply chains become more complex, it is our job as marketers to ensure that our products are getting out. A delay for a single component can create massive losses and delays. No matter the industry, B2B supply chains serve critical functions in providing us with the goods that we need.

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Digital and Traditional Media

The media landscape has evolved into two segments: ‘traditional’ and ‘digital’. Each with their own set of pros and cons that marketers must consider.

Digital media is very dynamic, allowing marketers to adapt quickly as situations and environments change. It also allows marketers to develop specific campaigns for each of their target segments at a low cost. Digital media, however, may not reach certain audiences due to technological and user capabilities.

Traditional media is far more permanent. Once a campaign is developed, it is harder to adjust. Traditional campaigns must be appealing to a broad variety of audiences due to their public placement. However, traditional media is excellent at maintaining brand awareness across many audience segments.

Both traditional and digital media campaigns have their advantages. Marketers need to consider the pros and cons of each and select the right balance for their own campaigns, whether it is primarily a dynamic, targeted, digital campaign for a highly-online audience, a more steady and reliable traditional campaign for a broader audience, or an effective mix of the two.

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Website Flow

As marketers it is important that our webpages be user friendly and guide the reader. A website without a good ‘flow’ will be of putting to the user and increase the bounce rate for your webpage.

User Experience

A company’s website is often a user’s first impression of a brand. If the landing page is confusing or jumbled it can be offsetting to the user and lead to negative brand opinions. It is important that there is a ‘flow’ to your organizations website that guides a user though the customer journey.  The navigation and menu options must be clear and concise so that users are able to easily find new products and services.

 Overall marketers must work with their web designers to create websites that flow that will guide the user and increase sales.

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Personalization of Digital Messaging

As marketers we are constantly developing new tools and software to provide customers with personalized experiences. Digital marketing platforms allow us to use customer information to predict customer behavior and deliver the appropriate messaging. This personalization of messaging can help drive customers down the sales funnel and increase customer satisfaction.

Satisfying Customers’ Needs

Personalized messaging can create a sense of connection between consumers and brands. By using your customer’s declared data, brands can create customized messages for their different customer segments to better meet their needs. For example, when a customer visits your company’s webpage and places items in their cart but fails to complete the checkout process, your company can send that customer a personalized message that they have items left in their cart that have not been processed. This kind of customized support can help customers reach their own goals efficiently and effectively.

Damage Control

Personalized messaging can also help brands avoid further frustrating an already dissatisfied customer. For example, imagine a situation where a customer is already unhappy with the performance of their recent product purchase. Sending this customer offers for this product and associated accessories may worsen the situation. However, sending this customer a follow-up email asking for feedback regarding their customer service can create a dialogue to better understand their needs.

Utilizing personalized and responsive messaging helps marketers better meet the needs of their customers. The rise in digital marketing has led to an increase in customer information and opportunities for personalized messaging. With these tools, marketers can increase customer satisfaction and increase revenue.

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The Importance of Monitoring

As marketers it is our job to plan and implement marketing strategies. For this to happen effectively marketers but constantly be monitoring the planning process to ensure that everything is working towards the organization’s goal.

Monitoring your planning process is not a one-time thing. It is a process that should be carried out regularly to ensure processes stay current within the industry. A strategic process developed in 2018 would not be effective today with the amount of social and cultural change that has happened. Monitoring your organizations strategic processes can help them stay up to date and current with the competition.

Monitoring can also help an organization stay focused on its primary goal. It can be easy for an organization to lose track of its primary purpose and fall into strategic distractions. Regular monitoring of processes can help to address these issues before they get too big.

The regular monitoring of your strategies and processes is a healthy habit for any organization to engage in. By keeping your organization on track you will be that much closer to achieving your goals.