advergirl

Why I work in healthcare (ok, I'll say it: pharma) marketing

Almost two years ago now, I left the world of retail agencies to join up with a specialist: one of the leading healthcare marketing organizations in the world. It was a good opportunity to refocus on digital and innovation, but, I'll admit:

I was pretty nervous about it.

I had the same question almost every job candidate I talk to now asks: What's it like to work for pharma (often asked with a grimace)?

If there's an industry out there with a black hat, it's this one.

Pick your complaint: cost, claims, commercials that warn of anal leakage. (ew)

Working inside this industry, though - it's a completely different story. And, the gap, I think is what regulations can do to communications.

Here's what I like about it:

I've never been closer to my customer:
Close your eyes and think of a patient. Chances are that word brings to mind someone in a hospital gown shuffling down a hospital hallway. The truth is that most "patients" are people out living their lives who happen to also have a chornic or acute disease to deal with. Getting that context that keeps real people at the center of what we do requires a lot of listening. I've read blog posts to packed conference rooms like a preacher at a pulpit. Watched patient advocates paint (literally) pictures of what the experience is really like. LIstened to survivors talk about how being diagnosed changed how they and their families live their lives... it is incredibly powerful stuff that will completely change perspectives and create better, more advocacy-minded work.

Or more challenged to figure out how to make a big idea work:
If you've ever worked in a highly-regulated industry (finance, military, health), you know the easiest answer is no. The hurdles are high. The rewards in the distance (and the reprecussions close in).

Getting a big new idea through the system can seem daunting, if not impossible. Creating the business case, the compelling experience, the can't-miss storytelling around a new technology, a new tool, a new market is harder here than it is anywhere (and it's that much more rewarding when it pays off for the people we ultimately serve).

All in an industry that really is changing people's lives
90% of new treatments and drugs are created by private industry (plus/minus depending on whose numbers you look at - either way, most). Those new treatments extend and improve life: In the last two decades of the 20th century, new medicines accounted for 40% of the increase in life expectancy in more than 50 countries (Columbia University economist Frank Lichtenberg). In other words, for every year that life expectancy has increased, five months can be attributed to the availability of new medicines.

Believe it or not, marketing plays a significant role is making these new drugs available. Physicians are busier now than ever - longer days, more patients, more paperwork. The time they spend in the exam room is down to an average of 7 minutes/person. The treatments they rely on tend to be the ones they learned in residency. Bringing innovation to the practice, well, that's what we do here.

Is it perfect? No way. No business is. But I'll take this over selling you a holiday ham most any day.

Remember when I used to write this blog called Advergirl?

Over the past few weeks, I've been working on this big pitch with good people from all over the agency. It's the kind of opportunity that warrants some serious planning sessions and big, dramatic staging. In other words: It's the best kind.

As we were talking about who would be on the team, this old blog came up in conversations a few times ... people read it before I started working here, they'd heard it mentioned from this colleague or that, basically they consider Advergirl to have been just a little internet famous.

That got me thinking about writing again. Or, writing here again. When I joined GSW, I put all my blogging energy into starting up some agency blogs. Three of them, actually: WhatsYourDigitaliQ.com, BrandLiberators.com, and BeShareworthy.com

Ok, so that last one did totally fall off. But the other two are doing pretty well. BrandLiberators has 30 contributors from all over the organization - executives and newbies, nurses and coders. And, WYDiQ was named one of Facebook’s top 50 healthcare blogs (whatever that means).

And, even better news? They don't need me any more. The two surviving blogs each have their own editors, writers and readers ... so, I'm off to the next thing. Or, back to it, I guess.

It turns out I miss writing here - trading emails with readers, cracking bad jokes, sharing my favorite things. I miss that connection.

So, my long-abandonned readers, I hope you're still out there ... I feel like typing with you again.

(Oh, and I think I'm going to do some more advertising resume makeovers - so, if you've got a bum CV, send it my way)

I am not a geek. (And other true stories.)

I'm among the oldest members of the tech support generation: those computer-savvy "kids" expected to answer digital questions on demand, fix ailing computers at a moments notice, explain just exactly why someone would bother to use Facebook, and otherwise speak for technology. Bosses, coworkers, parents, neighbors start their questions - oh, you would probably know...and, then, wham - there I am, an interested novice playing an expert.

Sure, they're grateful. Who doesn't love a little tech heroism. But, along with the questions and the thank yous come the label: Geek

They're glad to have someone who "speaks geek," "who is a geek," "who gets geek."

