Imagine, if you will, you’re responsible for a company. Let’s say you have your company’s next great idea ready to go. It’s going to change the world and make all the money, but there’s an issue. How do you brand it? What are the steps to get to the next level?
You have a few people in-house that know a thing or two about marketing… Sometimes that’s not enough. There’s a lot to be gained by hiring an agency, but when should you make the call and hire one? We’ve got a few ideas on the subject, so let’s dive into the ins and outs.
Signs You Need to Hire an Agency
Here are a few things to look for when deciding whether you should reach out to an agency or not.
Pivoting to, or Adding a New Target Audience
Adding new service areas can help you appeal to a whole new group of customers. Doing so without any thought towards how you change your messaging to include that new audience could be a missed opportunity.
A merger is another ideal time for some agency help. When two companies love each other very much, they merge into one, and probably leave their existing customers confused. Many of them likely don’t know the merger happened at all and are wondering why the logo on the website is different. Help these wayward souls and clear up their confusion.
It doesn’t matter how great your product is if your target audience doesn’t know about it. If you made the greatest bacon cheeseburger known to man, you wouldn’t serve it at a vegan commune—it’s not what that particular crowd is looking for. Getting in front of as many eyeballs as possible isn’t a bad idea, but it’s all about getting in front of the right eyeballs.
Creating a More Consistent and Fresh Brand Message
Just about any house looks better with a fresh coat of paint. You might not want to change your home’s color every year, going from beige to blue to orange–the neighbors might start to whisper–but you might want to paint it every once in a while to really make it pop.
Some companies have a propensity to vary more and more from their stated brand, or worse, their brand and marketing strategies aren’t keeping up with the times. An agency can help make your brand look brand new.
Nothing can undercut a remarkable product quite like identity missteps. Branding is how the world perceives you and/or your product. Influencing your branding (you can’t outright control it, sorry) and making sure it’s as strong and consistent as possible across every touchpoint can be the difference between a successful launch or a Space X-level explosion at take off.
Stagnant or Declining Sales
We’re sure we don’t need to tell you that in any business, the sales graph should always be trending upward. Sales can start to look flatter than the Kansas plains, or worse, start to dip, if you aren’t careful or get complacent. An agency can help revitalize your business by providing a fresh set of eyes looking through marketing-tinted lenses and generating unique strategies.
The Benefits of Hiring an Agency
Beyond getting to work with some super talented and passionate professionals, there are a few benefits that hiring an agency brings to the table. (Side note: Hiring Mad Genius might come with some pretty good celebratory cocktails at our Drink Tank™. Not actually trademarked, but it looks cool, right?)
Expertise and Experience
Think about the level of expertise your company puts into, well, whatever it is you do. (We’re good, but we aren’t mind readers, we have no idea what you do.) You’re professionals. You’re experts in your field. Creative, branding, web development, and photo/video production are our things. The way you care about [your thing] is the way we care about marketing/branding [your thing].
Access to Advanced Tools and Resources
There’s a lot that goes into our process. Suffice to say, we’ve got more than enough tools and resources to bring to bear. With most agencies, after your campaign is developed, you’re passed off to an outside production company. Not at Mad Genius. We’ve got the latest and greatest in web development software, artists, and the film-quality lighting and camera equipment, right here in house. Mad Genius truly is a one-stop shop.
Making the Call
Ultimately, it’s up to you to assess your specific business goals and needs and make sure they align with an agency’s services. Think about your budget considerations. Sometimes hiring an agency can yield a better ROI for your marketing budget than simply staying the course or working in house.
If you’re ready to talk marketing strategies, branding campaigns, or just get to know us a little better, fill out the form below to set up a meeting. Our geniuses would love nothing more than to chat about how we can help supercharge your brand.
Everybody loves sitcoms. “Friends.” “Seinfeld.” “The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer.” No matter your taste, there’s a sitcom for you. And advertisers have noticed.
Some recent ad campaigns have borrowed from this well-established TV show format. Most notably, Progressive and Wendy’s. In both instances, groups of characters appear across multiple spots “working” at the respective companies, constantly stumbling into knee-slapping shenanigans.
Familiar-ish Faces
If you watch as much TV as we do, you might even know a few of their names, mentioned in dialogue across the ad campaigns. What’s particularly interesting is that the characters noticeably fall into the same archetypes as their sitcom cousins.
Advertising Sitcom Archetypes: The Dork
There’s Jamie from Progressive, a loveable, slightly skinny and incredibly nerdy, comic relief. And then there’s Tyler, who works at Wendy’s and matches Jamie’s description. If you described one of these people to a forensic artist, it’s very possible that the other would get arrested.
Advertising Sitcom Archetypes: The Wisecracker
Check out Mara from Progressive. With her deadpan delivery, she acts as the “straight man,” reacting to all the others’ ridiculous behavior. Kathryn at Wendy’s serves the same purpose. And if they seem familiar, it’s probably because they’re both just April from “Parks and Recreation.” The actress Wendy’s cast even looks like Aubrey Plaza.
Advertising Sitcom Archetypes: The Goofball
Toby from Wendy’s doesn’t have a clear doppelgänger in the Progressive commercials. The prevailing theory around Mad Genius is that he was included to be a “village idiot.” Recently, however, they’ve been turning him—particularly on mobile ads—into Tim Robinson, who’s had countless clips from his show, “I Think You Should Leave,” become memes. It’s only a matter of time until Progressive introduces their own goofball…
Why Is This Happening?
Advertising, just like any industry, goes through trends. The continued sitcomitization of brands is a pretty strong indicator that it works. The commercials are funny. And they live in your mind rent-free, even if you don’t remember Wendy’s has a new pretzel-bunned Baconator.
These efforts also create an opportunity for viewers to grow attached to the characters. Several Mad Genius employees love Jamie from Progressive. We just can’t get enough of this silly little dude. We’re not ashamed to admit that we get excited when a Progressive commercial comes on, and we realize it’s one we haven’t seen before. What whimsy awaits this time?
WWMGD (What Would Mad Genius Do?)
We love telling engaging stories for top-notch brands. So, yeah, we’re all in on this idea. Let’s make a sitcommercial.
