Instinct may tell you that the era of television advertising has been replaced by digital marketing, but TV still offers a lucrative venue for companies, particularly those in healthcare. In fact, it continues to drive critical KPIs like sales and new accounts.
Consumers have greater access to TV programming than ever before.
You can leave your phone at home, but televisions follow you wherever you go. Most public spaces, including airports, retirement home lobbies, and even fast food restaurants have televisions playing as part of their background ambiance. Video On Demand (VOD) also gives people anywhere-access to their favorite programs via tablets and smartphones. As more people gain greater access to television programming than ever before, the effectiveness of television advertising increases.
Americans spend more time watching TV than any other leisure activity.
A 2016 analysis of insights from Nielsen found that over 92% of all viewing among U.S. adults happens on the TV screen. Among adults over 50, 55% of their viewing is done on a TV screen. A 2017 American time use survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that watching TV was the leisure activity that occupied the most time, accounting for just over half of all leisure time on average. Adults 65 and older spent an average of 4 hours per day watching television. This makes television an ideal platform for marketing healthcare benefits to adults of all ages, and especially senior citizens.
Appointment viewing is still the norm for adult consumers.
While Netflix ushered in the age of binge-watching, it didn’t sound the death knell on appointment viewing. More than 20 million Americans make network TV news a part of their daily routine, according to the Pew Research Center. Emmy Award-winning serial programs like “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Big Little Liars” continue to draw in weekly audiences, and they keep people engaged with the content over a much longer period. Likewise, single telecast TV programs like the Super Bowl, the Oscars, and the Grammys draw in millions of viewers, often inspiring parties and social gatherings that put lots of eyes on the screen at once.
Americans keep their phones handy while watching TV.
Consumers of all ages have become more adept at navigating back and forth between their big screen and their handheld devices. In fact, the Connected Consumer Survey found that 54% of people use their smartphones to go online while watching TV. Television still carries with it the respectability and trustworthiness of traditional platforms, and marketers can use that to drive traffic to their online properties.
Get with the program!
All signs point to go when it comes to television advertising. Consumers of all ages have greater access to TV than ever before. They choose it as their primary leisure activity and protect their scheduled viewing time. What’s more, they’re motivated by what they see to follow up when advertising is effective. Use these tips to improve your televised healthcare marketing spend.
Know your target audience.
Because appointment-friendly programs are often targeted to unique audiences, healthcare marketers should fine-tune their campaigns to specifically target the audience of fan favorite shows.
Initiate conversations.
Appointment viewing creates community and conversation among like-minded people. Use advertising opportunities to raise thought-provoking questions and address timely, relevant concerns of the market in order to project promotions beyond the screen and into society.
Direct action.
Take advantage of the consumer tendency to switch back and forth between the TV and their phone by incorporating CTAs that send viewers to your website for more information. This makes the most of two powerful marketing channels.
Make it omni-channel.
While television advertising is definitely not dead – or even sick – it should still be one part of a robust omni-channel marketing strategy for healthcare providers. Each platform – from TV to social media – offers unique advantages and value, and when combined, they have the power to drive key performance metrics like sales and new accounts.
At Morgan & Co., we facilitate omni-channel marketing strategies that help brands grow. Our knowledge of the healthcare industry and media planning and buying produces smart strategies that incorporate new ideas and hard-nosed buying, and all of our efforts are supported by analytics that capture your true ROI. Contact us today to explore how we can help your brand.
