www.themerzgroup.com/NEPA2.pdf
What could you say
about milk? It was white and
came in gallons. People felt
they knew all there was to
know about it, so it was hard
to find a strategic platform.
The California Milk Advisory
Board had for many years
produced the “Milk Does
a Body Good” ad campaign.
The campaign echoed
the government’s nutrition
program, which encouraged
people to drink a few glasses
of milk each day to maintain
their health.
Consumers evidently still
believed that milk was
nutritious. Ninety-four percent
of the people already said
“milk was good for you.”
The problem was that the old
ads didn’t change consumers’
behavior.
Consumers and especially kids
and teens still considered
milk to be as boring as a
beverage could possibly be.
On the contrary, people thought
of soft drinks as recreational
leisure products. Sodas, then,
were in a great position to
represent many of the things
that milk did not.
Milk was boring. It had an
image problem. Many
consumers were no longer
excited by the tamed,
domestic life that milk
conjured up (milk toast).
Gatorade, Snapple, Mountain
Dew, and Sprite were fun
and alive. Even V-8!
Although milk sales were
declining, research showed
that 70% of the population
claimed to drink milk
frequently. It was quickly
agreed that the best hope of
reviving sales was to prod
this 70% to increase their
consumption.
Research showed that people
who drank milk tended
to think of it as an
accompaniment to certain
sweet and sticky foods that
they loved like brownies,
cookies, or peanut butter
sandwiches.
The kicker though occurred
when people were asked how
they feel when they’re eating
something that demanded milk
to wash it down, but don’t have
milk in the house?
Respondents placed in this situation
were upset, they felt deprived.
They were able to convey the
feeling of having a brownie or
cookie remnants stuck in their
throat, calling out for a gulp of milk
to cleanse the palette.
How then to market milk?
A deprivation strategy - rather than
selling milk as a complement to
certain foods, instead the
strategy became to remind milk
drinkers of the anxiety and
disappointment that came when
milk wasn’t available at crucial
moments.
Research also showed that 88%
of milk was consumed in the home.
Thus the new campaign would
show people running out of milk
when they needed it most, in their
homes. The whole campaign was
based on somebody sitting at home
thirty feet from the fridge with the
TV on.
The goal: to have consumers
feel the pain.
The new branding approach started
with a TV spot featuring an
American history buff obsessed
with Aaron Burr – stuffing
a huge peanut butter sandwich
into his mouth and listening to a
classical music radio channel.
The DJ announces a
$10,000 trivia question,
“Who shot Alexander Hamilton?”
The camera pans our hero’s apartment filled
with scads of memorabilia from the famous
duel, including a portrait of Burr and the actual
bullet preserved in a glass curio. The phone
rings. Mouth crammed with peanut butter and
unable to respond, the pitiful history buff
reaches for the milk only to find it empty.
Desperate, he can only mutter
“Aaaawon Buuuuhh.”
Got Milk? was born.
12 years later the rest
is branding history.
Got ____?
Has become part of the lexicon.
Milk is cool in more ways
than one.
Brilliant Branding made the
difference.
Or to be more precise
differentiation made the
difference. Whether
marketing a glass of milk or a
retirement community you
must be
“top of mind” with a clear,
unique message. You see…
Simplicity and differentiation
are an unbeatable selling
combination.
(that’s why it’s so difficult to find
a simple solution)
An example…
“What Literate Americans
Should Know.”
complex sentence
Federalism
Indira Gandhi
Leibniz
Hoover Dam
paradox
vector
Zurich
Compare your knowledge
with these 8:
Just do it
Colonel Sanders
Morris
Mmmm Mmmm good
Quality is job 1
Because I’m worth it
Have it your way
57 Varieties
How to develop a memorable
senior facility brand:
Uncover a compelling idea.
Behind every great brand is
a unique idea which captures
customers’ attention and
loyalty by fulfilling a need.
Have a resolute core purpose
and supporting values in your
branding. This should mirror
what your facility stands for.
These also need to remain in
place year after year.
Consistency
in delivering your promise.
Have an organizational focus
on branding. Leading
organizations consciously ask
themselves: “How will this
decision impact upon the
brand?” Is this “on-brand.”
You should be a CMO–
branding is that important!
Build a superior product
or service… Deliver
an extraordinary,
unique experience.
(something no one else has
is even better)
Own a distinct position in
the mind of the consumer.
