Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Incontinence Center

Posted by c_gabriel99 on 2/3/2010 at 10:11 PM ET 455 Points
We are starting an incontinence center that provides conservative only therapies. There will be no surgery or medicines. The therapy is more effective than medicine, slightly less than surgery. It has no side effects. Target audience are women.

It will be cash based and we think we have a good price point based on the medical literature. We have not done any formal focus group testing for the price point, but asking friends who are incontinent, the price is not outrageous.

The condition is embarassing, and so people tend to suffer for years before seeking help. Our goal is to have clients come in while the condition is early(easier to treat) and not be embarassed to do so. We would like to make "leaking" acceptable to talk about.

Any ideas on how best to market a solution to an embarassing condition?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by thecynicalmarketer on 2/3/2010 at 11:13 PM Accepted
    Great job of outlining the question and your challenges.

    Here are some elements to consider in your messaging:

    - It is a very common problem affecting a large percentage of the population.
    This will help people get past the embarrassment of feeling they have an unusual or odd affliction

    - Show young people in your communications.
    This will help your audience get past the notion that it is only old people that have the condition, and it will also ease the embarrassment of young people who are sufferers.

    - Focus on the benefits of treatment such as freedom from worry and less on the condition.
    The makers of herpes treatments faced a similar challenge and they addressed it by focusing on the "after" aspects of treatment and the return to a normal lifestyle.

    - Push the fact that you have a breakthrough technology
    People are always looking for the latest and greatest treatment which they usually associate with less hassle, less pain, and less cost.

    - Talk about insurance if it is covered

    - If you really want to get people past the embarrassment aspect, get some celebrities (even if not top name) to come out of the closet and start the conversation.

    Best of Luck, JohnnyB.
    if you like the advice, read the blog, https://bit.ly/75KkSG
    https://twitter.com/tcmblog

  • Posted by marketbase on 2/4/2010 at 10:01 AM Member
    Suggest using the word 'leaking' in the copy rather than as a head or title. Call it what it is...incontenance. As a foster/adoptive parent, we were taught long ago not to give 'cutsey' names for any body parts or functions. And with a child who suffers from a rare disorder, "You know the drill" has become a frequent refrain when communicating with other patients who suffer; so, in keeping with karen and mbarber above, think about using a similar phrase that invokes emphathy for those who suffer.

    Best of luck
    jag
    MarketBase
  • Posted by c_gabriel99 on 2/4/2010 at 5:14 PM Author
    Thank you all for your ideas.

    Our location is in a professional arts complex. There is no signage; very discreet, in the better part of town. It has been set up that you enter from one place and exit another. The waiting room is shared with other businesses.

    Statistics show that pads alone cost an averag $900/year if 3 pads a day are used. We will try to incorporate that in the sales pitch. Does price point matter very much if there is financing available (we have a company that offers medical credit). We also accept HSAs.

    We have done the following:
    -Sent out direct mailers (we did not use incontinence in the front). We have a picture of 4 couples(various age groups) doing activites and an overlay of a cartoon lady crossing her legs. 10k sent out with only 5 calls in the first week. We offered 25% off for calling. Should we send it out to the same people, another 10k, or use a new mailer?
    -Started advertising online through the city newspaper in the health section using banner ads and sposnor pages. In one week the click rate has been higher than the previous ads number in a month but it has not translated into many calls. The newspaper has sent out an email blast as well as a mobile app.
    -There is a symptom checker that scores the severity and then forwards the customer to our website(which is probably a bit weak after hearing recommendations).
    -We have just started a facebook page and getting friends to get on and will start providing statistics/information as updates
    -We are thinking of trying to pass out small handouts that tell people to pass it on to someone they know that might need it.
    -As for celebrities, we have no clue how to even attempt to find someone that will endorse us or discuss it.
    -Our goal is to join various women's groups and try to do presentations with them. (Red hat society, chamber of commerce women business leaders...)

    I like all the specific advice in terms of what to say.

    Any other advise?
  • Posted by The Radial Group on 2/6/2010 at 8:00 PM Accepted
    Our firm specializes in health & wellness marketing. So some quick thoughts based on our experience:

    Your website - needs to answer ALL the questions and concerns and worry - from privacy of visits to cost, etc., etc. Should include real life case studies from real customers with pictures showing age, weight, race diversity.

    Mass mailings - the copy has to be EXCELLENT for this to work. There's no reason NOT to put incontinence (or a clear reference to it on the front) - after all, it's a mass mailing. If it's a folded piece, you better put something pretty straightforward on the front - otherwise it won't get enough attention to even get opened.

    Make sure you have a crystal-clear and logical call to action - the next step you want folks to take.

    Facebook - waste of time for this demographic
    Celebrities - you can't afford it
    Mass media advertising - you can't afford it

    Instead, focus on collaborative business development with other women-centric businesses (be creative: yoga studios, active retirement communities, for example).

    An article in the lifestyle section of your local paper on new non-surgical non-drug treatments for incontinence would be excellent publicity. Most US metro papers have a particular day of the week when they feature health articles.

    Good luck and give me a call if the good advice you've gotten from everyone doesn't do the trick.

    Leslie Nolen
    The Radial Group
    Maximixing revenue & profit
    for health & wellness businesses
  • Posted by c_gabriel99 on 2/8/2010 at 6:43 PM Author
    I want to thank everyone for their responses.

    We have already started changing the website to incorporate many of the ideas recommended. We have also changed our focus to a more discrete, personalized approach.

    I will check back up for an update.

    Thanks once again.
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