Driving In Traffic

As many of you know, I started blogging in 2005 for business at the encouragement of a close friend. The blogging bug bit me and bit me hard. What started as an academic experiment to boost the company’s google juice, eventually took me to places I never expected and led me to a wonderful set of friends and colleagues.

My enthusiasm over the potentials of this relatively new technology morphed me into an evangelist that had me trying to convince those I met that they, too, could use the technology. Subsequently, over time I began working with people and organizations to help them set up a blog and a successful strategy for meeting their goals.

In the past, I have been hesitant about soliciting for business, given that I had so much on my plate already. Honestly, in hindsight, it just wasn’t the time. However, now the journey that began with me starting the business blog, launching my personal blog (here), then launching my do-good blog, and now being invited to participate in the iVillage social network issues related to philanthropy and giving back, has led me to a place where my confidence that I can help is getting close to being equal with my desire to help.
For a while now, I’ve known that I was on a path toward doing something new. Being one that loves structure and routine I’ve struggled against it. However, the recent technology trials and tribulations with my domain name and blog hosting- gave me the cosmic kick in the pants to get off my duff and try to do what I really want to do— help healthcare and nonprofit organizations use social media strategies to boost their communications internally and externally, with the goal of building stronger relationships.

So with that said and the emotional support of my family (Jump in the water is fine.)— I’m taking the leap. www.drivingintraffic.com will be the online homebase for my services and consulting. Subsequently, with the change in URL of this blog, comes a change in focus.

Drivingintrafficblog.com will now really focus on supporting the efforts of my consulting. As much as I hate to say it– it will likely become more wonky but hopefully not too boring. However being more of a woman of action rather than musing about what can be done, I will still have the business blog and the do-good blog to give me real and genuine experience of the spaces I want to help others join.

I look forward to the new opportunities and meeting new folks on the path ahead.

One of my favorite topics is discussed this week at the Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants posted today at Spare Change.

Eventhough I did not submit, Nedra picked up one of my posts to include. 

Thanks N!  That was really quite flattering.

During my Christmas break, I had a few moments to sit down and indulge in some absurd hours of quality TV time catching up on all of my missed episodes of Poirot and Midsomer Murders. During that time, commercials came, were muted and then I was returned back to my indulgent, guilty pleasure of doing nothing and watching TV.

At that time, one series of commercials always scared me and made me gasp– even after the second and third run. I have not seen them since, but I still remember the company and product. They were Volkswagon commercials where there are a car full of people driving along talking about mundane things (the funniest being the men talking about the side effects disclaimer of DTC advertising of ED medications) and then from out of nowhere– CRASH! Head on, side impact– in the filming the other car just appears. Then the commercial closes with everyone out of the car, shocked but ok— illustrating the safety of the vehicles. Click here and select “Like” to see one of the ads.

In a new spin on using the unexpected, State Farm has started the “Now What” ad campaign. They are using a series of short films where bad things unexpectedly happen to people’s property and then you see the logo and webaddress for the “Now What” campaign. Which — in no longer than it took to fire up old bessie, had me typing in the web address and seeing what all of this is about.

Why does this work so well and how can we use it in healthcare?

In Chip and Dan Heath’s book, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, they spend a whole chapter on explaining why surprise works in marketing. One reason why the unexpected works is that it grabs a person’s attention and stimulates an emotion within the person. Such is my experience with the VW ad.

As for the “Now What” campaign, it worked for me because it surprised me and then left me hanging. The Heath brothers explain this in the terms of The Gap Theory of Curiosity- originally articulated by George Lowenstein of Carneigie Mellon. Simply put– this theory states that curiosity occurs when we perceive a gap in our knowledge. These gaps produce subjective discomfort that requires some sort of action to dispell — similar to having an itch that we need to scratch.

This theory likely explains why I love to luxuriate in mystery TV marathons. Those shows expertly tap-dance on my curiosity buttons and I keep watching because I want to gather more information. I suppose secretly, I think I can best Poirot or Barnaby in figuring out who-done-it.

In healthcare, we can really use this tactic to our benefit. One’s individual health is a very personal and emotional issue to most. So–like I am obviously are a sucker for having my curiosity stimulated, most people have a sensitivity to being engaged in anything that relates to their own health interests. I think the statistics about people seeking health information on the internet speak to the validity of this notion.

By using surprise and creating a perception of a gap in knowlege, we can increase the likelyhood that individuals will be “drawn” to us as resource. What we then need to focus on is creating an environment (virtual or live) that will encourage and educate seekers to take action/ implement behavior changes that can have a positive impact on their health.

If done well and people are able to find the answers they seek, then the subtle emotional experience of that is that ‘we’ care and are able to meet needs. This, in turn, can increase reputation, provide content for word-of-mouth referrals, increase the subjective perception of wanting to be one of ‘those people’ who get their care from THE BEST and otherwise get people in your door to see what you are about. If the quality of care they receive is consistent with the perception, you are on your way to creating loyal customers that no longer need to be ‘won’.

Tags: Made To Stick healthcare marketing unexpected volkswagon NowWhat Chip Heath Dan Heath

As my mentor and friend Toby Bloomberg says: “Blogging is about relationships and community.” After a 16 months participating in the blogosphere, I have been able to meet and get to know a host of others who share my interests and who have taught me a few things.

One of those people is Nedra Kline Weinreich. She’s smart, witty, creative and has a good heart, to boot. She has a real knack of communicating social marketing how-tos to inspire positive changes in behavior with the goal of improving health or creating social change.

Nedra is holding a training session on March 28-30 in Washington DC. She has set up a Squidoo Page to give information about the agenda and the content. If you can’t go, then consider purchasing her book from this page– as squidoo will donate a portion to a charity of Nedra’s choice. Plus it will get you started thinking in a whole new way!

Held in conjuction with the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, some of the training highlights of the seminar include:

• How social marketing uses commercial marketing tools to create behavior change
• How to think like a social marketer
• How to develop a strategy using the 8 Ps of the social marketing mix
• How to design effective messages and materials
• How to work with the media to get your message out through news and entertainment programming
• How to use cutting-edge technologies to put the new media to work for you
• How to get the most out of your social marketing budget — even if it’s small

Given all the work I’ve got piled up for the non-profit I’m a part of and my other blog, I wish I could go. However, right now significant travel is just not in the budget (time or money). However, if Nedra comes to Atlanta— I’m so IN! and I’m dragging some friends! Hint!!! Hint!!!

However in the honor code of BBF-edness (Best Blogging Friends) and fellow RUSH fan-edness (The Band not the simpleminded pundit–no google juice for him!), Nedra has generously created a cool coupon so that DIT readers can get a little savings if they can attend. You get $75 off of registration if you register and use the code: DIT75    Cool Huh!!!

Tags: Social Marketing University Nedra Kline Weinreich Social Change Nonprofits conferences Washington DC