*sigh*

I've decided it's time to fight the moniker.

There are two basic definitions of geek (you know, beyond, the anachronistic circus/chicken reference):

1. A person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby, generally at the expense of broader social interaction (I think we can all agree I have a lot of interests - and social interactions)
2. A person interested in an esoteric subject that is marginal to the social mainstream

That second one is the one they mean. An esoteric subject. That's the one I want to tackle.

I saw this great illustration on the Both Sides of the Table blog. It shows a typical technology adoption cycle - basically what it takes to move a technology from esoteric to the mainstream:

The time is different for every technology, of course, but essentially you move from those early adopters (geeks) to pretty much normal behavior about 15% of the way in. I can live with that - 15% of us have a propensity to be geeks through our bold early adoption of challenging technologies (sounds more courageous that way).

Ok, now let's look at the technologies I'm interested in and plot those on this adoption chart:

Hmmm, suddenly doesn't seem so out of the mainstream, right?

When social media really started - back in the age of Friendster - it's true, it was the province of geeks and early adopters. That was the stage it was in. Now, digital/social/mobile have radically changed. The world's most social people have taken them over and made them their own. No longer is it a marginal activity. Instead, it is both the mainstream and the competitive advantage we all need.

S, maybe I should maybe add the Urban Dictionary definition for geek - The people you pick on in high school and wind up working for as an adult. Bring it on, laggards ;)

Advergirl elsewhere on the web

I know, I know - I've been absent again. I hope you've found me elsewhere on the web and haven't been missing your Advergirl rants, ideas and finds. I'll be publishing more here in the weeks to come, but if you need a fix, take a look at some of these recent posts from other places:

On MedAdNews: The future of HCP marketing: Three game changers we’re not talking about

On SlideShare: Innovation Lab - Inspiring Game-Changing Ideas

On BrandLiberators: Is WebMD destroying its brand?

Shareworthy: Four Can't Miss Clicks

On WYDiQ: Niche digital: What healthcare can learn from tomato sauce

Designing emails that earn clicks

Is Advergirl becoming Pharmagirl?

(Shoot, that URL isn't available. I would so go there :)

Check out my first pharma headline:

How to be a (good) company blogger

Here’s a question I never even thought to ask: How do you train a blogger?

Isn't blogging just a conversation starter you type instead of talk?  Something that's kind of natural - like writing an email or posting a Facebook status?

Wait, in what world did these things become natural? I've got to shake up my digital comfort zone and think like people who haven't spent their entire careers on one long anthropological online dig.

We’re getting a couple of team-sourced blogs up and running here at GSW. There’s a lot of interest, but also a lot of uncertainty.

The sponsors/editors worry:

• Will people really submit content?


• Will it be on brand?


• Will it be something people want to read?

The contributors worry:

• What’s the right way to do this?


• How will I fit it in my workflow? (i.e. how will I have time for this?)


• What topic should I talk about?

The truth is, they're totally understandable concerns. John Cass wrote an interesting article recently about the four operational models companies use to adopt social media. They largely focus on getting people like me (digital junkies) to use their habit for the good of the brand.

I'm trying to add a whole new model. One that's pretty uncomfortable at first.

I'll call it: Corral the conversation

Find the people in your organization who have great, shareworthy ideas and give them new kinds of tools to share them. Fast track the digital adoption process by making technology work like they work. Basically help your curious, chatty people climb onto a soapbox they wouldn’t have been inclined to build up on their own.

Yeah, that’s harder, right? But, it’s one of the few way to get past the early adopters and tap into that larger, smart conversation going on in your organization. To have your social media investment really be authentic to your organization.

Now the question makes sense. How do you train bloggers? How do you help people feel comfortable in an environment that is totally foreign to them?

First, pick the right people. Or, better, let them nominate themselves (that's right, people, a call to blog. Complete with job number!).

Good bloggers are energized by the conversation. They share three things in common:

1. They’ve got a comfortable, recognizable voice. Both spoken and written.


2. They’re naturally curious. They’re the ones who send you all the links to the new studies, the breakout creative, the industry trends.


3. They’re good synthesizers. They read a couple of disparate things and draw a new conclusion. They tag their ideas with memorable phrases. They make it all accessible with analogy.

Ok, now you’ve got your core group. How do you make them successful?

I'm still thinking about that question: How do you train a blogger? I don't know the answer, but I know some things I recommend to writers to make it easier:

• Scribble an outline: Blogs are definitely a back-of-the-napkin kind of business. Just jot an idea down when it comes to you. It will be much easier to fill in the details later (vs. stopping everything to blog or trying to come up with an idea cold.)


