If you are setting up a new service you will want your potential customers or patients to know that it is available and make them interested enough to buy from you. Your promotional activity should aim to do both of these. Here we explain how to create a simple and straightforward plan.
Why make a plan?
Simply putting your ideas and plans down on paper will help you to organise your activities – and could well help you to avoid wasting time and money.
Who is going to buy this service?
There will probably be a proportion of your current patients and customers who will need your new service but it is also an opportunity to attract new customers. Your plan should take account of this and the different means of contacting them.
You may need to segment your target audiences further – perhaps by age group. For example if you are setting up a private Chlamydia test and treatment service, you might consider targeting 25-45 year olds (16-24 year olds can obtain this service free of charge through the NHS and so are less likely to want to pay for the service privately).
What are customers looking for?
Customers can often access the same service elsewhere – possibly through the NHS – so what would make them look to your pharmacy for this service? Some of the following could make a community pharmacy their preferred option:
1. Convenience – no need for an appointment to see your pharmacist, although if you need a longer consultation it is likely to be possible to arrange an appointment.
2. Accessibility – there is usually one very near your home or your place of work. Everyone in the UK has a pharmacy within one kilometre of their home and 47% of the population has one within 500 metres, making dropping in during the lunch hour an option or with pharmacy’s extended opening times, after work –and if the pharmacist isn’t immediately available one of the pharmacy team is likely to be able to help in the interim.
3. Confidentiality – now that more and more pharmacies have consultation areas privacy can be provided in pharmacies. For sexual health services in particular, people may consider the anonymity of a pharmacy a benefit.
Once you have a clear idea of the groups of people you want to attract as customers, the need you are trying to satisfy and what customers are looking for in your product or service you can then plan your promotional strategy.
Promotional Strategy
Think about:
- Purpose – what is the purpose of the communication?
- Message – stick to one and keep it simple. Ask Your Pharmacist about...or Do you need a BP check? for example.
- Audience – who are they exactly and where. Are they likely to have the best opportunity to see, understand and respond to my communication?
- Motives – what will my customers motives be when reading this? What’s in it for them?
- What is the angle, the motive or point of difference? Lifestyle change, special service, convenience?
- Consider the communication channel you are using e.g. web, direct mail, local radio. Is it the most appropriate?
- Budget – what return can be expected for this?
- Measurement – what is your measure of success?
- Timing – when do you expect to see a return? Schedule the actions required to meet your target date.
Public Relations
You could consider holding an event to launch the service. Issue invitations to current customers, local dignitaries, local press, local businesses or relevant organisations, plus other healthcare representatives such as PCO contacts and GPs and their staff.
Advertising
There are many ways you can advertise your business – in local and national press, in magazines, on radio, on the internet and more. Advertising can be as simple as dropping leaflets through doors in your locality, or placing posters in the pharmacy windows.
Special points of services marketing
If the people providing the service convey professionalism in their appearance and behaviour, are polite, helpful and non-judgmental your customer's experience will be positive and they are likely to recommend the service to others. The appearance and behaviour of the pharmacy team and the appearance of your premises create or enhance brand image in the same way that packaging does for a product. Staff and premises are often the only tangible elements a customer sees. As further physical evidence of your service you might consider items customers can take with them such as appointment cards.
