by Cori Albrecht | Apr 18, 2018 | Branding & Identity, Medical Association Branding, Springboard News
According to Deepak Chopra in his bestselling book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, “How can I help?” is the only question that truly matters. “It coaxes and expands your awareness out toward the service and care of others.” Many medical associations struggle with articulating an effective value proposition that helps their members expand awareness and services. Establishing this in clear and compelling manner is an essential step if you want to communicate how your organization can provide the keys to your members’ success. There are some important steps you must take before embarking upon creating your medical association’s value proposition. It all begins and ends with research. So where do you start? Here’s a brief 3-step plan for medical associations. 1. Refine your target audience First and foremost, you need to determine who your “key” target audience is. You can’t be “all things” to “all people.” Many have tried, and failed. But by clearly defining and refining your true core audience, you can be all the right things to the right people. It’d be easy for medical associations to assume that their target audience is “anyone in a certain specialty and/or those who use those particular services.” But having such a wide audience would make it nearly impossible to tailor its strategy to specific types of individuals for specific purposes. The key to success here is knowing who to target, and why. The increased focus and definition will result in a much more effective strategy. 2. Be the go-to organization for the value you provide in the industry you serve When thinking about the opportunity you provide to that core audience,...
by Cori Albrecht | Jun 8, 2016 | Branding & Identity, Medical Association Branding
Medical associations support their members through educational opportunities, networking forums, mentoring programs, public awareness activities, leadership activities and advocacy efforts, among others. But how do they determine how successful they are? Membership growth? Member retention? Seminar attendance? Member engagement? Member satisfaction? Revenue? Visitors to websites? Facebook likes? Patient interactions? Advocacy wins? The answer is – all of the above and more. So how do you measure your success? For associations, it begins and ends with the members. Membership Growth Membership growth is a hot topic. Most, if not all, associations strive for membership growth. More members = more revenue = successful association, right? So how do you market to and attract new members? Start with your existing membership, and how well they know your brand, what you stand for, and your perceived value to them as medical professionals. Understanding your most dedicated membership can help you learn more about how to deepen their relationship with your association. Determining your brand values and promise is the first step into finding new ways to communicate with your members and potential members. Medical Association Branding Springboard has worked with multiple medical association branding clients to help develop their value propositions and programs to meet member needs. Member marketing toolkits, eNewsletters, landing pages and microsites, testimonial videos, marketing videos, among others, are all within your reach. Again, starting with member needs is that first step. Many member businesses do not have the resources to develop marketing materials on their own, so providing templated marketing materials to your members can help improve their volumes, and will demonstrate a real value in their membership, resulting...
by Rob Rosenberg | Jun 1, 2016 | Branding & Identity, Medical Association Branding
Medical associations used have gone from “behind the scenes” to “front and center” in terms of implementing branding and marketing strategies. This has evolved from the shifting goals of associations as they move from merely providing member education and networking opportunities to creating a unique niche in the marketplace and seeking to drive consumer behavior in the direction of members. It seems members want more from their dues and have high expectations in terms of the value their membership should bring to their association and respective practice of medicine. Dermatologic surgeons, radiologists, plastic surgeons, orthopedists, to name only a few, have all realized significant value-add from their membership as their organization’s have invested in developing unique stories and strategies to help build their patient volume and overall reputation. Even hospital-based central service professionals have used branding and marketing to encourage member certification and tie their story to a quality patient experience. Chances are, your medical association is considering some form of branding rejuvenation. If that’s the case, here are seven success factors for your consideration: Gain input from your members – Most likely, there’s a group of members who have been influencing you to launch a brand campaign. These are the perfect group to include in some sort of “marketing and/or public relations” committee. Learn what’s important to them and, more importantly, what differentiates the strategy from other organizations. Balance with customer research –Regardless of whether your customers are consumers, professionals, or another audience, it is imperative that you discover what’s important to them, and balance this with the internal impression of your organization as gleaned from the aforementioned work...
