How to Break Into the Thriving Health Care Market

Distributors should look to items like ice packs, pedometers and stress relievers for health care industry clients.

From hospitals, to dentist offices, to insurance companies, the health care industry is booming. New practices are popping up all the time, and established companies are experiencing new growth opportunities. For distributors in health care, that means the promotional opportunities are endless. To help you tap into this profitable market, we spoke to two health care companies and one distributor for ideas. Lauren Moffatt, Ph.D, director of burn and surgical research at MedStar Health Research Institute, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Hyattsville, Md., spoke to Promo Marketing about her company’s success with promotional products.

Promo Marketing: Tell us a little bit about Medstar and what you do.
Lauren Moffatt: I am the laboratory director for the Firefighters’ Burn and Surgical
Research Laboratory. We work closely with the Burn Center at MedStar Washington
Hospital Center. I oversee all of our pre-clinical, or laboratory-based burn and surgical research here, and I have a counterpart that oversees our clinical trials.

PM: What kinds of promotional products do you use? Why do you use those products?
LM: We like to pick functional and practical items that people will really use and enjoy, as we give these items out in bulk as holiday gifts, meeting handouts with study sponsors or other colleagues, or to new employees.

PM: Do you think they’re effective for your company’s goals? Why or why not?
LM: People seem to enjoy them! I get very positive feedback. Two of the most prominent items [are] the beanie hats and ice scrapers.

PM: How do the products portray your brand’s message?
LM: We alternate items that have both the Burn Center and our Research logos on them. I think we are portrayed as friendly professionals.

PM: What items do patients and staff like most?
LM: The beanie hats were a big hit, and among the staff, they always like the badge reels.

PM: Was there a specific promotional campaign you ran that was successful?
LM: I can say that there have been multiple instances where I have had a meeting with a collaborating institution, or another department within our institution and have seen folks from other groups using our mugs or badge reels; it’s a good feeling to know that they liked the items and put them to good use, but also that they are reminded of us and our services.

For Marlis Byrns, office manager for Anne Therese Aesthetic Medicine, promotional products set her business apart from the rest.

PM: Tell us a little bit about your business and what you do.
Marlis Byrns: Anne Therese Aesthetic Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, started 13 years ago. Dr. Anne T. Stubbs was the director of emergency at Mount Carmel Hospital for years before she decided to make a life-changing decision by moving into aesthetic medicine. We do everything at our offices to help our patients look and feel better about themselves.

PM: What kinds of promotional products do you use? Why do you use those products?
MB: We give all of our new patients a gift that includes a drink tumbler with our logo. We use and give away pens and notepads with our logo for brand recognition. We also have coffee cups with our logo for our patients to use at the office.

PM: Do you think they’re effective for your company’s goals? Why or why not?
MB: I do think they’re effective. Our patients take their tumblers to sporting events, the pool, shopping, community events and more, which promotes our company.

PM: What items do your clients and staff like the most?
MB: Patients love the tumblers and pens. Staff love the coffee mugs and pens.

PM: Is there anything else you would like to add about promotional products in the health care industry?
MB: In a competitive industry like aesthetic medicine, it’s important to set yourself apart from others with your own branding. Using promotional products is a perfect way to keep our name circulating and bringing in new patients to our office!

Now that you know what end-buyers are looking for in health care, Candace McCullers, BASI, president of Advertise America, Westerville, Ohio, provided some insight into winning over these health care clients.

PM: What are your top three tips for selling to the health care industry?
Candace McCullers: No. 1. Be aggressive; there’s a lot of competition. No. 2. Know your product. No. 3. Be price competitive.

PM: What are health care companies typically looking for?
CM: [Health care companies are looking for] products that provide convenience to the staff, brand awareness, notebooks/pens for the continuing education [and] binders/folders.

PM: What products have you seen experience the most success in health care?
CM: We sell a lot of bags, first-aid kits, mugs/tumblers, briefcases—retractable badges are huge. I would say tumblers that have spill-proof lids are No. 1 for us.

PM: Why are promotional products a good fit for the health care industry?
CM: They’re huge! There are so many different hospitals, urgent cares, specific practices—
chiropractic, orthopedic, rehabilitation, heart, etc.—you need [promotional products] to stand out from the others!

PM: What’s important to know when selling to the health care industry?
CM: I think you have to stay on top of industry trends; know the market; know the customer. Most important is to know your products and how they can help your customer.

PM: Is there anything else you would like to add about the health care industry?
CM: I think the health care industry is constantly changing, but I also think they are very loyal. If you offer great ideas, great products, and awesome customer service, they will keep coming back to you.

PM: Do you have a health care case study you would like to share?
CM: We’ve done a lot of memorable health care promotions. One that sticks out in my mind is producing custom pillows in the shape of a heart for a heart unit of a hospital who would give these to patients after open-heart surgery. They would use them to hold against their chest if they had to cough. It helped to know we were providing a little bit of comfort to them. We also provided shrink wrapped T-shirts to recruit nurses. The insert card had a powerful image and message regarding lightning that struck a patient and how a nurse helped to revive him. We also work with a hospital in conjunction with a firefighter’s burn foundation to provide heat-resistant oven mitts to prevent burns, among other things, including coloring books for fire safety.