There are many misconceptions about how to improve hospitals and health services for women. Here are 10 tips to create a more effective Health Marketing strategy for women.
5 THINGS TO KNOW:
1. Women make about 80% of health care decisions
At the moment there are more men in the world than women: according to the latest UN estimates, for every 100 women living on earth there are 101.8 men – a total of 3.64 billion against 3.7 – and their number it has been steadily growing since the 1960s. This specification is not relevant, however, as consumers who make final decisions about which care to receive for themselves or their families and where to get them are overwhelmingly feminine.
2. Female consumers are more experienced in the field
Women are more than ever aware of the gender messages launched on the market, which means that it is always easier to make a misstep. When promoting medical services and activities, it is of fundamental importance to test health care messages with discussion groups, in order to eradicate any involuntary stereotype – just like portraying women universally understood as housewives, mothers or doing yoga.
3. Keep in mind that gender messaging is often not appreciated
When publicizing health care lines for women, it is obviously necessary to include gender-specific language, according to the needs of the sex involved. According to a study conducted by Fluent, a market research company in Hamburg, however, 74% of women surveyed said they preferred neutral marketing messages over gender because the market does not take into account real gender differences often falling into stereotypes or becoming sexist.
4. Pink was counterproductive for breast cancer awareness campaigns
What are the effects of gender indications on women’s appeal?
Women associate pink with breast cancer awareness campaigns with the related threat that they could die if they do nothing to prevent it.
Psychology has generated many studies on defensive responses over the years: how do we deal with threatening ideas, with things that are existentially difficult to understand? What happens is that they trigger very strong rejection mechanisms. Adding all this pink, asking women to think about the genre, you’re triggering it. You’re raising the idea that this is a feminine thing. It’s pink, it’s for you. You could die. The same signals are not threatening, it’s just a color! But connect who you are to threats.
5. Women do not like to be portrayed as passive because they are not
Women have enormous responsibilities in many aspects of their lives, from employment to family assistance, which offers them ample opportunities to be role models. Connect with them using your health care message to attract their active desire to be the best version of themselves for those they love.
The social change is obtained if a cause / rural health care is instantly recognizable and present in people’s minds, but it is also true that just because you make a more significant mark, that does not mean you make it more effective.
5 THINGS TO DO:
1. Include women in Healthcare Marketing teams
Not only will it give messages an all-round perspective; McKinsey research has shown that greater business diversity equates to above-average financial success.
The most diversified companies are able to improve customer orientation, employee satisfaction and decision-making, and all this leads to a virtuous cycle of increasing returns.
2. Show the women actively involved in the decision-making process
Making choices means having power, whether a woman is writing a project proposal at work, or deciding which extracurricular activities her child must perform or choosing a cardiologist for herself or a family member. When a healthcare system creates an announcement that depicts a woman who actively chooses that system for her care during a time of need, the female audience will feel an emotional connection because she understands those pressures and stresses.
3. Reflect on diversity in Healthcare Marketing messages
Not all women are mothers, and some women are not just mothers – they are workers, managing directors, athletes, artists and much more. The American demographic data is changing and the future seems much more different than in the past, also for the new definition of family: according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) about 40% of births involve unmarried mothers. There is not even a typical family structure, so the creation of ads that present only traditional family relationships is a false step to avoid.
4. Use digital campaigns
Digital campaigns are a great way to integrate other media such as TVs, radios and mobile devices that exist primarily to spread information. The vast majority of women use social media, so hospitals can use traditional messaging platforms to direct consumers to doctors’ or the same social media profiles where they can get answers to questions or find more information on the services advertised.
With targeting opportunities related to Social Marketing, these platforms can be a great place to provide information that women might find relevant to their specific needs.
5. Learn to communicate with women
Healthcare Marketing, and social media in particular is a perfect opportunity to do so. Women trust the word of mouth and the recommendations of their friends, which means that campaigns with patient testimonials are a great system to bet on.
Focusing on the needs and strengths of women without generalizing the entire gender group and with the strategic use of digital tactics to integrate traditional media, hospitals and health systems can connect with women so that they feel truly listened to and valued.
