Hive Health

For the best blog post we decided to give away 2 months free use of Napster. We have this playing in the office and its brilliant – every album and every track you’ve ever loved instantly at your finger tips. Millions of tracks, from a catalogue of 5 million. Dozens of suggestions of other artists – its totally changed the way we listen to music here.

Well after much heated debate, we have decided to award two months of musical brilliance to twice posting Bambi. Access details on their way, enjoy April and May on us.

Healthcare is a complex world to work in, whether we sell products or services. On top of our day to day business, we’re struck by reams of science, mode of actions, molecular specs, and more.

The result is that in healthcare, we are surrounded by distractions. When we’re asked to explain what it is we do, we get immediately sidetracked into describing stuff that is really besides the point. To be fair, there are times when we have to pass the time; fill in gaps in conversation. Perhaps this is why this kind of pointless talk has been described as “elevator speech”, or the more stylish “martini monologue”.

But sometimes it invades boardrooms, too. We lose sight of our brand as “the moral of our story” when we plan our communications. Or maybe we understand our brand in our own heads, but fail to produce a short, consistent description when asked. We prepare in the wrong ways, getting tangled in details when it’s really not necessary.

How do we get to that core of what it is we do? By asking yourself one question: why it is that we (or our service) can meet customer’s needs better than anyone else. If you can find a way to verbalise this to a stranger in a lift or a brand director over lunch, you’re practising engagement. That brand story will find its way into communications materials too – the places that you build on with key messages, that complicated MOA diagram, and so on.

Martini anyone?

Hope everyone enjoyed the OTCs last night as much as we did. Well judged, great food, lots of laughs all round. Huge congratulations to those who bagged an award. Very deep thanks to organisers Debbie and Val for letting us sponsor the event with our charming honey vodka-issuing ladies Ebony and Danielle. We trust everyone had a chance to sample our nectar. All together now: 1, 2, 3, 4, Hive!!

Fact: the green stamp WILL fade eventually – don’t panic. (If anything has worked for you please let us know.)

All of us here are getting ready for the OTC Marketing Awards. A few last minute emails to write, one job bag to put to print. Hope to bump into you there, after dinner enjoy a shot on us.