One thing we might tweak is the use of similar character archetypes. There’s a fine line between homage and plagiarism—we’d prefer something wholly unique that tells our client’s story in an engaging, original way.
If you’ve dreamt of telling your own series of seasonally thirty-second spots, let’s chat! Or, if you’re just curious what you and Mad Genius could do as a team, let’s chat about that! Either way, schedule an appointment using the calendar below, and let’s start plotting together.
Believe it or not (most likely won’t) creative work is a lot more involved than most people would believe. Many (especially the family members of our creative team) think that writers and designers lounge around, playing games, maybe reading comics, or perhaps enjoying the occasional drink or four, waiting for their eureka moment. (Okay, perhaps there’s a bit of that.)
The truth is, there’s a great deal of actual work that happens throughout a creative endeavor. Getting to the end is never a straight path, but that’s intentional. It’s all part of a little something we call “process.”
Process Matters
Mad Genius does a lot. Branding. General creative goodness. Production (video and photography). Website building. Media management. We’ve got experts upon experts running around the labs, all focused on the various minutiae that make their particular world turn.
How do we keep those worlds from crashing into one another, destroying everything and transforming our loving workstations into a scene from “Fury Road”? Process.
The accounts team meets with clients, collects more information than anyone could ever need, and distills that data into a creative brief. That single-page of mind-motivating goodness is fed to the rest of the team, which is when things get exciting…
There’s research into the client to determine their specific needs, breaking down their request, brainstorming initial concepts, fleshing out the best concepts, plus rounds and rounds of internal reviews. That’s just a few very basic steps, and that’s well before you get into things like client reviews, applying feedback, additional design/revisions, and repeat… and repeat… and you—guessed it—repeat.
We’re not going to get into any of the more proprietary methods behind the Mad Geniusness, but those are some true-isms that generally work for all creative agencies. (If you really want to peek behind the curtain, schedule some time to chat below.)
Why Is the Creative Process Important?
In most creative endeavors, getting turning a rough idea into a mind-blowing campaign or website or commercial can be chaotic (the bad, tornado-like kind, not the “organized” sort). Process is critical because it brings order to the chaos.
Think of us as an orchestra or a band. Mad Genius’s different departments are the various sections. Creative is strings, production is percussion, web is woodwinds, and media is horns. Process is our conductor. A great conductor may separate sections for parts of a piece, but brings them together to craft something special.
A good creative process can also act as a much-needed reality check when things get out of control. It ensures that you don’t end up going rogue, or out of scope. Agency’s that don’t adhere to their process can lose sight of what they’re trying to do in the first place, and some can spend so much time noodling an idea that they run out of money before they’ve really gotten started.
Process is checks and balances. It’s following steps in the proper sequence, passing work off at the appropriate time to the correct team with everything they need to keep it moving forward.
When Is It Okay to Bend the Rules on the Creative Process?
Now, we’re sticklers for our process, but if something isn’t working, we aren’t above adjusting.
Following the process will, more often than not, lead to relatable and consistent results. But sometimes, the process needs to be bent, twisted, or even ignored to achieve that spark of genius (pardon the pun). But the best processes are flexible enough to account for those moments. The trick is knowing when the need for flexibility has come.
Consider your Nana’s famous peach cobbler recipe. No one changes Nana’s recipe, and why would you? That thing is iron-clan and handwritten in a worn-down recipe book that’s old enough to qualify for AARP. Maybe, just perhaps, adding an unlisted ingredient, say cinnamon, could take it up a notch? We know. It’s sacrilegious. But, have you tried it? Sure, the process has been bent a bit, but the recipe to perfect peach cobbler has been cracked—or, at least, made more to your taste. You can’t make that change without a thorough understanding of the recipe in the first place.
A Sound Strategy
Process is, for us, a peculiar beast. It’s not freewheeling. It takes time. There’s absolutely structure to our process—it is methodical, it is flexible, and it is always open to new inspiration. Mad Genius thinks that following a great process is the backbone of our creativity. At the end of the day, in a world of creative chaos, trusting the process isn’t just a good policy or suggestion—it’s a sound strategy.
Looking to talk to someone about how Mad Genius’s process can be leveraged to help your next project? Fill out the form below to speak with a method mastermind.
I was a late bloomer to comics. I had seen the TV cartoons, and maybe stole an issue or two from friends’ stashes growing up, but I didn’t really start reading them until I was in college. Superheroes weren’t really my thing, and I hadn’t realized that comic books are a medium, not a genre (a mistake many continue to make today). So, when a good friend offered me “Preacher,” then “Planetary,” and then “100 Bullets,” I fell in love.
Not long after that, I was devouring every flavor of comic I could get my hands on. Superheroes, horror, science fiction–I wanted them all. And though I preferred the graphic novel format, I was known to jump into webcomics and comic strips from time to time. It didn’t take long for me to try my hand at writing a few. In college, I majored in creative writing with an emphasis on short stories, so comics weren’t a giant leap, narratively speaking.
Reading a ton, writing a few, and hanging out with both fans and creators alike taught me a ton about the medium. A lot of what I learned continues to serve me as a creative director. Whether it’s how I (ever-so-gently) push clients, (not-always-so-gently) drive audiences to action, or treat members of my team, comics have helped. Oodles.
Batman Bends
Not what I meant.
Nobody in popular comics slides into any genre as easily as Batman. Most people know Gotham’s Dark Knight as firmly planted in the world of mystery, as in Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s acclaimed “Batman: The Long Halloween.” But over the years, he’s also jumped into fantasy (like in Liam Sharp and Romulo Fajardo, Jr.’s “The Brave And The Bold: Batman and Wonder Woman”), horror (Grant Morrison and Dave McKean’s “Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth”), and comedy (“Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries” by Ivan Cohen, Sholly Fisch, Dario Brizuela, and Randy Elliott).
No matter the genre, Batman is always Batman. There are core parts of the character that remain intact, whatever story you’re reading. His parents died. Bats scared him. He uses that fear to scare villains. Cape. Cowl. Utility belt. Sleuthing. Probably a Robin.
Brands are no different from Batman.
