Experience – Page 2

Page 2 of 2

October 21, 2013

eDetail Aid Apathy, Inevitable without Innovation?

eDetailing; Maximising the opportunity, by David Hunt

You have a stunning eDetail aid! It’s compelling, engaging, memorable. It addresses customer needs & it absolutely helps the representative. It has won awards & everyone LOVES IT!! Odd then, that the usage is declining. It’s not been used by the field and your customers have lost interest. It’s being left in the bag, tucked-up alongside last year’s leave piece.

As an industry we have become lazy. Apple did our job for us. With the launch of the iPad we could not fail. The device itself captured attention, implored the field to use our sales material & engaged the customer. But now what? Now the novelty has worn off, where do we go next? We can’t just sit & wait for the next Technology Push – we need to re-imagine, re-invent & re-define the detail aid. We need to be creative, innovative and smart. Finally, we need to really use the power of the hardware. Rather than a glorified PowerPoint, embellished with animation, we need to create a truly immersive experience.

It’s not easy. How many apps really deliver an experience beyond a website? How many sectors have successfully gone beyond the obvious migration? We are not alone in simply changing platform, rather than changing the experience. However the trend is changing, smart people are understanding the real opportunity & maximising the iPad. The lag is not uncommon, it takes game developers years to harness the power of the latest Play Station. But to maintain customer engagement & a competitive advantage they are committed to innovation. They are determined to master the technology at their disposal. We need to do the same. Now is our time to innovate, go beyond conventions and maximise the opportunity at our finger tips.

The future will be defined by ideas & not software;

Social CLM
Blending the value, credibility and authority of peer-to-peer endorsement with the relevant, tailored stories of closed-loop marketing. It is the promise of social media, within a safe environment.
Active participation
We strive for engagement, knowing the importance to message retention. Yet, we worry about a HCP interacting with the device, controlling the flow, taking an interest? It is a customer-centric approach at its finest, we need to re-design the interaction and maximise the opportunity.
Agile story-telling
The stories we tell are founded in a traditional approach that pre-dates the digital revolution. We can deliver our stories, but to make a difference we must be believed. To be believed we must earn trust. To earn trust we must engage and respond, telling the customer’s story and not our own.

Has the iPad killed innovation in healthcare communications? Or, has it created the platform to drive innovation? I believe the latter, but only with the necessary ideas, insight and commitment to beat the technology.

October 17, 2013

An Agency’s Ultimate Priority – Experience, Their Customers & Their Customers’ Customer

Experience; Why it is everything, by David Hunt

For my wife’s Birthday we stayed at the Sanderson, in London. I had heard of its reputation, and the location was great. It was expensive, but I wanted the trip to be special. A month later we travelled back down to London, and without hesitation booked the Sanderson again. It was that good. Equally, I’ve stayed in a number of budget hotels and the experience has been just that.

As a business you must define your proposition and price point, you must then honour that commitment in everything you do, both in service & deliverable. Every detail of my stay at the Sanderson was considered; from the fresh fruit & water awaiting our return from a night out, through to every member of staff knowing our names & preferences. I am sure that there are exceptions, mistakes and the occasional frustrated client, we are human after all. However, I am also confident that the energy, courtesy and passion of the staff will ensure that the majority of experiences are exceptional.

When I selected the Sanderson I understood their rates. I recognised that it would be a premium experience, with an appropriate cost. As an agency, should we expect the same of our clients? Are they looking for an exceptional service, or something simply adequate? The Sanderson would not have expected me to challenge them with the rates of the local economy hotel, but equally I would not accept an economy service from the Sanderson.

If I book a flight with Virgin, I know it will be more expensive than the low-cost alternative but whilst both will get me to my destination, I know that it will be a better experience with Virgin. If a client briefs an agency on a website in the majority of instances the cost will be an indicator of quality, both in the experience with the agency and in the ultimate experience of their customers. No doubt both websites will function, but the superior expertise, insight and time associated with the premium offer, should shine through in the final solution and the experience of the users.

“Just because it is more expensive, doesn’t mean it is better!?!” A strange point of view, not one I would share with the Sanderson, but for completeness – with higher cost comes the opportunity to include more talented staff and motivate their performance. With higher cost comes more experienced personnel that understand your business and can discuss your opportunities. With higher cost more time to craft a solution around the user and deliver a premium experience.

I was under little doubt that the staff at the Sanderson were experienced & expert, they were motivated & passionate, they took pride in their work & were rewarded for their endeavour.

September 24, 2013

What Will Come First, The First Step or The First Swipe

The next digital generation, by David Hunt

Baby Hunt is 4 months old and he has mastered rolling. We watch with bated breath for the roll to become a crawl and then it can’t be too long before he is taking those first few steps. However, my money is on the swipe. He is already fascinated by the iPad and whilst he hasn’t worked out the gestures, he is interacting.

How do I feel about this? We are all inclined to look back at our youth with nostalgia. Summers spent running through fields, playing football with your friends, owning Mayfair & Park Lane – good honest fun. And before that, I fondly remember pop-up books, they were much more fun than the traditional types. They made the reading experience interactive & engaging, they maintained my interest (I’m told). Do I really mind if Baby H learns to read via an iPad as oppose to the traditional alternative? Whilst he will never posses the same fondness for physical books, it doesn’t guarantee he will love literature any less – perhaps the experience will enhance the stories, perhaps his love of literature will be greater?

But where does it stop; will his first drawings be with crayons or PaintPro? will he kick his first football virtually or in the park? will he learn to play the piano online or at school? I suspect it will be dictated by the experience. PaintPro will never be as much fun as the real thing, but perhaps it is easier for the parents – is the decision the parent’s rather than the child’s? Is this any different to when I was growing up? I could happily play FIFA on the NES, but would much rather be in the park with my Dad.

For me, the decisive factor is experience. I sincerely hope that human, real interactions will always have the competitive edge. But as with everything it comes down to time, energy and passion. It is our responsibility to ensure that Baby H enjoys reading rather than watching, that he prefers painting & craft to image manipulation, that he rather plays with his friends in the park than online.

Ultimately, as we are quickly learning as new parents, it is down to compromise. Maybe Baby H can use PaintPro to manipulate his own paintings and create something far better than we ever dreamed. Maybe the educational apps will enhance the learning experience with a more diverse approach. Maybe he’s on the first steps to harnessing the overwhelming information resource that is the Internet. Maybe with diversity, innovation and energy, it is simply a better experience.