Last March, at the annual meeting of the American Assn. of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), our agency introduced an interactive communication concept called augmented reality. Much easier to do than to describe, augmented reality creates a virtual display of a physical environment on your computer screen that you can alter (or augment) by shifting a cue card-type graphic image in front of your webcam. You’re able to guide movement and sounds, kind of like pretending to be Steven Spielberg. It’s fun. We used the technology to let surgeons view new devices and implants three-dimensionally right on their smartphones—an innovative way of displaying innovative products.
It may have been new to the medical device marketing world at the time, but in fact, by AAOS, augmented reality had already gone mainstream in the consumer world. Hallmark, the greeting card people, had just announced a new line of what it calls "webcam greetings." You can test-drive augmented reality courtesy of Hallmark here.
Augmented reality is yet another example that what’s new gets commonplace fast these days. And that is a challenge for us marketers trying to capture the attention and imagination of busy doctors and nurses. To keep up with this new reality, try being more innovative with the communications channels you already use. Here’s how:
- Believe in integration. Dollar per dollar, print advertising is still the biggest bargain in cost per impression. Integrate your print media with matching banner ads, e-blasts and a website landing page to capture lead information, and all channels become more effective. Remember, no one communication channel should work in a vacuum no matter how new it is.
- Keep it simple. Part of the appeal of social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter is that they make it easy and nearly instantaneous to learn and share information. Old or new media, keep your messages short-short-short and your calls to action simple one-step response mechanisms that give something of value back to the customer — for example, a whitepaper or the opportunity to connect and share data with a colleague.
- Pilot it first. Before diving into the deep end with a new communications technology, test it. Take augmented reality, for example: You can direct-mail a simple postcard or e-card to surgeons in Boston, Cleveland or Minneapolis and capture how many actually visit your AR page and how long they stay and play. If the return meets or exceeds expectations, you can go national or global with greater confidence. And the AR image you use on the card can become a campaign icon, a real brand asset.
The truth is, we’re always augmenting reality — with strategic and artful use of both old and new media. Keep your message strong, your communications constant and your brand promise fulfilled, and your markets will respond … and augment your bottom line.
Rob Kinslow is vice president for strategic communications at Seidler Bernstein. A journalist by training and former president of the American Medical Writers Assn. in Boston, Rob gently guides companies through the often byzantine world of brand and message strategy. His work has been recognized by the American Hospital Assn., AMWA, Diagnostic Marketing Assn., the Healthcare Information Awards, Rx Club and others. An avid magician and musician, he is also a former three-term president of the International Brotherhood of Magicians in Boston.