How Mayo is walking through Facebook Controversy

It’s a PR nightmare…a member of your staff makes a very controversial statement and then a flood of negative comments hit your Facebook Wall. Such is the case for Mayo Clinic, when a Physician allegedly made racist statements which caused international protest via Facebook.

The negative posts started to appear around Nov. 5th, 2010 on the Mayo Clinic’s Facebook Wall. Mayo started a discussion around the controversy to migrate the discussion to that page and made the following statement on their wall:

Mayo Clinic

Please note the Community Guidelines posted on the Info tab, which are designed to create a positive experience for all users. Any further comments relating to Dr. Slucis should be directed to the appropriate thread on the Discussions tab. Further postings to the Wall on this matter will be removed.

This is a very appropriate way to maintain transparency and try to contain the fire. At this time, I have not seen a formal response from Mayo on the issue…

links: http://ilnk.me/MayoFB , http://ilnk.me/MayoFBcont

Update 11/8/10

I am still not seeing a response from Mayo. The negative comments are being deleted from the main wall, however the comments are still coming in on the discussion board. My question to readers is:

How long is too long to respond? What do you think is an appropriate next step for Mayo to do?

My personal opinion is that there should be some type of a statement saying that they appreciate the concerns of the Facebook community and that they are looking into the matter. What would you do in this situation?

What is a Marketing Services Provider?

I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to speak at the Integrated Marketing Summit in Minneapolis. Link: http://ilnk.me/IMSmpls The event was intended to focus on the integration of offline and online marketing channels. All of the popular topics where covered such as SEO, Social Media…you get the idea. The only thing that seemed to be missing was the true integration of online and offline channels. So when it was my turn to speak, one of the first things I asked the audience was “How many of you have heard of the term, Marketing Services Provider?’ The room was dead silent.

As an Integrated Marketing Services Provider I am discovering that there is a lot of education and evangelism that still needs to be done within this new emerging industry.

Companies have been forced to do more with less with the onset of Web 2.0, increased customer demand for relevancy and the “Great Recession”. One way to tackle those issues is by working with an MSP.

A Marketing Services Provider is an outsourced partner that enables clients to bridge the gap between the online and offline marketing channels. The ultimate goal is to create a more relevant and timely conversations with the customers, measuring results to prove ROI and more importantly improving the customer experience.

Marketing Services Providers typically offer:

• Fulfillment and production of printed and electronic media
• (1 to 1 Marketing) – Mass customization of database driven marketing for BOTH on-line and off-line marketing channels
• Include vital tracking elements such as 1-800 #’s, QR Codes, Purls and Gurls that feed to a real time dashboard.
• Web portal ordering systems for both electronic and printed documents
• Automated Marketing Campaigns
• In-house mailing services
• In-house an design and IT services
• Database Mining and Data Driven Marketing Strategy
• LEAN Marketing Workflows with a keen focus on reducing waste through content management and reporting systems

This new industry is really going after that old Wanamaker statement: “The good news is that 50% of my marketing budget is working…they only problem is that I don’t know which half.” I am sure that many CFO’s have rolled their eyes when they hear people ask for increases in their marketing budget but are not showing any financial impact for the investment. The number of eyeballs just isn’t cutting it anymore as a standard of measurement. Accountability in marketing is a growing concern and that is why new methods of tracking are growing in use. It’s the key principle: If you can’t measure it you can’t manage it. If your internal resources are over taxed, this is were a Marketing Services Provider can really step in to help to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Marketing Communications and at the same time, not loose the “Art” of marketing.

In summary, Marketing Service Providers are outsourced partners who help you execute Integrated Strategies to Attract, Engage, and Keep Customers Connected to Your Brand in multiple channels. So my question to you is:

Is there a better phrase out there that we should be using to better define this industry and create more awareness?

PS, if you would like to learn more about Integrated Marketing, please check out the InterAct Marketing Conference, Aug 10-11, Rosemont, IL. Topic: How social, online, mobile & print marketing work together. http://www.interactconference.net Please e-mail me if you would like a special promo code to save $100 off of registration.



