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The results are in—Mary Lou Quinlan, founder and CEO of Just Ask a Woman and author of What She’s Not Telling You, has been named the 2009 M2W®-HC™ Apple of Our Eye Award winner. Selected by conference attendees, the award was created to honor the presenter deemed to be the favorite among M2W®-HC™ participants.
Mary Lou recently spoke with Patti Minglin about some of the most common “Half Truths” healthcare professionals are hearing from women, what insight she gained from this year’s M2W®-HC™ and the fun of being a “truth detector” for marketers.
Patti Minglin: Congratulations on receiving the “Apple of Our Eye” Award. Why do you think your presentation on the “Half Truths” of women resonates so well with a healthcare-focused audience?
Mary Lou Quinlan: You know how marketers will sometimes joke, ‘Well, what we do isn’t a matter of life or death?’ Well, with healthcare marketers, sometimes it is. And that’s why it’s critical for them to examine every single insight they base their decisions on…and ask, Am I believing a Half Truth? Or am I getting the Whole Truth that will lead to brand distinction, patient satisfaction and real results in human terms? So I think my remarks resonated because I was telling the unvarnished truth to smart people who knew I was hitting on a sensitive issue. And I hope I made it fun.”
Minglin: Can you pull out 2 or 3 of the most common “Half Truths” that healthcare professionals may hear from women and tell us what the “Whole Truth” really is?
Quinlan: In our book, we categorize the motivators for women’s Half Truth telling with the acronym of GAMES. Good Intentions, Approval Seeking, Martyrdom, Ego Protection and Secret Keeping. So, here are a few examples. Half Truths of Good Intentions that healthcare professionals hear (Avoidance) ” I plan to lose weight or stop smoking each year.”
Whole Truth: “I push it off for any excuse I can come up with.”
Half Truth of Approval Seeking (Faux confidence): “I am empowered and ask my doctor for the test or product that I have learned about from my research.” Whole Truth: “But if my doctor says I don’t really need it, I back down and think about it some more.”
And Half Truths of Secret Keeping (Hiding the Truth): “I am open about my symptoms and tell them completely.”
Whole Truth: “I keep the embarrassing stuff to myself because they’d think I was crazy or weird.”
Minglin: When I read your book, there were so many times I saw myself—not only as a marketer, but as a female consumer. And those insights you just mentioned…I’ve been guilty of them. Speaking of insight, what insight and/or connections did you personally receive from this year’s M2W®-HC™ conference?
Quinlan: I thought that a theme that was powerful was the creative new ways that marketers are using all media in fresh ways to connect with consumers. I found the audience very open and frank about their own challenges–which makes for a more meaningful experience any time!
Minglin: Anything new or exciting happening with Just Ask a Woman?
Quinlan: Well, our new book has garnered quite a bit of interest for us all both as speakers and as truth detectors in various categories, healthcare among them (even breaking down what’s working and not in clients’ existing research). What’s been especially fun is our way of keeping the cases fresh with a new blog on our site that takes aim at Half Truths we see in marketing every day. So hope you check out www.justaskawoman.com/wsnty for the Whole Truth and nothing but!
Minglin: I will most certainly check out your blog! Congratulations again on all of your success and for being the Apple of Our Eye! I look forward to seeing you at M2W®-The Marketing To Women Conference, April 21 & 22 in Chicago.
Quinlan: Thanks Patti…truly we are so proud of our apple!!
Make plans to join us for the 2nd Annual M2W®-HC™…The Conference for Marketing Healthcare to Women, November 16 & 17, 2010, at the Chicago Cultural Center. Visit our website for additional information, www.m2w-hc.com. Click here to buy What She’s Not Telling You: Why Women Hide the Whole Truth and What Marketers Can Do About It
Save the date! The 2nd Annual M2W®-HC™ will take place November 16 & 17, 2010, at the Chicago Cultural Center.
Visit the conference website in the new year for updates on speakers, sponsors and the event schedule.