• Call yourself: Blog writing is best when it sounds natural, like something you'd actually say. If you're having trouble writing that way, stop. Call your voicemail, turn on your iPhone's voice recorder - talk it out. Then go back later and type it up (Or try that nifty Dragon Dictation app)


• Take a POV: A lot of bloggers get caught up and trying to report on something. Covering every angle, citing sources, etc. It doesn't have to be that hard. Don't try to tell the whole story; just share a unique insight or POV on part of it. (Link to news story the media paid someone to write)


• Embrace the bullet point: Short is better (that's true even though I'm terrible at it!). Don't worry about big complex thoughts and compound sentences. Just give me the highlights.

The biggest opportunity, though, is probably for the editor. How can she use tools and technology to make blogging work the way people work:

• Make it doable: Set reasonable expectations. Start with two posts a month. And, do the proofreading for them.


• Use email: Wordpress, Drupal and other platforms now enbable post by email. How much better is that for contributors? Type your email with your pictures and bullets and bolding, send it to a custom email address, and (like magic) it's in the blog queue for publishing.


• Create a clear filter: Tell bloggers (and readers) what the blog is about. That crisp statement of purpose that helps them know what to write about (and what to save for the water cooler)


• Provide examples:  Show, don't tell. It's a lot easier for most people to work from a pattern.


• Accept lots of formats: It's not all about words. A great picture, a podcast, a video - take them all!


• Share results: Bloggers want to connect with readers. To be read and be valued. Make sure to pass results back to them - how many people have visited the blog, where the content was shared, what posts were most popular.

We're trying a little of all those things. Keep an eye on our progress.

We've already launched one team blog.

There's another one coming on April 22.

And, one more soon after that.

I’m off to Pink Tank & IQ at GSW

What do you do with a person who is madly curious about all the newest things, who loves to try to figure out what really motivates people, who is fearless in the face of even the toughest room, and who kind of wants to change the world?

Maybe you put her to work helping connect women with one another and figuring out how the changes in our culture will really change an industry. In an environment where the next big idea can come from anywhere and with the resources to make it all real.

On February 1, I start my new career with two small, entrepreneurial divisions of one of the world’s biggest healthcare agencies: the women-focused Pink Tank group and the innovation-focused IQ lab.

I’m so excited for this. I’ll continue contribute to brand strategy,  but I’ll also be going deep on a whole new industry – health – and getting to focus on socializing brands in the interactive space.  And, equally importantly, I'll get to work with some amazing people – smart, insightful women (many of whom I’ve known for years) and a savvy bunch of digital junkies who want to figure out what’s coming next.

You want all the details? Here we go-

• The title: Digital Brand Strategist


• The role: Ok, that’s a really long story, but topline: I’ll contribute to brand strategy and insight with a specific focus on socializing brands in the interactive space. I’ll get to develop points of view and methodologies that further Pink Tank’s expertise in women and health. I’ll work with the IQ internal community as a contributor and subject matter expert in social media, helping GSW to crystallize and present its pov and expertise to existing clients and in new business. (That means pitching! AKA: THE adrenaline rush for non-runners.)


• About Pink Tank: Pink Tank is a full-service agency and consultancy for health and wellness brands that want to motivate female influencers, whether they are patients, consumers, caregivers, loved ones, or professionals. The people who work there come from all kinds of different backgrounds – behavioral psychology, patient advocacy, clinical practice, interactive media, gender and cultural studies, and, of course brand strategy, writing, and design.


• About IQ: It’s GSW’s internal lab. Part futurecasting; part commercializing. They drive the “what’s next” thinking about how brands can leverage digital media for new kinds of competitive advantage.

Obviously, this is awesome news for me. But, it’s also good news for you. I’m going to have a lot to figure out really quickly – that means: blog posts!

So, what do you think? Wish me luck?

I’m leaving the friendly orange confines.

You’re probably registering total shock right now. I know. Who do you know who loves her job as much as I do?

I’ll tell you all the details, but first let me say this: If you ever get to chance to work with the good people at Ologie – as a client or a colleague – do not let it pass by. You will learn more in a few weeks with them than you will in any other creative process you participate in. They have a way of uncovering that answer that you know has been sitting there waiting for you to find it all along.

Ok, back to my story.