Enduring companies have core principles that make them who they are. Think of your favorite candy bar. Mine’s Snickers. And occasionally Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Sour Patch Kids at the movies. But let’s stick with Snickers. Mars introduced Snickers in 1930. Snickers is a chocolate bar full of nougat, peanuts, and caramel, then coated in chocolate. You know what it is, and you love it.
Since 1930, Snickers has run the gamut of ad campaigns. They did the animated explainer videos in the 50s and quirky animated ads (still focused on children) in the 60s. In the 70s and 80s, Snickers tried to convince everyone that their nuts were the main attraction (and they upped the size to “satisfy your hunger”). In the 90s, Snickers started getting a little more playful and older in their targeting, opting for young adults and darker humor (Thomas Lennon did some great work in those).
And now, of course, everyone knows the “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign that’s ridden out the last decade in various forms. As their audience’s priorities changed, socioeconomic standings shifted, and media evolved, Snickers adjusted to fit in. Now, in social media, Snickers has been playful, serious, sort of condescending, and even helpful. Their tone changes, but they always taste, feel, and sound like Snickers.
Batman bends to fit any situation. Great brands do the same thing.
Read the room and respond accordingly.
Why Did All the Men Die?
“Y: The Last Man” by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra was released from 2002 through 2008. It was sixty issues (for the non-comic readers among you, that’s a substantial run for a limited series). The premise was simple: One day, all the men in the world die—except one.
Let’s get this out of the way before we move along: Yes, there was a TV show. No, it wasn’t great. Yes, the book is better, and you should check it out.
Yorick, the lone male survivor, is thrust into a journey of chaos, and the reader is left with one big question: Why did this happen and will the monkey (Yorick’s pet, Ampersand) survive? Over time, more questions pop up: Where is Yorick’s family? Who are these Amazonians? What is the Culper Ring? The rabbit hole gets deeper and deeper and deeper… For the most part, those questions (and more) are answered. For the most part. But here’s what this series did marvelously: it kept people reading for over six years
Each issue ended with more questions than answers. Want to find out what happens next? Buy the next issue. Is that Yorick’s sister? Buy the next issue. Will the male astronauts make it? Buy the next issue. Did Yorick just cheat on his girlfriend who is, for all we know, wandering aimlessly around the deserts of Australia? Buy the next issue.
Every issue, the reader was given both satisfaction and intrigue—an answer first, then a question. Then a CTA: Buy the next issue. And every time a new issue came out, readers around the world were quick to follow along.
Ads do the exact. Same. Things.
“Here is our product, and here are the problems it solves.” Or maybe, “Here is our service, and this is how it can improve your life.” Answers.
“How much does it cost?” “Where can I get it?” “What are the reviews?” “Does it come in butterscotch?” Questions.
Click here. Learn more. Visit this link. Rub this belly. CTAs.
Okay, let’s do one more:
It Takes a Village
When people discuss comic creators, they tend to focus on writers and artists. I get it. They seem the most reader-forward part of the process. The truth about comics, however, is that there are a great many people involved in some of your favorite books.
Here’s an oversimplified breakdown. Writers write scripts. Pencillers draw the pictures. Inkers embellish the pencils, usually with black ink (sometimes pencillers and inkers are the same person). Colorists bring color into the book. Letterers bring the text (dialogue, VO, narration, etc.) into the book. Editors supervise the whole process, ensuring everyone else involved is on the same page (pun absolutely intended) and meeting their deadlines. And, sometimes, there are additional artists brought in for covers.
While we typically only see writers and artists (usually just the penciller) getting the most credit, every single person in the process is critical to the creative process. As a matter of fact, I’m feeling a bit of shame for the way I credited the above books. Allow me to rectify that now. (Caveat: sometimes, this information is much harder to find than it should be. If any of the below is incorrect, shoot us an email, and we’ll rectify it as swiftly as we can.)
The above lists don’t include accounts teams, money managers, marketing teams, publicists, or the owner of your local comic book shop—all of whom are responsible for getting these delightful stories into your hands.
You know where this is going…
Creative agencies function in the same manner. A “simple” print ad takes a good many people to create. We’ve got writers and designers who ideate, but only after they’ve met with the accounts team, and every so often the client as well. Then we’ve got project managers who fit the job into our schedules, and ensure everything is getting done properly and on time. Thereafter, our media team has to take it and get it into actual publications so all of you can stare at it with your eyeballs.
And print ads aren’t the most complicated thing we do. Several projects, like video production, campaign development, and branding, involve far more brains at the table.
There is no one person more important than another. Without any of the roles I described above, print ads and comic books don’t happen. Too often, we celebrate too few of the people on the teams we need to get things done. It’s critical to ensure every person at every step knows they’re appreciated and valued.
Three things I learned from comic books—a quick recap:
Challenge brands to adapt, evolve, and grow.
Give the audience answers, then questions, and a pathway to answer them.
Spread the love on your team, mah dudes.
Okay, I’ve rambled enough today. I could write about other lessons I’ve learned from comics… Like, how suspension of disbelief is finite, or how brief is better, and it’s easy to outstay one’s welcome. But I won’t because that would break the latter.
Want to keep waxing comics? Reach out. I could chat about this stuff all day. We’ll get some coffee and Snickers.
And if you want to read any of the books mentioned above but don’t know where to begin, start with your local comic shop. You can find it using this comic shop locator.
We’ve all been there. We’ve taken time out of a busy day and loaded up a healthcare website to find some crucial bit of information we needed. Something small, something commonplace, something any sane person would put up front and center because, surely, thousands of others have needed this same tiny-but-oh-so-significant tidbit. And yet, thirty minutes, two fits of uncontrollable rage, and one existential crisis later, we’re still wandering through a digital hellscape, our spirit broken, our faith in humanity shattered. Or is that just us?
The point being: ease of use matters. Your healthcare website serves as a crucial touchpoint for patients, potential patients, staff, and jobseekers. Designing such a website demands a user-centric approach to ensure easy navigation, accessibility, and engagement—and prevent mental breakdowns. In this blog, we’ll discuss key strategies for creating a healthcare website that prioritizes the needs of different user groups while maintaining an exceptional user experience (UX).
