'What part of "Give us our damn data" Do You Not Understand?’ is the title of a revealing blog post from the co-chairman of the Society for Participatory Medicine where he outlines key hurdles facing patients looking to take control over their medical records. Chief among the problems is the reluctance of hospitals and doctors to give up medical records in a timely manner. Unfortunately, this paternal outlook only serves to isolated the best advocate and quality control agent, the patient themselves.
Follow-up on CNN Here
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Marketing After the Lost Decade
As we enter 2010 one can only speculate over what marketing avenues will provide real value and improve ROI. By looking back over the last decade, however, it is clear that marketing as usual will not get the job done. The previous decade can largely be defined as lost. From the evaporation of household wealth, lost or downsized jobs and the failure of policy makers to meaningfully address issues that really matter to Americans, we are as a whole worse off than 10 years ago. Furthermore, the baby boomers are aging and living with fewer resources available than what they had anticipated. Against a back drop of exploding debts (personal and national), increase commodity prices and diminished earnings capacity, Americans are no likely to respond to traditional marketing efforts.
The marketing landscape changes often and with little notice. Whether change takes the form of new modes of communication or the government outlawing and entire form of marketing (telemarketing), the shifts that face marketers are often seismic.
Marketing after the lost decade is going to require many companies to act against their initial instincts and engage customers in an honest discussion over what really matters and a concise story that explains the real benefits of their product and/or service. Marketers also need to understand that consumers while losing many things have gained incredible power as they harness the power of social media and the Internet. Unlike the previous decade, customers will increasingly talk back and this can impact a company’s message in a serious way. United Airlines probably never imagined that by breaking a customer’s guitar they would end up as a YouTube hit with a creative negative message being seen by millions. So the question remains, how do you market to customers after the lost decade? They answer lies in honesty, integrity and vigilance.
The marketing landscape changes often and with little notice. Whether change takes the form of new modes of communication or the government outlawing and entire form of marketing (telemarketing), the shifts that face marketers are often seismic.
Marketing after the lost decade is going to require many companies to act against their initial instincts and engage customers in an honest discussion over what really matters and a concise story that explains the real benefits of their product and/or service. Marketers also need to understand that consumers while losing many things have gained incredible power as they harness the power of social media and the Internet. Unlike the previous decade, customers will increasingly talk back and this can impact a company’s message in a serious way. United Airlines probably never imagined that by breaking a customer’s guitar they would end up as a YouTube hit with a creative negative message being seen by millions. So the question remains, how do you market to customers after the lost decade? They answer lies in honesty, integrity and vigilance.
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