http://smithandjones.com/index.php/our-thinking/blog/ Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:53:54 CDT http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/4-steps-to-uncovering-your-hospitals-compelling-truth/ Every hospital or physician group has brand truths that it can use to position itself in the marketplace. Our experience shows that there are four steps to uncover a believable, memorable brand story for your hospital or physician group. Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:43:00 CDT http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/4-steps-to-uncovering-your-hospitals-compelling-truth/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/testing-owned-media-in-the-waiting-room/ The waiting room is the perfect place to help patients understand more about their condition and use their time wisely and better once they see their doctor. It is important to measure whether or not your owned media is working and beneficial to others. Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:30:00 CDT http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/testing-owned-media-in-the-waiting-room/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/redesigning-the-patient-experience-part-2-or-looking-at-the-ceil/ What does a patient see while lying in a hospital bed? Check out this quick Ted Talk by Paul Bennett on the patient experience. Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:15:00 CDT http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/redesigning-the-patient-experience-part-2-or-looking-at-the-ceil/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/social-media-and-hipaa1/ Since everything you post or write in social networks is considered public, physicians need to pay close attention to their habits and language to protect patient privacy. Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:15:00 CDT http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/social-media-and-hipaa1/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/creativity-on-demand/ As a copy writer and creative team member in the healthcare marketing industry, I have to develop advertising that will motivate target audiences, and do it on demand. It takes a disciplined approach to the creative process. So what happens when the ideas don’t come? Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:40:00 CDT http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/creativity-on-demand/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/photographing-patients-for-health-care-marketing/ This week I was on set twice in one day photographing patients for maternity and oncology campaigns. Both shots featured a mother and daughter, and though I’ve been art directing photoshoots for healthcare marketing for years, these two shoots struck a chord. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:55:00 CDT http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/photographing-patients-for-health-care-marketing/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/how-to-choose-an-advertising-agency/ Just a few years back, choosing an advertising agency was pretty straightforward: issue an RFP, review proposals, invite a few agencies in to present, and pick the one you like the best. Today, the rules have changed. Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:17:00 CDT http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/how-to-choose-an-advertising-agency/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/what-is-a-brand/ For more than twenty years, I've held firm to the position that a brand is what the consumer says it is. So what do they say it is? Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:20:00 CDT http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/what-is-a-brand/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/neurosurgery-practice-marketing-wins-acclaim/ When the Northeast Back Institute met with Smith & Jones back in 2005, their primary goal was to increase patient visits. Our insights resulted in a marketing win for the client. Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:43:00 CDT http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/neurosurgery-practice-marketing-wins-acclaim/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/finding-the-right-hospital-to-have-a-baby-or-two/ My wife and I found out a few months ago that we are expecting twins due in July. Immediately, we started thinking of all the things that would need to be done and considered. Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:10:00 CDT http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/finding-the-right-hospital-to-have-a-baby-or-two/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/top-five-moments-producing-healthcare-videos/ Shooting video talent is never predictable. Filming non-professional subjects on-location opens the door even wider to unexpected moments. The following are my “Favorite Five” highlights from one season of shooting healthcare patient interviews. Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:30:00 CDT http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/top-five-moments-producing-healthcare-videos/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/maximize-media-dollars-with-flighting/ Are tight budgets threatening brand awareness for your hospital or physicians practice? Think flighting, a media buyer’s term for stretching your media by alternating weeks. Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:00:00 CST http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/maximize-media-dollars-with-flighting/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/healthcare-marketers-tackle-pinterest/ The newest social media site, Pinterest, is growing rapidly, driving more traffic than Google+, LinkedIn and MySpace combined. Considering the reach and the simplicity of setting up an account, it’s no surprise that healthcare marketers are starting to experiment with Pinterest. Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:30:00 CST http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/healthcare-marketers-tackle-pinterest/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/how-to-prevent-a-healthcare-social-media-disaster/ The Health Communicator’s Social Media Toolkit from the CDC will help organizations advance transparency to improve health communication efforts. Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:00:00 CST http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/how-to-prevent-a-healthcare-social-media-disaster/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/influencing-the-healthcare-consumers-zero-moment-of-truth/ The Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) is a concept that explains and interprets the thought process that a consumer uses to determine which healthcare provider or hospital to consider. ZMOT is what determines whether or not a hospital’s marketing succeeds or fails. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:07:00 CST http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/influencing-the-healthcare-consumers-zero-moment-of-truth/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/physician-engagement-on-social-media/ The marketing department isn’t the only one that needs an online presence. Are your physicians using social media to connect with patients professionally? Here’s why they should. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:30:00 CST http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/physician-engagement-on-social-media/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/behavioral-retargeting-strategies-for-hospitals/ Behavioral retargeting allows you to specifically target prospects who have expressed some type of interest in your business, and encourage them to return to your website through a series of marketing and advertising techniques. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:00:00 CST http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/behavioral-retargeting-strategies-for-hospitals/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/patient-testimonials-in-healthcare-marketing/ Never before have patient testimonials carried so much weight in influencing healthcare decisions. Make sure you keep it real: forget the script and let patients tell the real story. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:50:00 CST http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/patient-testimonials-in-healthcare-marketing/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/mobile-medical-applications-1-ipad-check-in/ In this series, I’ll introduce some new mobile medical devices and applications that are being adopted to read test results, manage appointments, search for physicians, monitor mobile stats and many other facets of healthcare. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:25:00 CST http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/mobile-medical-applications-1-ipad-check-in/ http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/in-defense-of-negative-health-care-advertising/ Negative advertising doesn’t always work (one notable exception is in politics, as we have seen in South Carolina and Florida recently). However, as a health care marketer, and someone who’s mission is to help change the fate of our health care system, I applaud the new campaign by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Someone has to do it. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:05:00 CST http://smithandjones.com/our-thinking/blog/in-defense-of-negative-health-care-advertising/