Healthcare Website Design Needs to Accommodate Existing Patients, Potential Patients, Staff Members, and Career Seekers
Effective website design begins with understanding your target audience. In the healthcare sector, your user groups typically include existing patients, potential patients, staff members, and career seekers. Each group has distinct needs and expectations that should influence your design decisions. This means:
Each group should have its own distinct page on the website.
How to navigate to these pages from the landing page should be clear and simple.
Each distinct page should be designed with the user’s most pressing needs in mind.
Catering to Existing Patients
What does UX design for a specific audience look like? Consider existing patients. What will they need to do on your website most? Manage appointments? Yup. Access medical records? Probably a close second. Receive important updates? Sure. Pathways to these and any other primary user needs should be easy to see and use.
Also important is creating a user-friendly patient portal that allows secure communication with healthcare providers for prescription refills, appointment scheduling, etc. And don’t forget a full-featured mobile experience, as many patients may access the site on their smartphones.
Attracting Potential Patients
For most healthcare websites, potential patients will stand as the primary audience. This means that the landing page should cater primarily to their needs. (But remember, your other audiences should have zero trouble finding their own pages. The importance of this cannot be overstated!)
Potential patients are likely to visit your website to gather information about services, physicians, and facilities. Use clear and engaging content to showcase your expertise, patient testimonials, and success stories. Incorporate a user-friendly search function to help users find relevant services quickly.
Factoring in Staff in Your Design
Your website should also serve your staff and potential employees. Create a dedicated section that provides resources for staff members, including policies, training materials, and internal news. For career seekers, an easily accessible and comprehensive job portal can streamline the application process. An internal portal or intranet enhances communication and collaboration among staff members. Include features such as discussion boards, document sharing, and event calendars. This fosters a sense of community and keeps your staff informed and engaged.
Building a Robust Career Portal for Job Seekers
Jobseekers interested in joining your healthcare institution deserve a seamless experience when browsing job listings, submitting applications, and managing their profiles. Integrate filters to help them narrow down job opportunities and provide clear instructions for the application process.
Prioritizing User-Friendly Navigation and Design
We’ve mentioned ease of use several times in this blog. But what does that look like? Simplicity is key:
Start by organizing information in ways that will feel instantly familiar to the user. How? By tapping into their previous website experiences and expectations. Most websites have a navigation bar at or near the top of the page where it can’t be missed. And most websites have links for customer service and jobseekers near the bottom of the landing page. There’s no need to remake the wheel here.
Beyond logical placement of key features, you want to minimize the number of clicks needed to access critical content. Portals like those for existing patients and staff should feature prominently on the navigation bar and lead to their advertised destinations with one click.
A combination of a consistent color scheme, typography, icons, and other imagery will make navigation intuitive.
Making Information Accessible for All Users
Web accessibility is crucial in healthcare design to cater to users with disabilities. Ensure compliance with accessibility standards (such as WCAG) to provide an inclusive experience for all users. Incorporate features like alt text for images, keyboard navigation, and proper heading structure.
Designing a healthcare website with a user-centric approach involves understanding and catering to the unique needs of various user groups. By creating tailored experiences for existing patients, potential patients, staff members, and jobseekers, you can enhance engagement, accessibility, and satisfaction across the board. And by sparing them a trip to the center of a digital labyrinth from which they can never escape, you might just keep their fragile faith in humanity intact for one more day.
Questions for our webheads? Schedule a time to chat with one of them using the calendar below.
There’s no question that the healthcare industry faces a distinct set of challenges when it comes to branding. A crowded space with delicate emotional realities to navigate, healthcare requires branding that strikes a careful balance between promoting services, building trust, and empathizing with patients’ emotional needs. That’s not easy.
Healthcare Branding is Uniquely Difficult Because It’s a Product People Are Actually Trying to Avoid
Healthcare isn’t like other industries. When the stakes for potential consumers are life and death, the branding calculus needs to change. Specifically, branding in this arena faces three hurdles any healthcare provider must overcome to create the brand identification they want:
Averse Consumer Association
Dealing with sickness, disease, and death, healthcare is a service industry the average consumer prefers not to think about. This is a predicament. How do you develop brand loyalty with an audience that chooses not to think about your brand at all?
Infrequent Consumer Engagement
The average consumer doesn’t regularly use healthcare services. This means the kind of brand identification they might develop with other goods and services through frequent use is less likely with healthcare. You’ve got to stand out fast.
Limited Service Differentiation
When consumers do need to rely on healthcare services, there’s little in the way of services providers can offer that differentiates them from the competition. Why, for instance, drive ten miles farther to get an MRI when the same service is offered right around the corner? What’s your differentiator? In a saturated market of competitors, competent doctors and sophisticated technologies are commonplace and unimpressive.
Differentiate by Leaning Into Emotion
The answer to each difficulty can be found in consumer emotion. If fear, uncertainty, and vulnerability are the dominant emotions consumers experience when thinking about healthcare (and they are), the healthcare provider who can align other, more positive emotions with their brand will be the one to differentiate itself from the pack. In other words, successful healthcare branding will nurture a sense of safety, comfort, hope, and support. But how?
Harnessing Empathy
Empathy is a core element of successful healthcare branding. Understanding patient experiences, concerns, and needs can create a lasting emotional connection. Tailoring brand messages to show genuine concern for patients’ well-being can create a sense of loyalty and encourage positive word-of-mouth referrals. Go beyond traditional logos and slogans and instead highlight patient-centric care with patient stories and testimonials. It’s the story of a lonely widow who found a new friend in her nurse, or the staff member who comforted a frightened child while her parents were in surgery that will resonate with audiences and inspire positive associations with your brand.
Need to see an example of this in action? Check out the Memorial Health System website we built after we worked with them on their rebranding.
Emphasize Amenities and Experiences Instead of Rankings and Technologies
When the quality of medical care and the availability of medical technologies are mostly equal, it’s everything else a healthcare provider offers that makes the difference. How friendly is the staff? How good is the food? How soft are the sheets? How natural is the lighting? How does it smell? How easy is it to navigate the hallways and find the right room? The branding that highlights these things will be the branding that helps mitigate consumers’ deeply ingrained aversion to healthcare facilities and make room for positive brand associations.