Speaker and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact Nan McCann at 860-724-2649 x13 for more information.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is joining with the Ad Council to launch a new nationwide public service advertising (PSA) campaign called “Together We Can All Fight the Flu.” The campaign features television, radio, online banner, and outdoor public service advertisements that encourage Americans to get vaccinated against the 2009 H1N1 flu virus. “Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and your family against the H1N1 flu virus,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Fighting the flu is a shared responsibility, and it is up to all of us to help prevent the spread of the flu in your community. Right now, Americans have a window of opportunity to get vaccinated. These new PSAs will encourage pregnant women, children, young adults, and other priority groups to protect themselves by getting the H1N1 vaccine.” Created pro bono by ad agency Merkley + Partners in New York City, the new PSA campaign is designed specifically to reach children, parents, pregnant women, young adults, people with underlying conditions, and Spanish-speakers. The campaign builds on an HHS PSA campaign that was launched earlier this year to promote ways to protect against the flu. “All across the country, Americans are working together to prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu,” said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “We are proud to continue our efforts with Secretary Sebelius and HHS to educate Americans about the vaccine and how to protect themselves this flu season.” The new PSAs are available at www.flu.gov, the government’s one-stop website for all the latest information on both seasonal and H1N1 flu. Here is a sample:
Tibotec Therapeutics, a division of Centocor Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., will soon launch a new initiative to raise awareness of issues affecting women and people of color living with HIV/AIDS. Through a comprehensive campaign including local educational events, media outreach and a new website, www.TheGraceStudy.com, the company is sharing learnings from the GRACE study, the largest clinical trial in North America among women with HIV who had previously taken HIV medications. GRACE, which stands for Gender, Race And Clinical Experience, examined differences in response to an HIV medication in combination with other HIV medications. The GRACE campaign will include perspectives from study participants, physicians, and advocates. Campaign materials, which will be available in English and Spanish, and supporting activities will address the unique design of the GRACE study and the novel recruitment and retention strategies that were used to encourage women and people of color to enroll and stay in the trial. These novel strategies and the study findings have important implications for the long-term care of women and people of color living with HIV. “The GRACE study not only provides a new model for HIV research, it also has implications for the care of women and people of color living with HIV,” said Dawn Averitt Bridge, founder and chair of The Well Project, and a paid consultant on the GRACE study. “GRACE proves that women and people of color can and will participate in clinical trials if they are designed and supported in the right way, and these strategies and support techniques can be applied to the everyday care of people living with HIV.”
In the United States, HIV/AIDS is on the rise among women and people of color. Today, women account for more than one-quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses, and African-American and Latina women represent 79 percent of women living with the disease. Overall, 65 percent of people living with HIV in the United States are people of color. Despite these staggering statistics, women and people of color are under-represented in clinical treatment studies, often due to barriers such as availability of childcare, lack of transportation, financial burden, and stigma. The GRACE study enrolled 67 percent women and 84 percent people of color, despite the fact that these groups are typically less likely to participate in clinical trials. The study was designed in partnership with the HIV community and used unique strategies to encourage women and people of color living with HIV to participate in the trial. For example, GRACE participants could receive support to cover costs associated with study participation, including assistance for travel, childcare and food vouchers, and study sites could access grants for patient support activities such as lunch-and-learn sessions and patient support groups for ongoing education and camaraderie. “The GRACE trial was made possible through widespread collaboration between Tibotec Therapeutics and the HIV community, providing an example of what needs to be done to truly address disparities in HIV care,” said Glenn Mattes, president of Tibotec Therapeutics. “Individuals who participated in GRACE have played a historic role in advancing the understanding of HIV treatment in women and people of color.”
Women’s Health Foundation (WHF) has received the inaugural Power of Partnering Innovation Award, as part of the November 2009 Power of Partnering Conference sponsored by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation’s Alliance Development & Philanthropy. WHF was the sole recipient thanks to their ground-breaking wellness programs in women’s health. Since 2004, WHF has created unique, community-based, fitness and educational programs for all women combining a specialized fitness program with an educational component involving bladder and pelvic anatomy, nutrition and lifestyle tips to prevent, manage or alleviate bladder symptoms. Total Control®, WHF’s primary program, is a full body wellness and educational program shown in research to improve both symptoms of bladder control and quality of life. Additionally, the Foundation recently created a chair-based version of the exercise program designed for seniors, called Total Control Platinum™. The 2009 Power of Partnering Innovation Award provided by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is part of an effort to help non-profit organizations navigate the current financial climate. As part of the award, Women’s Health Foundation receives two-years, 165 hours hands-on consultancy arrangement with Partnership in Philanthropy focused on skill building and mentoring and designed to promote sustainability and effectiveness in the field of healthcare and advocacy.
Missy Lavender
“This award recognizes the strides WHF has made to bring innovation to the world of women’s pelvic health. We are honored to receive this inaugural innovation award and appreciative of the opportunity it provides to help us grow and sustain our efforts as a non-profit leader,” said Missy Lavender, executive director and founder.
Popular M2W(R) and M2W(R)-HC(TM) speaker Mary Dean, founder and chief creative officer for KickSkirt, has a great Letter to the Editor in the current issue of Fast Company. Regarding Fast Company‘s recent article on Masters of Design, Mary says: ”Consider this: As you pointed out, women make 80% of all consumer purchase decisions, yet 70% of women feel marketers ‘don’t get them’ and 35% are actually offended by the advertising that seeks to entice them. Why is most advertising failing so miserably with the world’s most powerful consumer? Could it have something to do with the fact that only 3% of the creative directors at ad agencies are women?” Read her entire letter here (it’s halfway down the page): http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/141/feedback.html
When it comes to risk disclosures made by drug companies in print and television ads, many consumers are not paying attention, according to a recent study by ORC Guideline. The latest study in the company’s Under the Skin series found that 41% of US consumers pay little or no attention to risk information presented by pharmaceutical companies in their TV commercials, and only half (50%) pay attention to such disclosures in print ads. This lack of attention is most prevalent among those 55 years of age or older.