My life seems to be being shaped by chance encounters lately. Have you noticed? The story most of you know is about the wonderful boyfriend I met one morning on an airplane. But, there are others – the theater Board I ended up joining after sitting next to the artistic director in an unrelated meeting; the then-soon-to-be best friend brought to town by a random internet search; the house I bought in a weekend because of the people who happened to be in the restaurant on the corner.

This is just another one of those. An opportunity that will unquestionably change my career and my life that all started with a conversation at a wedding. But, enough about that for now.

I want to talk about Ologie.

I’ve never left a job I loved before. It’s an entirely different feeling. You, dear readers, probably remember one I ran gazelle-like from, happy to be free. This isn’t like that at all. It took me weeks to decide and, still, I find myself kind of mourning the place.

I’ve worked with a lot of great people here. Ologie seems to consistently attract more smart people at the top of their game than any other shop in town. But, there are three particular people here who I owe a lot to; people who in a lot of ways inspire the kind of person/citizen/employee/consultant/human I want to be.

1. Bill Faust. AKA “Boss.” I’m not sure which he says more often - “people support what they help create” or “how can we framework that” or “we simplify the complex.” The first is about making sure the people who have to tell a story are part of the process of creating it. The second, about communicating with words and pictures. And, the last is about getting down to the simple ideas (lingo-free, of course) that explain the core of a brand or story.  All are habits that would make anyone’s work better. And ones I got to practice here (and, of course, “iterate” here >> the nice boss word for do-over many times :) I think it’s fair to say he changed the way I communicate.


2. Bev Bethge. The founder of Ologie – and, many other good things. Bev opened this agency right out of college. Her first clients were the nonprofits and service agencies that take care of this city. The clients Ologie attracts now are more likely to be national brands, top colleges or international organizations, but Bev still invests her time in this community. Through her, I’ve had a chance to help shape how Columbus will tell its story in the years to come and impact the work of a number of arts and service organizations. I’m a member of Boards and committees that are changing our community. I actually feel like I live here now. I hope I always stay this connected to Columbus.


3. Kelly Ruoff. The managing creative director and, at once, the energy and glue of this place. Kelly has a fairly magical ability. When things get tense – a particularly aggressive deadline, a last minute rethinking of the work, a tough pileup of conflicting priorities – she actually gets calmer. She speaks slowly, gets everyone aligned toward a goal, and actually inspires awesome work. She somehow seems to know what’s going on in everyone’s lives (something I hear she even did that before Facebook) and makes sure we all feel welcome and appreciated. Just kind of knowing those things are all possible keeps me working to be better.

I’m grateful for the time I’ve spent here. But, as many things as I will miss about the friendly orange confines, there is one thing I am happy to leave behind...

The bathroom lighting. For some reason, the bathrooms here are lit with near-candle-light dimness while every other room is bathed in sunlight. I haven’t been able to accurately check my makeup before a meeting in years.

Was that a good transition from all the mushy stuff? Ok, now to tell you all about what’s next...

Social Media and Higher Ed

We're just finishing preparation for Ologie's higher ed event tomorrow. Leaders from colleges across the state will be coming by to talk about strategies in the social media space and ask some tough questions about the right tools, techniques, and ways to respond to crisis.

I'm kicking it off with a little 101, but then I get to facilitate two things I'm really excited about:

A soup-to-nuts social media case study from Capital University with Kevin Sayers, their Vice President of Planning and strategy.

And, then a panel discussion with:

• Denvy Bowman (president of Capital University)
• David Burge (associate dean of admissions at University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
• Bill Faust (my super smart boss)
• Erin Lamberty (actual young person and wicked good blogger over at Yaybia)

I know I've shared parts of the Capital social media experience with you before, but if you haven't seen Nebraska, don't miss it. They've really got it figured out: the right brand and voice to create an authentic, casual, on-target social media experience across a wide range of topics. I can't wait to hear what David can tell us about the strategy, development, and feedback.

Two local SoME guys - Gary Moneysmith and Nick Seguin - will be here, too. Here's hoping we say Tweet-worthy stuff. Look for their reviews and our team talking about the event with the hashtag #OlogieU sometime after 10AM tomorrow.

If you've got questions for the panel, leave them here or tweet at Gary or Nick. I'll post my Top Four Colleges in SoME and some materials from the event over the weekend.

What they DON'T tell you about business travel

I know, I know, I've been shockingly lax in posting lately. I blame it all on business travel (ok, and, maybe, too, on the dating - but let's stick to the subject). There's nothing like several weeks of darting around the east coast to remind you of some of the unspoken pitfalls of business travel. Here's my list of the things they never tell you to expect (and yet always seem to happen!)