If you’d like to see a bit of a healthcare brand story in action, take a look at the Singing River Health System lookbook we put together after working with them on their brand lift.
The Mad Genius Approach to Healthcare Branding
At Mad Genius, we understand that an arms race of rankings and technologies between healthcare providers fails to address the things audiences actually care about. Helping providers redirect their focus to real differentiators, we encourage them to take stock of the emotional needs of patients and the ways their facilities and staff meet those needs.
With these differentiators established, we help healthcare brands artfully tell stories that highlight the comfortable, caring home away from home they provide for their patients. As we said at the beginning, this isn’t easy. But it’s what we do, and we do it well.
If you’d like to talk to one of our identity geniuses about branding, or rebranding, your healthcare organization, just click on the calendar below to schedule a time that works best for you.
Healthcare marketing. If you’re in the game, you know effective promotion of your brand involves walking a couple of tightropes. Tightrope one (and we won’t sugarcoat it): your company makes money when people are sick. For the average consumer, this can sound a lot like misery = money. Not a good look. Tightrope two: your audience doesn’t love thinking about the inevitability of sickness and death. This means your marketing runs the risk of losing them the moment it delves into the uncomfortable realities that make healthcare a necessity for us all.
So, what can we do? Lean into narrative. By tapping into humanity’s innate love of stories, healthcare brands can create compelling and memorable experiences that resonate deeply with their audience. Stories of sickness and recovery, of lives broken and made whole again. Stories of caring men and women who have devoted their lives to helping those in need. Narrative is the answer, and in this blog, we will explore how it can be harnessed to foster meaningful connections with patients and customers.
Healthcare Branding Relies on Narrative, Giving Potential Patients Views into the Brand’s Triumphs
Companies always say trust is everything, but this is especially true for healthcare brands. Patients want to know they’re in the hands of caring professionals—not in the clutches of money-grubbing vultures. With narrative storytelling, you can shed the corporate façade and the audience’s preconceived notions by showing the human side of your organization. By sharing stories of real patients, healthcare providers, and the transformative impact of their services, brands can demonstrate authenticity, foster trust, and build long-lasting relationships.
That’s all fine and good, of course, but how does narrative help your brand sidestep the audience’s reluctance to think about sickness and death? Because your narratives won’t be about those things. They’ll be about people, about families, triumphs of recovery, the unwavering commitment of healthcare providers. When you package your healthcare brand’s services within stories your audience identifies with, you transport the audience into the protagonist’s shoes. You create empathy and emotional engagement. This engagement is crucial for your healthcare brand, as it allows you to communicate your values, mission, and dedication to patient care in a way that connects on a deeper level.
Testimonials Can Be an Effective Tool, But Usually Don’t Achieve the Same Effect as More Nuanced Stories
What about testimonials? Don’t they show the human side? Don’t they create opportunities for the audience to identify and empathize? To a degree. While traditional testimonial videos have been a staple in healthcare marketing, they often fall short in creating a lasting impact. Testimonials may provide essential information, but they often lack the emotional depth that more nuanced stories can offer. When they focus on facts and figures, testimonials miss the opportunity to connect with the audience on a personal and emotional level. The key is narrative: a story with a beginning, middle, and end, with a protagonist, a conflict, and a resolution.
The beauty of storytelling—and what some testimonials struggle to offer—is its ability to surprise and captivate. By introducing unexpected twists, heartwarming moments, or inspiring journeys, healthcare brands can leave a lasting impression on their audience. Such stories are not easily forgotten, and they can create a powerful association with the brand’s identity.
Giving Memorial Hospital an Edge Over the Competition
Creating a powerful brand association is precisely what Mad Genius did for Memorial Hospital. By utilizing imagery of the triumphs of their patients, we helped Memorial appeal to the emotional sensibilities of their potential consumers.
This 60-second ad spot juxtaposes the care that Memorial provides patients with the lives they’re able to enjoy because of that care. First, you see a man struggling to walk while in physical therapy. Then you see him running, outside the hospital and back to his normal routine. You see a pregnant woman being escorted to the delivery room. Then you see parents fawning over their newborn after a safe and successful delivery.
We depict the quality of life that Memorial can help them have, which is what they care most about at the end of the day. By crafting engaging narratives, Mad Genius gave Memorial Hospital an edge over the competition.
Discovering What Makes a Story Emotionally Compelling is Essential for Creating Narrative Healthcare Videos
Crafting narrative healthcare videos requires thoughtfulness and planning. Here are some essential steps to consider:
Unearth Authentic Stories: Identify genuine patient and caregiver experiences that align with your brand’s values and vision.
Build Engaging Narratives: Develop a storyline that follows the classic storytelling structure – introducing a protagonist, their challenges, and how your brand made a difference.
Invoke Emotions: Appeal to your audience’s emotions and create a connection that goes beyond rational considerations.
Stay True to Your Brand: Ensure that the story aligns with your brand’s identity and values, showcasing what makes your organization special.
Professional Production: Invest in high-quality video production to convey professionalism and credibility.
Share and Engage: Distribute your narrative videos across various platforms to reach a broader audience and encourage interaction.
Narrative storytelling is the secret weapon for healthcare brands to create a lasting impact and meaningful connections with their audience. By sharing authentic stories of compassion, resilience, and recovery, healthcare brands can build trust, inspire action, and stand out in a competitive landscape. With Mad Genius at your side, you can embrace the power of narrative storytelling, and let your healthcare brand shine through the magic of a well-told tale.
Reach out today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced cinematic storyteller about the benefits of narrative storytelling.
College websites are difficult to make, but with proper planning and strategy, you can build a great one. The trouble is, these types of websites have to perform many tasks for several types of users. How can you please as many people as possible? Carefully.
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User Focus
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Easy Navigation
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Fresh Content
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Responsive Design
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Accessibility
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Searchability
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Consistent Branding
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Avoiding These
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Great College Websites Are User-Focused
With enterprise-level websites like those with .edu on the end, many cooks end up in the kitchen. For the most part, each particular cook is mostly thinking about their own particular sauce. A faculty member may want to see one thing and a dean may want to see another. If you don’t pay attention to the students’ sauce? Well, in the great words of Gucci Mane, “If you don’t got the sauce then you lost.”
