Products, Emotions and Engaging Our Customers

Online and offline advertising in the audiology world, how can you stand out?

Your advertising is product based, but you know it is demeaning your profession. Want to change it? Let’s look at how. Above you can see elements of a slider that we use on our site. The elements were actually designed on Powerpoint. 

In our industry all of our advertising tends to be product based. The general thought is that Patients are or become product driven, therefore product advertising caters to that interest. They are product driven, but we make them that way, we make them that way because it is the lowest common denominator. It is the easiest thing to talk about, to display to demonstrate. 

I understand that but I would like to point out it is the lowest common denominator. Really the lowest and it allows a blinkered focus on price to occur. In particular, with new inexperienced customers. It focuses the attention on product and by extension price. We know all too well that the purchase of a hearing aid is just the beginning. It is then that our skill or lack of becomes obvious. Our skill, our service our aftercare is central to the journey to better hearing. It is essential to the success or otherwise of the Patient’s experience.

SO WHY DO WE INSIST ON MARKETING PRODUCT!

Okay, I am generally singing to the choir, preaching to the converted etc. The question is how can we change this situation and will it work? To the right is one of my first paltry attempts to do so. I think we can drive a change in our marketing focus and the lowest common denominator. But we will have to do it gently and we probably will never be fully rid of product.

In order to do it, we need to use emotion, we also need to focus on what other than product our prospective Patients are interested in. What jingles their jangle? What are the things that concern our prospective Patients? What are the things that spur them towards getting help?

• The impact of their loss on their life
• The impact of their loss on their relationships
• The impact of their loss on their loved ones

These are the things that drive people to seek help, the deeper concepts behind these things are emotive. The emotions caused by their underlying difficulties are what drives them forward. I am not saying that we should manipulate that emotion or even try to. What I am saying is that surely smarter people than me can design advertising that speaks to that emotion.

I have spoken before about advertising outcomes, the benefits delivered. I still believe in that concept and I think if I ever get it right I will be rich ass rich!!! Rich I Tell You, Rich!!  😆

Laughing aside, I have of late tried to incorporate both emotion and outcome concepts in some of my visual advertising. The picture above is another one of my early attempts. I have tried to tie a feature of our service to an emotive outcome, these are early thought processes and even earlier design skills, so please stop laughing. I know you’re laughing Miller.

In tieing a feature of our service to a beneficial emotional outcome I have tried to increase the perception of importance of our service. I still actively promote product, I doubt if that will ever change. But I think I see a way that I can combine outcomes, emotion and product message together. Together in such a way that the lowest common denominator is no longer the most important message.

What do you think?

Regards

Geoff