Break the television habit before it starts
Break the television habit before it starts
Don't touch that ad agency!
When Alan Chamberlain, CPA, director of Ohio Valley Heart Care in Evansville, IN, had second thoughts about running television ads, he had a marketing consultant come in to evaluate his program. "They said it was great," he recalls. "They said to keep going." But now, after looking back at the three-year campaign, Chamberlain says he wouldn't go the television route if he had it to do over again.
Chamberlain's practice teamed up with St. Mary's Heart Institute, also in Evansville, to run a series of educational advertisements. A patient described symptoms, and a physician explained them. At the end of the spot, viewers were told to see their doctors about any similar symptoms, and the logos of St. Mary's Heart Institute and Ohio Valley Heart Care would appear.
"It was very expensive," says Chamberlain. "Even half of it was expensive." The cost was dependent on when the ad was run, how often, and on how many stations, he adds.
Although Chamberlain was unwilling to divulge the costs, Shelley Johnson, an advertising executive with Keller Crescent Co., an ad agency also in Evansville, says that costs can range from $250 to $1,000 for 30 second spots in the Evansville market during prime time to as low as $125 for a 30-second spot at other times.
During the time Ohio Valley Heart's ads ran, there was a 10% increase in revenue. "But we didn't know if the ads were responsible," Chamberlain says.
Eventually, the ads were dropped, and there was a 6% drop in revenue. "We didn't really know if it was a direct result, but it didn't matter. The money was getting to be a real concern, and another consultant felt that the ads didn't define our practice, and that consumers were getting confused by the St. Mary's affiliation with our name."
The end result was a decision to spend money differently. This year, Chamberlain is taking that television advertisement budget and spending it on community educational events, underwriting programs for the local PBS station, and working on a children's education project.
"Even though it might have brought in some revenue," he says, "it takes years and years to know if television ads work. I wouldn't do it again. And I don't think I'd recommend it."
[Editor's Note: What do you think? Has your practice had more success with television advertising? Or was your experience more in line with Ohio Valley Heart Care's? If you'd like to provide a counterpoint, you can fax Lisa Hubbell at (425) 828-9779. Or e-mail her at [email protected]. Please provide your name, phone number, and a convenient time to get in touch.]
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