To find out how to make your website focused on the user, start doing some research. Who are the “power users” of your website? What do they use the website for? How could you make their experience even better in the next redesign?
To answer these questions, we have a list of common power users for college websites below.
Prospective Students
About Prospective Students
Prospective students are the most important audience for a college website. Full stop. They are the ones who will be making the decision about whether to attend a college, so it is critical to make sure that the website provides them with the information they need to make an informed decision. Prospective students may be high school students, current college students, or adults who are looking to change careers.
What Prospective Students Want
Prospective students are often the number one focus for college websites, as recruiting success is paramount. Elements they want to see on a college website include:
Clear and accessible information about academic programs, admission requirements, and application procedures
Financial aid information, so they can know how they can afford to attend the college
Virtual tours and multimedia content showcasing campus facilities, student life, and the overall campus experience
Student testimonials and success stories to help prospective students envision themselves at the college
Current Students
About Current Students
Current students of a college are individuals who are presently enrolled in the college. They may be full-time students, part-time students, or graduate students. Current students may also be undergraduates, graduate students, or professional students. Keep the demographics of your current students in mind when creating your content.
What Current Students Want
Current students are interested in finding the following on a college website:
Quick access to student portals
Academic information about courses, majors, minors, and requirements
Student life information about clubs, activities, and events
Financial aid information on scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study
Resources such as tutoring, counseling, and health care
Technology resources like computer labs and printers
Contact information for the college’s offices and departments
Comprehensive academic calendar with key dates, deadlines, and events
Events calendar to keep students informed about lectures, workshops, social events, and clubs
Emergency and school closure information
Faculty & Staff
About Faculty & Staff
The faculty and staff of a college or university include professors, lecturers, instructors, administrators, professionals such as librarians, counselors, and financial aid officers, and support staff.
What Faculty & Staff Want
Faculty and staff of your college visit your website to find:
Faculty and staff directory with contact information and expertise areas
Tools such as course management systems
Secure portals or intranet with email access, human resources information, and professional development opportunities
Policies and procedures related to hiring, promotion, and tenure
Information on college resources such as libraries, computer labs, and research facilities
News and updates such as new hires, awards, and publications
Alumni
About Alumni
Former students of a college or university are an important part of the college community. They can provide guidance and support to current students, and they can help to promote the college to prospective students. They can also be a valuable resource for networking and development.
What Alumni Want
Alumni want to stay connected to their alma mater, and they can do that if the website includes information about:
Attending reunions
Donating to the college to support academic programs, student scholarships, and campus facilities
Channels to stay connected such as newsletters, alumni associations, and mentorship programs
Networking opportunities and career services
Alumni success stories with information on their contributions to various fields
Parents & Families
About Parents & Families
Parents and families are a significant part of the college process, and they want to see information that will help them make the best decision for their child.
What Parents & Families Want
The goal is to provide parents and families with the information they need to make an informed decision about whether to send their child to the college. By providing clear, concise, and up-to-date information, a college website can help to ensure that parents and families can make the best decision for their child’s future. Some of the things that parents and families want to see on a college website include:
Academic information to see what they have to offer and how their child’s interests align with the programs offered
Student life information to get a feel for what it would be like for their child to live and learn on campus
Tuition, financial aid, and payment options to address their financial concerns
Safety, housing, and support services available to students
Frequently asked questions, important contacts, and resources to help them stay involved and informed
Community Members & the General Public
About Community Members & the General Public
Community members and the public are also interested in learning more about the college, but they may be looking for different information than prospective students and parents.
What Community Members & the General Public Want
Members of the public may want to see specific information that is relevant to their interests. This may include:
Community impact, such as economic impact and volunteer programs
Event calendars and activities such as concerts, plays, lectures, and other events that are open to the public
Facility information for the library, gym, theater, and other facilities open to the public and how they can use them
Historical information for people who are keen to learn more about how the college has shaped the community
Public access to campus maps and visitor information
Opportunities for continuing education, professional development, or community involvement
Great College Websites Are Easy-to-Navigate
Navigation Labels
Use clear and concise labeling so that users can quickly identify where they would like to go. For example, if your college marching band has a unique name that doesn’t “scream” marching band, just use “Marching Band” in the navigation so that prospective students won’t have to know it beforehand.
Logical Structure
Organize navigation items in a logical hierarchical structure. Group related pages or sections together, and use submenus or dropdowns when necessary to provide deeper levels of navigation. At the same time, minimize the number of clicks that a person needs to use to reach the information they need. If it makes sense to do so, avoid an additional level of navigation.
Use Breadcrumbs & Visual Hierarchy
Another way to make websites easier to read that are often three or four levels deep is to use breadcrumbs. These provide users with a trail of links to show their current location and enable easy navigation back to higher-level pages. In addition to breadcrumbs, add visual cues to establish hierarchy. You can differentiate second and third level items through font weight, size, color, and icons.
Great College Websites Have Updated Content
Nothing destroys a college’s reputation with a prospective student or employee more than outdated or incorrect information.
