Back to the basics: Health Care Marketing Revisited

Say what?

Words actually heard in a television commercial: “I feel better with less pain.”

No kidding? Who’d have thought?

Then there’s the lady—who we are expected to believe is just a regular person, going about her regular activities, who tells us all about some remedy for her “moderate to severe” something or other.

Have you ever, ever, ever heard anyone use the modifier “moderate to severe” in real life? Even when describing some malady? Probably not. That’s why announcers were created—so “real” people wouldn’t have to say such dumb things.

Then there’s the ever-popular “for all your (insert product or service) needs.” That one isn’t stupid, perhaps, but is about as lazy as it gets in copywriting.

The thing is, when you’re paying by the word—which you certainly are in advertising, whether it’s by the inch or the second—you “owe it to yourself” to make sure every word says something. Hopefully, something that will contribute to convincing or persuading your prospects to consider your product.

But please—say something.

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Next time: Alphabet soup