Across the advertising industry, agencies face lower budgets due to a number of factors — the obvious one being the recession. As marketers, this is a realization we’ve dealt with for more than a year and are moving forward as a whole.
But, instead of complaining about it, lets look at it as an opportunity, especially in health care marketing.
A survey of pharmaceutical executives conducted by FirstWord Pharma stated lower budgets would be one of the biggest challenges in health care marketing and communications in 2011. That trend shows no signs of stopping. With increased pressures from health care reform, providers are looking for any way to save money. And when you’re looking to save money, the marketing budget often takes the first (and biggest) hit.
But with the bad comes the good.
Lower budgets require a different type of thinking. They allow us to push back on the client and ask:
- What are your priorities?
- What are your business goals?
- Where can we make the biggest impact?
- Who is your Number One target audience?
- What really is your point of differentiation?
These are questions that should always be asked, but sometimes it is easy to get lost in the tactics instead of being strategic.
Lower budgets can also give us an out clause for habitual marketing efforts. Now we have the opportunity to talk the client out of the billboard on Main Street they’ve always had if it no longer makes sense.
Now we can push the importance of a well-thought-out social media engagement strategy instead of spending millions of dollars on a campaign touting this award or that one.
And don’t forget about the doctor we’re trying to please with 10 “welcome” ads in the local paper.
For all of us in health care marketing, let’s look at the positive. Lower budgets doesn’t have to mean the end of the world. Take it as a challenge. Take it as an opportunity.
It’s the opportunity we’ve been waiting for.