Have you had a WOW experience at a Health Club or Health Care Provider?

I just finished reading Howard Wasserteil’s excellent article on “Winning in Any Economy” which resonated with me on the key element that separates fantastic companies from those just going through the motions to survive. The companies that get it, value the customer, listen & address their needs and strive to exceed expectations.

An example of this is a Health Club I belong to, Life Time Fitness. A close friend of mine mentioned that they had an excellent Boot Camp and she was very impressed with the program and achieved fantastic results. Ok…score, recommendation by word of mouth. I trust my friend Julie’s advise so I decided to sign up.

I had been a member at this club for several years and vaguely remember that they had this type of program. None of the posters around the gym motivated me…it was the testimony of someone I trust that compelled me to sign up and dedicate the next 3 months of my early mornings to be subject to the barking of some Drill Sargent. Gulp…wish me luck…I hope I survive.

Who’s afraid of change? Not the Military Hospitals.

People are creatures of habit. We become accustomed to routine and find comfort in learning a task and then accepting this procedure as the De facto method to get the job done right.

One of the most difficult tasks that I have encountered is implementing change within an organization. Some people embrace change but the vast majority resist it and sometimes do what ever they can to sabotage any efforts. Why do they do it? Maybe its fear or perhaps its a weakness in communication from the leadership team.

An example of someone who was able to beat the odds using transparent and participatory leadership is Patrick Sauer. He led a grass roots initiative to exploit revenue generation as the entire Military Health System moved to change the historic military business model of budgeting adjusted by inflation to performance-based budgeting.

This model required a new coding system that set Reimbursement Value Units (RVUs) for each medical encounter. The vision for this system was to improve the processes, benchmark quality care, and reward positive results.

Phase I focused on educating the staff on why they needed to adapt the new business model and challenging them to do what they could to maximize reimbursement.

Phase II focused on building a measurement system that would provide immediate feedback to leadership, physicians, and staff from a system that normally took 45-days to get accurate RVU information.

The benchmark for this system was a CD-Rom of E&M codes at their 5 levels by provider and by specialty that was purchased at a MGMA Compliance Seminar. A web-based system was commissioned to show the distribution of all the codes and all the providers by their specialty.

The result was the launch of the Clinical Practice Leadership System. The tool integrates performance data not only from civilian practices by specialty, it integrates performance data of like-sized military organizations using military data-mart information to benchmark providers with other ambulatory care providers in like sized facilities.  To obtain immediate feedback, 1 year’s worth of RVU data was utilized and used as an RVU-look-up table to estimate RVUs earned.  After the patient encounter was coded, within minutes the RVU look-up table provided RVU information accurate to +- 3%.  A dollar value was assigned to each RVU to estimate how much revenue the physician earned. This provides the metrics necessary to measure physician productivity.

A few refinements were made to the system based on input from the CEO, coders, clinics’ administrative officers, and physicians. Patrick credits this dialog as a key ingredient for winning their support.

The people responsible for coding reviewed the tool, monitored their physicians, and gave physicians coder-education. They received immediate feedback reports with suggestions on how they could optimize their RVU’s, and increase revenue.  The tool also acted as a catalyst for performance improvements efforts with the physicians obtaining full RVU credit for work completed by ancillary staff under their supervision.

The main landing page was enhanced to include electronic medical records that remained open, which helped identify system problems that double-counted physician open encounters.  The web-based tool empowered the physicians to complete their work, improve data integrity, and increase revenue.

The Results: A 29% increase in RVUs and an added $7.1M to the bottom line under the pay-for-performance/Performance-Based Adjustment Model (PBAM). The Army Surgeon General approved it to be adopted by Army MEDICAL COMMAND-wide as a best practice system.  When the Regional Commander was tempted to shift the newly earned $7.1M to fulfill shortcomings in other organizations under his purview, the Surgeon General stepped in and guaranteed that this hospital would be rewarded for it’s entrepreneurial efforts and receive its earnings in full.

Have you empowered your employees to do the right thing and cultivate your brand?