1. You and your outfits need to be ready for anything. Because the truth is, you never know when you'll be all dressed up for a business meeting in the morning and end up taking a surprise tour of a remote environmental campus in the afternoon with nothing to change into in your suitcase, let alone in your rental car. Be prepared, girls. 'Cause those shoes are never going to be the same.
   
   
    
   
2. You will eventually sleep in the shirt you're wearing. There's probably a guy (maybe his name is Miguel) in your office who demands that everyone jam whatever they need to bring into a carry-on bag. Laptop, suit, projector, foam core, whatever. Make it work. Because once you give that bag up to the airline, it's all over. It could get lost. Or you could get stuck. When the flight gets canceled, they don't return your suitcase. You're left to sweat it out (separated from your deodorant, toothbrush, and jammies) until you hit your destination city. I used to make fun of that guy. Now, I'm a believer.


3. You will eventually sleep in someplace that's too scary to fall asleep in. The hotel reservation will fall through. Something will be overbooked. The car will break down. And, you'll find yourself first Googling and then just wandering around looking for shelter. If you're in any kind of company town on a weeknight, the options will not be pretty. All the "decent" hotels (Holiday Inns, Hiltons, Marriotts) will have been long-since booked by corporate travel agents. Your choices are quickly going to dwindle to the Super 8s and Comfort Inns of the world. Or, worse, as we recently found on a trip to the center of PA - an Econolodge. A "motel" with no irons or hairdryers and room doors that open into the parking lot of a gas station:
   
   




4. There are new things that you'll want to learn. Like how to treat your clothes for bed bugs (just in case). How to iron a dress with no iron. What you can lean against the door when the lock is bent and fragile looking.


5. New York can be an impossible place to get to. Especially if you're flying into LaGuardia. Here are two words you do not want to hear: Ground stop. Happens in NYC all the time. The three beastly airports there get overwhelmed and weather gets messy and they just close up shop. No flights in or out. Good luck rearranging your plans. And enjoy your time on the runway.


6. You should always pack band-aids. Eventually that slimy shower curtain will blow in and touch your shoulder while you're shaving your knees and you will slip. Disaster. (Thank goodness people don't wear nylons anymore - remember those with shaving cuts??)


7. Even if you think you don't get car sick, staring at the laptop at 78 mph will get to you. Yeah, you'll blame it on the fruit and nut mix (potato chips) you picked up at the travel center (gas station), but we know better - even the most put-together business person gets a little woozy when trying to balance a flaming hot laptop on her legs while referencing the notes jammed under the emergency brake and typing into those pesky PowerPoint text fields. Work in the car is somewhere between unsatisfactory and impossible.


8. Work starts at 5. See above. You will get nothing done during the day and end up staring down the email gauntlet over room service (or - depending on your team - after half a bottle of wine and a big Italian dinner).


9. Prop planes are not the same as real planes. Rather, they are a roller coaster ride upgraded with a chemical toilet. And, the sick bags tucked in behind the Skymall are not kitsch, they're a highly, highly relevant service item.


10. You should take granola bars (or wear elastic pants). I cannot resist the Pringles in the mini bar. Or the tuna flight at Barrel 135. Or that pesky, pesky cheese croissant at all the airport Au Bon Pains. Bah. Business travel is a constant temptation of convenience and emotional eating. Pack some responsible meal substitutes in your satchel or bring your fat jeans for the flight home. (Seriously, though, go with the granola bars. Elastic pants are just ugly.)
    


11. You will spend infinitely more time in transit than at work. 20 hours on the road. 2 hours in the meeting. It's just the way it works. This is particularly true if you get lost on the subway on your way to Brooklyn. And then, too, if you get lost walking from the subway to the office.


12. There's nothing like business travel to make you hate men. I see this at every airport gate: The women are lugging bulging carryons, handbags, and various satchels. The men have a single white shirt in a dry cleaning bag and their slim briefcase. Bah!


13. It's probably why online bill-pay was created. You will lose track of your life. Forget which kennel your dog is on. Miss your mother's birthday. And generally end up with nothing in the refridgerator, a past-due cable bill and three weeks of laundry. Just roll with it.


14. If the travel is a disaster, the meeting will be a smash success. I don't know what that's true. It just is.


15. (If there is a corollary to #14, I have no proof of it yet. Travel is always a disaster. That's what makes you happy to be home.)