If you don’t have a position,
begin to build one ASAP.
Stay relevant and stay in
touch with consumers.
When was the last time you
updated your marketing
strategy?
You are on a road to a
brand relationship not
just a transaction.
DO NOT FORGET THIS.
Next slide please…
You are on a road to
a brand relationship with
customers-not just a transaction.
Put the above statement on
a post-it note and put it on
your computer.
Your facility must emphasize
a distinct personality and
forge a connection
with customers.
What is your brand personality
type?
CASE STUDY
GARDEN SPOT VILLAGE
CCRC in RURAL
PENNSYLVANIA
Research & Strategy =
Brand Difference
Challenge: Find the brand
essence of this CCRC and
translate it into a distinctive,
memorable campaign
Branding focus was the result
of six internal
“Brandstorming” sessions
with staff and residents. The
goal of these sessions was to
isolate key concepts and
features that would form the
foundation for a unique
branding platform for Garden
Spot Village.
What was insightful about these
BrandStorming sessions was that
many universal themes
emanated from group to group.
Both staff and residents were “on
the same page” and working
toward the same goal—to deliver
a retirement experience that was
truly resident focused.
The key “drivers” of the Garden
Spot Village brand were:
– Very friendly, hospitable, peopleperson residents
– Super active both as volunteers
at GSV and in own life
– Staff caters to residents like a
fine hotel would to its guests.
“We are working in their homes”
WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE
RESIDENTS:
Positive, Spiritual, Warm,
Comfortable, Humble,
Understated
Brand Soul
GSV should be portrayed in a
real way, not with canned
photos. Large, emotional
photos would form the
backbone of the brand. This
will portray the sprit of the
residents, staff and community.
Brand Soul
The grounds and location speak
a bit. The cleanliness and wide
hallways say something. The
faces and expressions of the
GSV “family”—they can’t be
duplicated. This is the soul
of the Garden Spot brand.
If you can’t write your facility’s
unique idea
on the back of your business
card you don’t have one.
Mission statements
need not apply.
What is unique
about your facility?
Any thoughts?
WHY should someone live
or be a resident in your
facility?
You have to deliver more than
bricks and mortar because:
The customer experience has
replaced product features and
benefits as the most
important factor in achieving
a competitive difference that
highly motivates customers.
“Organizations spent the 20th
century managing
efficiencies. They must spend
the 21st century managing
experiences.”
HOW TO DELIVER A
WINNING “AGING” BRAND
EXPERIENCE.
Get on the front lines
to be a better marketer:
- Be the front desk receptionist
for a day
- Be the cook for a day
(ok maybe for a few minutes)
- Make beds and talk to
residents for a day
- Drive the facility bus
Be the dedicated story-listener
of your residents for a day.
Dress as the maintenance
person and follow a prospect
around with a broom
and a big ear.
DEVELOP A MEMORABLE AND
SIMPLE BRAND POSITIONING.
It will help you stand out.
Nike
HP
Apple
Allstate
BMW
Target
Volkswagen
Just do it
Invent
Think Different
You’re in good hands
The ultimate driving machine
Pay less. Expect more.
Drivers Wanted
IMAGINE IF THESE BRANDS
GOT
INTO SENIOR
LIVING:
Nike
Allstate
Target
Volkswagen
Just live here
You’re in good hands
Pay more. Expect less.
Seniors Wanted
To succeed in communicating
with older adults, you must
listen empathetically in order
to identify their values and
then communicate those
values with a more
emotional-pulling message.
You know this mature audience
better than anyone, but have
you uncovered any new
marketing insights lately? Talk
to them, go below the
surface. Don’t ask about
you—ask about them
The heart of Brand Building
is the fullest possible
understanding of how
consumers perceive the
brand: how they
put all the bits and scraps and
inputs together. Nothing is
more important.
That’s why you should spend
a lot of your time not on designing
a new Skilled Nursing brochure but
uncovering what your brand is,
what it stands for, who are the
consumers who are truly brand
loyal…and why. How does your
brand affect them, what is their
experience?
What should it be?
One way to come to a unified strategy
and a differentiating idea is through
internal “Brandstorming” sessions
(which I mentioned earlier)
Here you and your key staff—front line
people, operations, sales, marketing,
top management come together
(1-3 groups) to bear the soul of your
brand. It’s a whirlwind 2 hours of ideas
(and critiques) that focus on
many key questions.