I just have to share this story because it illustrates how the smallest acts of kindness really do pay off in the long run. In the book, The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch describes how one employee’s quick decision earned Disney over $100,000. At the age of twelve, Randy and his sister were given the rare opportunity to venture out on their own while vacationing at Disney World. Thrilled with their freedom, they purchased a gift to thank their parents. But before making it back, Randy accidentally broke the gift.  An adult on the scene advised him to return to the store and see if Disney would replace it. Even though Randy admitted to breaking the gift, the Disney employee replaced it and sent him happily back to his parents. The Pausches were so impressed with Disney’s commitment to their customers’ satisfaction that they made Disney World an integral part of their life-long philanthropic efforts, spending more than $100,000 of their own money shuttling students to the park over the years. How have you empowered your team to build life-long fans of your brand? Thanks to Digital Innovations Group for sharing!

Delta…lose the “World’s Largest Airline” slogan.

Dear Delta Sky Miles Card,

I have a suggestion for you…please realign your flight pattern and messaging to focus on priorities that truly matter to your customers. Every time I see an ad that attempts to lure me into signing up for your Delta Credit Card, “Switch to the Official Card of the World’s Largest Airline”, I cringe. My comment to that is…So what? There is nothing in it for me except for more shackles in an already landlocked hub city.

Your messaging is backfiring. What this says to me is:

• The customer is not important and that the only benefit that you could come up with is getting prospects on the bandwagon. Customers are not Lemmings. They want to see real benefit statements that are relevant to them.

• If I sign up for this program, I might as well kiss the value of my frequent flier miles goodbye, because now I will have to compete for the trips I want with everyone under the sun. With all of the free miles you are giving away, I think they should add a new term to Webster: High Mileage Inflation.

• Largest isn’t best: Some of the best airlines that I have experienced are Iceland Air, Finn Air and SAS. If I could fly them all the time, I would. A customer who happens to be a member of your frequent flier program doesn’t guarantee that they are loyal to your brand. Don’t assume that they are eager to do business with you. You have to earn it.

Putting customers first has not gone out of style. Please rethink your value proposition and figure out real reasons why I should join your “club”. Then I will be happy to consider it.

Trader Joes knows the secret ingredient to success.

I just survived a very hectic weekend. My 15 year old daughter invited 25 teenagers over for an annual Murder Mystery Halloween Party. Then I had to prepare an entry for a Chili Cook-Off for the Vikings-Packer Game. If anyone knows me well…they know that I am not a great cook and there is a strong likelihood that I could become the first person to ever burn water.

To fill my shopping list, I decided to stop into the Trader Joe’s in Woodbury, MN. I have been in that store perhaps 2 to 3 times a month and every time I have gone through the check out line, the clerks have initiated a conversation with me about the nutritional value or the flavor of their food. Well, it finally it hit me…this is the main reason why I like shopping at their store. They take the time to talk to me and not just treat me like I am just another customer that you have to move through the production line.

There are several stores that have instructed their cashiers to ask, “Did you find everything ok?”, however, their employees tend to deliver that message in such a “going through the motions” routine manner. At Trader Joe’s, their employee’s are actually passionate about their products and you can tell that they really want to have a conversation with you. One example was with a cashier by the name of Nancy who noticed that I purchased a drink called Yerba Mate. I just wanted to try it because I wanted to find a healthier drink than coffee. Nancy was raving about it and then suggested that I try putting crystallized ginger in it to give it added flavor. Not only did she recommend it, but she had the store manager go grab me a bag to try. Well, Nancy hit a home run with me and it is a true testament to the opportunity that exists in training all employees to be passionate about their customers and the products and services they sell.

Well, to make a long story short: We had a wonderful weekend, I survived the teenage party and won the Chili Cook-off & the Vikings won as well! (Sorry Packers fans.)

