When you boil it down, (I am not the first to say that) marketing consists of getting the right message to the right person at the right time. And that message has to prompt them to change their behavior. (If you think it’s easy to change someone else’s behavior, just think of how hard it can be to change your own…)
If you’re selling professional services, or software, or clothing, or anything else, that simple task can be complex enough. But it’s even more complex if you’re trying to change the behavior of an addict, or the attitudes towards addicts.
“The Power of Marketing in Public Health Crises” is going to be the subject of the Boston Sales and Marketing Innovators (SAMI) meeting on June 20th. Judi Haber, whose agency has been working on issues related to public health, including opioids and vaping, will be leading the session.
So if you work outside of public health, and you think this doesn’t relate to you, you couldn’t be more wrong. People attending are going to hear about such matters as:
– The role of social media in reaching hyper-targeted audiences.
– How message testing can get to the “truth of the matter.”
– Tips for changing negative or harmful human behavior and attitudes
Those first two at least should be useful for any marketer.
Marketers sometimes narrow their thinking too much, feeling that if you haven’t worked in their industry then you have nothing to offer. Personally some of my best work has been the first time that I worked in an industry because I didn’t come in with any pre-conceptions.
So I hope that Boston-area people will join us on the 20th, and that people reading these tips everywhere will broaden their thinking and be open to new ideas on how to get the right message to the right person at the right time.
