Charting the Rings of Influence in Medical Practice Marketing

Picture the concentric rings on a paper target. The “bull’s-eye” center is primary, but "hits" within the other circles contribute to the total score. In medical practice marketing, it’s easy to overlook the fact that for each “ideal new patient,” there are several others around him or her.

For accuracy (and marketing effectiveness) the complete target audience definition should thoughtfully consider these broader circles of influence. Here are some hypotheticals to illustrate possible ancillary marketing targets. Depending on their degree of influence, a medical practice advertising message may be appropriate to secondary or support circles.

• In a simple example, the routine (and sometimes urgent) healthcare needs of an upper-middle income family of four are coordinated by the wife/mother of the household. With the professional assistance of a pharmacist, she also supervises medications and follow-up appointments.
• A teenage candidate for orthodontics will likely have “influencers” that include parents and other family members, social peers, regular and/or referring general dentist (and staff), and others. In fact, the actual decision-makers are likely to be the prospective patient AND the parents.
• A 37-year-old father of four as a vasectomy prospect will discuss the procedure with his spouse, close male friends, family members, his general practitioner…and perhaps a urologist (if he happens to know urologists commonly perform the procedure.)
• As a multi-layered example, an 87-year-old widow with symptoms of arthritis and osteoarthritis relies on two of her adult children for major medical decisions, personal and household assistance, transportation, making and keeping medical appointments, treatment and adhering to medication regimens. Her patient care team includes a GP, three specialists, nurses and staff, a patient advocate and a social service caseworker.

From the simple to the complex, every scenario will include “patient influencers” who play a greater or lesser role in the healthcare decision-making process. How do you know who is who? How do you reach them, and what is the message for each?

1. Sketch the details of a typical patient profile (or multiple profiles).
2. List the most likely personal influencers; spouse, family, friends.
3. List the most likely professional influencers; GP/FP, referring practitioner, other care team providers.

And perhaps the most insightful resource will be:

4. Have a conversation and ask patients; identify additional and/or less obvious influencers.

A well-considered marketing plan will carefully examine these dynamics, and where it is appropriate, provide educational and/or informational material that supports their role in the decision process.