•
•
•
•
•
THE UNDERSTANDING PHASE
The facts please. All of them.
What are your most unique
characteristics/features?
How about your people? Experience?
What are your weaknesses to
overcome?
What do you currently say to “sell”
your facility?
What relationship do you have with
your residents (be honest)?
THE CLARIFYING PHASE
• Describe your facility at a cocktail
party. Before a drink. After one. After
three or more.
• How is your facility perceived,
your brand image?
• Do you want to change the
perception?
THE CLARIFYING PHASE
• Why do residents choose you
over others?
• What do you do better than
anyone else?
• Who is your main competition?
• What are their taglines or
positionings?
•
•
•
•
•
THE POSITIONING PHASE
Describe your facility in 1 word
(brand essence)
What other key words/adjectives
summarize your facility?
What do think are your most unique
attributes?
What promise can we make to
clients/prospects?
ELEVATOR SPEECH—30 seconds
AND NOW A COMMERCIAL
BREAK.
EVER WONDER?
What hair color do they put on
the driver’s licenses of bald men?
Why do ballerinas stand on their
toes? Shouldn’t they just get taller
women?
If the Energizer Bunny was arrested
would he be charged with battery?
Moving from the Energizer
Bunny
to the energetic 65+ set.
Here are some nuggets to
digest to help you market
better:
Mature adults get more
emotionally involved with a product or
service. Thus your message should be
more about them than what you offer.
This gives the older consumer a
vested interest in imaginatively
inferring meanings of the brand
according to his or her own terms.
They want to be part of a
relationship not a sale. Research
shows they can relate to brands
with relationship-driven
messages.
FTD—Say it with flowers
State Farm—Like a good
neighbor, State Farm is there.
AT+T—Reach out and touch
someone.
Older adults want to keep
learning. Educate them.
At Seminars give them
educational content not the
bricks and mortar sale.
Need to play to the
“renaissance” era of your
prospects lives. This is not an
age of decline but one of
renewal both physically and
spiritually. As an experienced
LTC provider you have a big
advantage in playing to this
perception.
Understand that a retirement
community/facility
is defined by
its residents and its
facilities.
Older adults see themselves
as anywhere from
10 to 15 years younger than
they actually are.
13 Lucky Things to brand
your community better
1.Turn the telescope.
Look at your facility internally
and you’ll discover some
hidden, unique features.
2. Develop ongoing
relationships with prospects
through multiple contacts.




3. Answer these questions.
Don’t guess.
How is your facility perceived
by your residents?
How is your facility currently
perceived in the local marketplace?
How is your facility different
from the key competitors?
What does the (senior) consumer
really want?
4. Don’t repackage outdated
marketing concepts and
stereotypes of older adults.
5. Understand the values
and life experiences of
your residents. Listen before
you communicate.
6. Begin to weed out those terms
that carry too much baggage—
retiree, elderly,
nursing home,
baby boomers, golden years.
Use more inclusionary terms.
7. Cut to the chase.
Resonate with consumers.
You will be clicked out if you
sound like everybody else.
8. Don’t present conclusions—
“you must”… “you need to”…
“act today.” You are developing
relationships. Urgency is not
effective with educated,
experienced consumers.
9. Don’t use words like “new, best,
latest”—steer towards more
emotional concepts such as
“a genuine experience”,
“for all that life can be.”
Let the consumer fill in the holes.
10. Become a storyteller.
Be Real. No canned copy. Trader
Joe’s and the Peterman
Catalogue.
11. Celebrate the individual
uniqueness and worth of
your “people” and revel in
the wisdom of age.
12. Find a unique positioning
and brand it. It should be
highlighted when you answer
the phone, tend to residents,
show prospects around and
communicate with staff.
13. Position your facility
as a place where individuals
can find meaning and
purpose rather than floor
plans, security
and nice napkins.
Branding is more effective
close to home
(Part 2)
Coors beer put a slogan
“Turn it Loose” into
Spanish where it read
“suffer from diarrhea”
Scandinavian vacuum
manufacturer Electrolux
introduced its product in the
U.S. with a campaign
“Nothing sucks like an
Electrolux”
In Taiwan “Come alive
with the Pepsi Generation”
translated as “Pepsi will bring
your ancestors back
from the dead.”
You can find your “Sweet Spot”
and build a new, better
image.
You’ll know you’ve found it
when prospects ask:
www.themerzgroup.com/NEPA.PDF