A college website should aim to provide comprehensive and relevant information to prospective students, current students, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders. While the specific information may vary based on the institution’s size, location, and offerings, here are some essential elements that should be included on a college website:
About the Institution:
Mission and vision statements
History and background of the college/university
Accreditation and academic affiliations
Leadership and administration details
Campus facilities and resources
Academic Programs:
List of undergraduate and graduate programs offered
Descriptions of each program, including majors, minors, and concentrations
Faculty profiles and their areas of expertise
Academic departments and schools
Admissions Information:
Admission requirements for different programs and degrees
Application procedures and deadlines
Information for prospective students (e.g., campus tours, virtual visits, open houses)
Scholarships, financial aid, and tuition costs
Student Life:
Student organizations and clubs
Athletics and intramural sports
Housing and residential life
Campus events and activities
Health and counseling services
Career services and internships
Academic Support:
Library resources and services
Academic advising and support centers
Research opportunities
Study abroad programs
Internship and co-op programs
Faculty and Staff Directory:
Contact information for faculty and staff members
Faculty profiles, including their qualifications and research interests
Campus Facilities and Resources:
Campus maps and directions
Information about libraries, laboratories, and research facilities
Computing and technology resources
Dining options and meal plans
Campus safety and security information
News and Events:
Latest news and announcements
Events calendar, including academic and social events
Publications and newsletters
Alumni and Giving:
Alumni engagement programs
Alumni success stories
Ways to give back to the institution through donations and fundraising
Contact Information:
General contact details (phone number, email address)
Specific contact information for different departments, offices, and services
Great College Websites Have Responsive Design
A responsive design is crucial for a college website due to the widespread use of various devices with different screen sizes, such as desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. Here are some reasons why responsive design is important for a college website:
Enhanced User Experience: A responsive design ensures that the website looks and functions well on all devices, providing an optimal user experience. Users can access the website and navigate its content without any usability issues, regardless of the device they are using.
Mobile Usage Trends: Mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, are increasingly used for browsing the internet. By adopting a responsive design, the college website can cater to the growing number of mobile users and deliver a seamless experience.
SEO Benefits: Search engines favor mobile-friendly websites in their search results. A responsive design improves the website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs), positively impacting its organic traffic and online presence.
Cost and Maintenance Efficiency: Maintaining a single responsive website is more efficient than creating and maintaining separate desktop and mobile versions. It reduces development and maintenance expenses, as changes or updates can be implemented across all devices simultaneously.
To ensure effective implementation of responsive design elements, consider the following best practices:
Mobile-First Approach: Begin the design process by prioritizing the mobile experience. Start with the smallest screen size and then progressively enhance the design for larger screens. This approach ensures that the website is optimized for mobile users.
Fluid Grid Layouts: Use a fluid grid system to create flexible and proportionate layouts that adjust seamlessly across different screen sizes. This allows the website’s content to adapt and maintain its integrity while accommodating various devices.
Flexible Images and Media: Optimize images and media files to be flexible and responsive. Use CSS techniques, such as max-width: 100%, to ensure that images and media scale proportionately based on the device’s screen size.
Breakpoints: Define breakpoints in the design where the layout adjusts based on different screen sizes. These breakpoints help ensure that the content is presented in the most optimal and readable format for each device.
Readability and Interaction: Ensure that text, buttons, and interactive elements are appropriately sized and spaced for easy readability and interaction on smaller screens. Consider touch-friendly design elements, such as larger buttons, to accommodate mobile users.
Performance Optimization: Pay attention to performance optimization for faster loading times on mobile devices. Compress images, minify CSS and JavaScript files, and leverage caching techniques to improve website performance.
Testing across Devices: Thoroughly test the website on various devices and screen sizes to ensure a consistent and satisfactory user experience. Test navigation, readability, interactions, and functionality across different devices to identify and resolve any issues.
By adhering to these responsive design best practices, a college website can provide a seamless and user-friendly experience across a wide range of devices, accommodating the needs and preferences of its diverse audience.
Great College Websites Are Accessible
Website accessibility allows individuals with disabilities to access your website’s content and functionalities. Millions of people in the United States use a screen reader to read websites that they cannot properly see, and closed captions benefit people who are hearing impaired as well as those who aren’t. We will go into more detail about why web accessibility is important for college websites and how to achieve it for yours.
Why Accessibility Is Important for College Websites
It is crucial for a college website to be accessible to ensure that all individuals, including those with disabilities, can access and interact with the website’s content and functionalities. Here’s why accessibility is important for a college website, along with best practices to follow:
Inclusivity and Equal Opportunity: Web accessibility promotes inclusivity by ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access to information and services provided by the college website. It supports the principle of equal opportunity for all individuals, including students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Many countries, including the United States (under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act) and the European Union (under the Web Accessibility Directive), have laws and regulations that mandate web accessibility for public sector organizations, including colleges and universities. Compliance with these laws is essential to avoid legal consequences.
Positive Reputation and Brand Image: Demonstrating a commitment to accessibility enhances the reputation and brand image of the college or university. It showcases an institution’s dedication to diversity, inclusivity, and providing equal access to education and services.
Improved User Experience: Web accessibility benefits all users, not just those with disabilities. By following accessibility best practices, the website becomes more user-friendly, intuitive, and easier to navigate. It can enhance the overall user experience for everyone, regardless of their abilities.
Here are some best practices to follow to achieve web accessibility for a college website:
Compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG): Follow the internationally recognized WCAG guidelines, which provide a comprehensive set of accessibility standards. Aim for compliance with at least WCAG 2.1 AA level.
Alternative Text for Images: Provide descriptive alternative text (alt text) for images, allowing screen readers to convey the image content to users with visual impairments.
Proper Heading Structure: Use proper heading structure (h1, h2, etc.) to create a logical and hierarchical organization of content. Headings help users navigate and understand the website’s structure, particularly for users relying on assistive technologies.
Keyboard Accessibility: Ensure that all functionalities and interactive elements can be accessed and operated using a keyboard alone, without relying on a mouse or other pointing devices. This is crucial for individuals with motor disabilities or who cannot use a mouse.
Color Contrast: Maintain sufficient color contrast between text and background elements to ensure readability for users with visual impairments. Use tools or online color contrast checkers to evaluate and adjust the contrast ratios.
Captions and Transcripts: Provide captions or transcripts for multimedia content, such as videos and audio files, to make them accessible to individuals with hearing impairments or those who cannot access audio.
Forms and Inputs: Design forms and input fields to be accessible, including proper labeling, clear instructions, and error messages. Ensure that form controls can be easily navigated and completed using assistive technologies.
Consistent Navigation and Structure: Maintain a consistent and predictable navigation structure throughout the website. Clearly indicate the user’s current location and provide a skip navigation option for screen reader users.
User Testing and Feedback: Conduct user testing with individuals with disabilities to gather feedback and identify areas for improvement. Incorporate accessibility considerations throughout the design and development process.
Accessibility Statement: Include an accessibility statement on the website, outlining the institution’s commitment to accessibility, providing contact information for accessibility concerns, and sharing information about available accommodations.