Added Bonus; Here is the recipe that I used from Cuisine at Home (Issue No. 77, October 2009): Steak Chili with Fajita Seasoning

For the Fajita Seasoning:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Chili:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 lbs flat iron steaks, trimmed, cubed, and seasoned with salt and pepper (I used Trader Joe’s Fajita Marinated Flat Iron Steak…worked really well & added extra zest to the taste)
1/4 cup tequila or 1 water
6 cups diced tomatoes, or 2 cans diced tomatoes (28 oz. each)
1 white onion, diced (2 cups)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons flour
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I will use 2-3 cans next time)
2 tablespoons lime juice

Stir together the ingredients for the fajita seasoning and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a soup pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown half of the meat in the oil and transfer to a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Brown the remaining meat in the remaining oil and transfer to the slow cooker. Deglaze pot with tequila or water, scraping up the flavor bits stuck to the pan and add to the slow cooker.

Add tomatoes, bell peppers, diced onion, minced garlic, and the fajita seasoning to the slow cooker. Stir in beef stock and flour. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

Stir in beans and lime juice just before serving. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, avocado, and jalapenos.

Do fee based associations owe members anything anymore?

I have to apologize, but I am an irritated customer today. I found out that one of the associations that I pay a hefty annual membership fee has been performing an experiment with social media. They have been organizing events and then relying on various social media channels (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and a Blog) to get the word out. The problem is that no-one informed the me (A paying member) that they were changing their methods of communication and as a result…I have been finding out about events from other members or not at all. The funny thing is that I am on all of those channels…and still missed the message.

Do I feel like a valued member? No. Do I feel like I am getting my money’s worth out of my membership? No. Am I thinking about renewing my membership next year? We shall see. What on earth were they thinking? They want my annual due and now they want me to do all the work to uncover the benefits of being a member. Have they forgotten that they are marketers and that they are supposed to be the champion of the customer experience?

Just because social media is hot…doesn’t mean that you should loose sight of serving your customer. In a way, I am glad that they performed this experiment. There are so many companies that are slashing their marketing efforts in many important areas in an effort to save money. The problem is that there is only so much information that a person can consume in a day.

In a nutshell: If it is an important event, I expect the associations to personally invite me with either direct mail, direct telephone call or direct e-mail…not broadcasting it to the masses and expect me to do all the work to find it. You are not wasting my time when you send information this way…you are actually saving me time and providing more value…so please, rethink your strategy.

Nursing Mom’s not welcome at Target…at least in public?

I admire Target. They are hip, trendy and even edgy. When I watched the news last night on WCCO TV, I couldn’t believe the marketers nightmare that I heard: A member of Target’s staff stopped a mother from breast-feeding her baby in a Target Store. To check out the story visit: http://tinyurl.com/lohduq

I lived in Sweden for 10 years. Children and mothers are celebrated as one of the most important aspects of society. So, it is not uncommon to see someone breastfeeding in public. The custom is to be discrete by covering your shoulder with a towel or blanket…but it does not matter where you are.

The trends that Target tends to mirror stem from European fashion and culture. I think that Target can take the lead and really show its commitment to its edgy brand by actually catering to nursing mothers. A great example of this is FM107. Each year they sponsor what they call the Lactation Station at the Minnesota State Fair. This is a fantastic service to mothers. The talk radio station’s prime demographic segment is women…and they demonstrate their celebration of motherhood in fine fashion.

Here is a clip from the FM107 website: Come check out the FM 107.1 Lactation Station at the Minnesota State Fair. The lactation station is a quiet place for new moms to feed and change their children. It’s equipped with a changing table, water, fans, rocking chairs, magazines to read and “mommy bags”. There are also electrical outlets available to those new moms who need a place to plug in the pump!

Here is the link: http://www.fm1071.com/promotions/StateFair/index.shtml

So, what kind of fantastic ideas can we send to Target’s management team?

Please help me start a social movement…

Is it just me…or am I just old fashioned? I wish that more companies would pay special attention to the little things such as asking a customer to “please” sign here…or could I “please” see your ID. Sometimes I feel as if the check out employees think that I should be grateful that they are even taking the time to serve me. I would be happy to take my business elsewhere, but the problem seems to be too widespread.

So, the next time you hear someone barking commands at you. I would like to suggest that we splurge on them with kindness to remind them of the importance of the little things. This can be a huge competitive advantage in the service industry & it seems to be missed by most. Do you have any similar experiences or ideas on how to bring politeness back?