Here's something for healthcare brands to think about:

The increasing cost of medical care, growing numbers of uninsured or underinsured Americans, the global outsourcing of record-keeping and x-rays, the recruitment of doctors and nurses from other countries, and the increasing quality of hospitals in other countries is paving the way for the growth of medical tourism says The Economist. They report that Americans can save as much as 85% by 'shopping around’ for medical care and that the number of Americans traveling for care will grow from 1 million in 2007 to 10 million in 2012, costing American hospitals $160 billion in annual business.

Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG),  has teamed up with the Medical Tourism Association, an international, non-profit association made up of the top international hospitals, insurance companies, healchcare companies, medical tourism companies, etc., to launch an initiative to offer medical-related travel into Latin America. Expect more of these partnerships as costs mount in the US and interest grows in cost effective alternatives.

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According to consumer research company, Yankelovich, African American attitudes about health are shaped by 3 key influences:

Fatalism – a belief that one must “let go and let God”

Curative vs. Preventive Mindset – a tendency to focus on cures after a health problem has developed, rather than preventive measures before it occurs

Holistic Approach – Use of alternative, home and natural cures for illnesses and injuries.

Yankelovich advises health marketers, and advertisers who want to communicate effectively with African Americans, to understand that “the health disparities between African Americans and other groups are real, and the roots lie in unique cultural characteristics and attitudinal differences rather than in any biologic or genetic factors.”

Source: Yankelovich MONITOR Minute Flash

Ketchum Research Network has released the highlights of proprietary research that studied 4,000+ consumers to learn about health decision-making, motivations influences and links to demographic factors. The findings included the identification of five population segments. An excerpt from the Ketchum press release is below:

Health sharers, who make up one-fourth of the U.S. population, give and take health information from a variety of sources, especially friends and family. They are knowledgeable about health topics and proactive in doing a range of activities to improve their own health. Sharers are also enjoying time with friends and participating in their communities. Despite this proactive spirit, obesity remains a top issue faced by health sharers.

Health isolates, who comprise 12% of the population, do not actively seek or share health information and place little importance on looking good and eating low-fat foods. While this group is one of the least likely to seek information from doctors, this group is more likely than other segments to cite a pharmacist as a top source on information on health conditions.

Despite the fact that health traditionalists, who make up 14% of the population, seek out health information and advice, specifically from health professionals, they pay minimal attention to being physically fit and looking good.

While health elites, the 16% of the population who give but don’t take health advice are the most educated about healthcare, they are among the least likely to listen to healthcare professionals. Individuals from this segment are self-motivated and place a great deal of maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly.
One in three Americans is health neutral, meaning that health and wellness are not driving influences in their lives. As both the largest and the youngest of the five population segments, they are the least likely to visit a primary care physician at least once a year.

Sources:
 “Research Shows Changing Role of Influencers in Consumer Health Decisions”, Ketchum

I learned about Innocent Drinks in a recent post by Mack Collier on Viral Garden. The UK  beverage company manufactures ‘Natural Drinks That Taste Good and Do You Good” --- aka smoothies made from 100% natural fruits and “traditional/homemade recipes."

The company positioned the program as multi-generational by showing one of their younger employees take knitting lessons – yes, Innocent Drinks actually made knitting cool. In 2007, the campaign went viral across Europe: “…more than 400,000 hats were sent in, while customers posted photos through photo sharing site Flickr and met up through online communities.” The program generated a significant contribution to the charitable organization and resulted in a 100% lift in increased sales.

Click on the video in our left sidebar to highlights of this wonderful program. (If the video isn't visible on this page, you can view it here on YouTube.)

So, what are some of the brand strategies that have contributed to the company’s success?

First and most importantly, Innocent Drinks provides a healthy, good tasting product that focuses on benefits that people are actively seeking. Natural is a key component of their positioning, but it’s a feature of the product that provides a reason to believe/support to the positioning rather than a benefit. In general, benefits resonate more strongly with customers than features because they link the product to customer needs.

It takes the combined efforts of every area in the company to ensure the strategy is a success Everything the company does reflects their vision to leave the world a better place. Their completely natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, carbon neutral energy practices, etc. are authentically green right down to their fruity core.

Success isn’t without its challenges. When Innocent Drinks tested its products in McDonald’s stores in the UK it angered some avid brand users who accused the company of selling out.  Company officials assured them that was not the case and provided opportunities for ongoing dialogue, illustrating that the more successful a company is in facilitating a brand’s development; the more engaged they will be with brand followers.

Images: InnocentDrinks.co.uk

Healthline is a consumer medical metasearch engine focused on delivering results from trusted, high-quality healthcare websites.

Good Health Advertising is an ad network offering advertisers health and medical websites.

iMedix is a combined health search engine and social network where patients and healthcare providers share information and support.

Source: Techcrunch

Daily Strength is a social network that provides users "with a wide variety of medical, psychological and life conditions to discuss their struggles and the treatments they are undergoing."

From Techcrunch 

Wellsphere is a social network where users can consult with their peers on health-related issues, share resources, track goals, get advice and support, etc.

Source: Techcrunch

Traineo is a health and fitness social network "where users report their weight, diet, and exercise daily to a group of friends who help monitor and support one another..."

From Techcrunch