Originally Published MX July/August 2004
TOPSPIN
Expanding the Marketing Team through Grassroots Efforts|
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When a medtech company is redefining its marketing resources, it should remember to consider its customers—not only as a target audience, but also among its most-effective marketers.
Local hospitals and imaging centers that invest in a state-of-the-art technology often need help to market the capabilities of such new systems to their local communities. Through this fundamental customer need, the technology manufacturer is presented with a valuable opportunity to work as a partner and deliver important product and corporate messages at the local level.
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| The cover of a patient information brochure offers an opportunity for brand building. (click to enlarge) |
One strategy companies can employ is to develop and provide turnkey marketing materials to their local customers. These can include corporate-created ads, brochures, direct-mail pieces, patient letters, press materials, videos, and other communication tools. Such materials can offer corporate and product messaging while also providing an opportunity for customer customization and brand building.
Toshiba has taken such a program one step further by creating its Image Maker Kit—a CD-ROM-based program that is delivered to each customer. The kit provides templates for customized marketing materials as well as a comprehensive step-by-step tutorial on how to implement a successful marketing effort. Customer feedback shows high usage of materials and overall satisfaction with the program.
The results and benefits of implementing such a program are multifaceted. Customers view a manufacturer that provides such tools and materials as much more than a technology vendor—it is a valued business partner that cares about its customers' success. For the technology provider offering the tools, such a program represents a cost-effective means of delivering key messages at a grassroots level. By using such an approach, a company can maximize its resources and extend its reach among consumer targets that might otherwise be unreachable.
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