“A probable cause for this considerable lack of interest may be risk information overload,” said Morris S. Whitcup, Ph.D. chief research officer at ORC Guideline. “As consumers utilize a wide variety of sources to learn about prescription medications, it may not be optimal for the FDA to require that pharmaceutical companies include the same details in each of the channels they use to communicate information about their prescription drug products,” he continued. “When we asked consumers specifically about their preferences for obtaining prescription drug risk information online, we learned that many would appreciate a truly condensed version of such disclosures, accompanied by links to obtain more detailed information.” Included among the ways in which consumers preferred to see prescription drug risk disclosures presented online were: direct links to an independent website such as WebMD (32%); having a condensed version of risk disclosures available a click away (27%); and a direct link to a pharmaceutical company (26%) or government website (25%) that provided the information.
Amoena USA Corporation is sponsoring the 4th Annual Breast Cancer Survivors Cruise. In 2010, for the first time, Amoena will honor survivors and the people who helped them through their recovery by awarding a cabin for the one with the most inspirational story to tell. As part of the contest, Amoena wants to hear about young mothers who bravely endured treatments; women who, despite their diagnosis, remain positive and optimistic; friends who were there when a survivor was diagnosed, went to appointments and made the recovery process a little easier. The contest is a celebration of survivorship and friendship. “Amoena’s mission is to help restore dignity and a positive self-image to women who have fought breast cancer and won. No woman can go through the battle alone. They need someone by their side encouraging them,” said Malissa Magyar, marketing manager for Amoena. “We’re inspired by the women who have fought this fight, and we’re inspired by those who helped them every step of the way to recovery. This contest is our way of celebrating them.”
Amoena approached the Young Survival Coalition (YSC), an organization focused on addressing critical issues of women under 40 diagnosed with breast cancer, to help sponsor the contest and spread the word among its affiliates. Nominations are now being accepted through March 1, 2010. Amoena will select one winner to receive a cabin for two on the 2010 Breast Cancer Survivors Cruise, May 2-8. YSC will cover travel costs for the winner and guest to the cruise’s port city, Ft. Lauderdale.
When it comes to risk disclosures made by drug companies in print and television ads, many consumers are not paying attention, according to a recent study by ORC Guideline (an infoGROUP company). The latest study in the company’s Under the Skin series found that 41% of US consumers pay little or no attention to risk information presented by pharmaceutical companies in their TV commercials, and only half (50%) pay attention to such disclosures in print ads. This lack of attention is most prevalent among those 55 years of age or older.
“A probable cause for this considerable lack of interest may be risk information overload,” said Morris S. Whitcup, Ph.D. chief research officer at ORC Guideline. “As consumers utilize a wide variety of sources to learn about prescription medications, it may not be optimal for the FDA to require that pharmaceutical companies include the same details in each of the channels they use to communicate information about their prescription drug products,” he continued. “When we asked consumers specifically about their preferences for obtaining prescription drug risk information online, we learned that many would appreciate a truly condensed version of such disclosures, accompanied by links to obtain more detailed information.” Included among the ways in which consumers preferred to see prescription drug risk disclosures presented online were: direct links to an independent website such as WebMD (32%); having a condensed version of risk disclosures available a click away (27%); and a direct link to a pharmaceutical company (26%) or government website (25%) that provided the information.
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a potentially life-threatening antibiotic resistant Staph infection that affects more than 90,000 Americans every year—many of them young people. The spread of MRSA into community settings makes it more important than ever to educate Americans about practical ways to help reduce the spread of the infection. STOP MRSA Now, a coalition of members who have experienced MRSA first-hand and are working to help prevent its spread in community settings, has partnered with the North American Booster Club Association (NABCA) to empower parents, volunteers, school administrators, program directors, coaches and business leaders who support booster clubs to participate in the Bleacher Brigade challenge. Booster Clubs across the country will be supporting the Bleacher Brigade challenge, hanging up posters and communicating about prevention tips among parents, coaches and children involved in extracurricular activities. The site, www.stopmrsanow.org/bleacherbrigade.html, gives users the information they need to help prevent MRSA in their communities and then tell others about it. People who do so will have a chance to win one of three $500 gift cards and Bleacher Brigade prize packs. Says professional basketball player and STOP MRSA NOW coalition member Grant Hill, “This infection is becoming an issue not just in community settings but in homes across the country. As an athlete and a father, I pledge my support to STOP MRSA Now and challenge everyone to do their part in their communities to help reduce the spread of MRSA by downloading the digital Playbook for Prevention, passing along the prevention tips and remembering to always disinfect surfaces with a bleach solution.”
