Conducting an RFP for an advertising agency-of-record can be a bit like reality TV matchmaking: an exhaustive exercise placed on a speed dating timeline and subjected to constant group scrutiny. Then, a big show around the final decision on the new agency. Yet, the process rarely produces a lasting match, leaving one or both parties to repeat the process.Sound familiar? There are a few opportunities to make a search for a marketing firm partner Read more »

On average, the typical physician sees 3,000 patients per year. Physicians who practice concierge or “retainer” medicine, in contrast, see between only 500 to 1,000 patients each year. We know what this model entails–doctors charge patients anywhere from several hundred to tens of thousands of dollars for their always-on-call medical services.According to MD2.com, the concierge medicine concept has been around since 1996, when Seattle Read more »

We're not talking gift shops or Starbucks. Lake Health's West Medical Center in Ohio recently became the first in the country to feature an entire wellness-focused retail store inside the hospital.We spoke with Gary Robinson, Vice President for Government and Community Affairs, on the venture that could influence how organizations nationwide work to keep patients healthy and out of the hospital.But healthcare reform didn't drive Read more »

In 2008, Holy Cross Hospital opened the nation’s first geriatric emergency department. The new design, featuring handrails along every corridor, larger clocks, and pressure sensitive beds that can be set for those patients who tend to wander, caters to an ever-increasing population of elderly E.R. frequenters.According to the New York Times: "When you talk about marketing hospitals, there’s a saying that kind of everybody knows, which is, Read more »

Huntington Hospital, established in 1916, is a well-respected 408-bed nonprofit community Hospital located in Huntington on Long Island. Huntington Hospital has been a member of the North Shore - Long Island Jewish Health System (NS-LIJ) since 1994.  NS-LIJ is one of the nations integrated healthcare networks, and the largest in New York state.This past autumn, Huntington expanded its advanced cardiac program. The hospital's cardiology services Read more »

Take a moment to think about the following brands: Nike, Apple, Coca-Cola, Exxon, McDonald’s. What do they all have in common besides giant war chests, near-global ubiquity and a preference for questionable business practices?Consistency.  There’s a very good reason why every Apple retail store looks exactly the same, or why every McDonald’s bag faithfully adheres to the red and yelow color scheme. True, consistency can be boring and predictable, Read more »

Your smart phone can do amazing things: video chat with friends, check the latest scores for your favorite Indian cricket team, or play Scrabble with your co-worker. But your smart phone more than fun and games. The latest additions to the smartphone app market may just end up saving your life.Your smartphone can become  a head-to-toe health care tool. From monitoring your ears with CellScope, your sleep habits with Zeo Sleep Manger or Sleep Read more »

It's 1953. You're a big shot advertising exec.Your client is a talcum powder guaranteed to stop itching.There's a lot of itchy people. You want to reach as many them as possible.The solution is simple. So simple, in fact, you have to extend your normal 3-martini lunch to 4 martinis just to make it look like you did something. The approach? Advertise on "I Love Lucy." At the height of its popularity, advertising on the home of Lucy, Read more »

Franklin Street has provided Northfield Ministries, a Virginia not-for-profit, with office space and furniture totaling near $30,000 annually. Northfield Ministries is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization providing hope and care for girls between the ages of 13 and 21 who are struggling with life challenges such as eating disorders, depression, and self-harm.“Our mission is to meet young women and their families where they are, go with them Read more »

Great branding campaigns are, ultimately, campaigns of great story telling.Stories are the best way to impart information. People forget facts. They remember stories.Before the written word, oral storytellers shared history, which was passed to other generations.Peter Guber writes about the art of storytelling as a persuasion tool in Tell to Win.Nike, Disney, Coke, Chick-fil-A. Just Do It. Magic. Refreshment. Cows telling us to eat Read more »