By implementing these best practices, a college website can significantly improve its accessibility and ensure that individuals with disabilities can access and engage with its content, services, and resources.
Great College Websites Are Searchable
Imagine that you need or want to do something on a college website. If you can’t navigate to the correct page, your next best bet is to use the college’s search bar feature. If you can’t find it after that, you may consider giving up. That’s the precise moment we want to avoid.
Why Search Is Critical for College Websites
Quick and Efficient Information Retrieval
A searchable website allows users to find specific information quickly and efficiently. Users can enter relevant keywords or phrases in the search bar to retrieve relevant content, saving time and effort compared to navigating through menus or browsing multiple pages.
Enhanced User Experience
A search feature improves the overall user experience by providing a convenient way to locate desired information. Users who have a specific query or are looking for specific resources can easily find what they require, increasing satisfaction and reducing frustration.
Accommodation of Diverse User Needs
Different users have different information needs and preferences. A search function caters to those who prefer searching to browsing, empowering them to access the information they need in their preferred manner.
Handling Large and Complex Websites
College websites often have vast amounts of information, including numerous pages, documents, and resources. A search feature becomes essential for navigating such large and complex websites effectively.
Important Search Features
Prominent Search Bar & Search Results
Position the search bar prominently, preferably at the top of the website, where it is easily visible and accessible on every page. Use a magnifying glass icon or other recognizable symbol to indicate its purpose. The display of the search results should display in a clear, organized manner. The search results may include the page title, a snippet, and some relevant metadata for users to contextualize the results and evaluate the relevance of each search result.
Smart Search
Instead of a simple keyword search bar, use an intelligent search functionality that utilizes technologies like natural language processing. Or, consider using semantic search to enhance the accuracy and relevance of search results.
Speed and Reliability
Fast and Reliable Search Results: Optimize the search feature to deliver quick and accurate search results. Use efficient search algorithms, caching mechanisms, and server-side optimizations to ensure fast response times, even with large amounts of content.
Autosuggest
Autocomplete and Suggestions: Implement autocomplete and suggestions in the search bar to assist users in formulating their queries. This feature can help users by suggesting popular or relevant search terms as they type, improving search accuracy and efficiency.
Filters
Use advanced filters and sorting options that allow users to refine and narrow down their searches. Users should be able to filter results based on categories, dates, file types, and other relevant attributes.
Analytics
Properly track your site search in Google Analytics 4 and monitor its usage. You’ll be able to gain insights into your site’s user behavior, popular search terms, and areas where users may be struggling to find the information they need. This data can help identify areas for improvement and optimize the search experience.
Great College Websites Have Consistent Branding
Keeping your brand standards consistent across your website is a part of maintaining and strengthening your college’s brand equity.
Why College Website Branding is Important
Brand Recognition and Recall: Consistent branding elements such as logos, color schemes, typography, and visual styles help create a cohesive and memorable identity for the college. This promotes brand recognition and recall among website visitors, making it easier for them to associate the website with the institution.
Professionalism and Credibility: Consistency in branding instills a sense of professionalism and credibility. When the website reflects a unified brand image, it conveys a message of reliability and trustworthiness to prospective students, parents, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders.
Cohesive User Experience: Consistent branding across different pages and sections of the website ensures a cohesive user experience. It provides users with visual cues that they are still within the same institutional context, reducing confusion and enhancing usability.
Strengthened Institutional Identity: By maintaining consistent branding, the college website reinforces the institution’s identity and values. It helps align the website’s visual presentation with the overall brand strategy, fostering a sense of pride and unity among stakeholders.
Website Branding Best Practices
To maintain a consistent brand identity throughout your website, you must establish brand guidelines and then adhere to them. Below is a list of best practices that, if followed, will help maintain your branding:
Logos
Use your official logo prominently and consistently throughout the website in the correct format, resolution, and color scheme as outlined in your brand guidelines.
Colors
Apply the institution’s designated color scheme consistently across the website. Use the official colors for headings, backgrounds, buttons, links, and other design elements. Avoid introducing additional colors that deviate from the brand palette.
Typography & Fonts
Define a set of typography guidelines to maintain consistency in font styles and sizes. Use specific fonts recommended in the brand guidelines for headings, body text, and other text elements. Consistency in typography contributes to a cohesive visual identity.
Visual Style & Imagery
Establish a consistent visual style for images, illustrations, and graphics used on the website. Use similar filters, image treatments, or graphic elements to maintain a unified visual language. Ensure that the chosen visual style aligns with the overall brand identity.
Design Templates
Create design templates or components that follow the brand guidelines. These templates can be reused across different sections or pages of the website to ensure consistent layouts, styles, and visual elements.
Coordination With Other Channels
Align the website’s branding with other marketing and communication channels used by the college, such as social media profiles, print materials, and campus signage. Consistency across various channels reinforces the overall brand identity.
Regular Audits & Updates
Conduct periodic audits of the website to ensure that all pages and sections adhere to the brand guidelines. Update any outdated or inconsistent branding elements promptly.
Training
Provide training and clear communication to website administrators, content creators, and other relevant stakeholders about the importance of consistent branding. Educate them on how to implement and maintain brand guidelines on the website.
Great College Websites Don’t Need
What makes a website, specifically a college site, truly annoying? If you are a prospective student, and you happen upon these, it can make a terrible first impression. Below is a list of things to avoid on your college website at all costs, or be prepared to suffer a worsening bounce rate.
Stock Photos
They have their time and place, definitely, but stock photos for a university website are a no-go. People can sniff inauthenticity from a mile away, and then they won’t trust anything else on your website. Prospective students want to see the real college, real campuses, real students, and real experiences they can look forward to at your school. Build up a library of images for your website and other marketing materials with professional photography.
Excessive Pop-Ups
Have you ever loaded a webpage and seen the information you need on the screen, only for it to be covered by pop-up after never-ending pop-up? Pop-ups can take a perfectly easy-to-navigate, pleasurable browsing experience into something that makes you want to throw your mouse across the room. Yes, we probably need to accept your cookies for legal reasons, but after that, beware. Emergency alerts are for emergencies. The following frequently used pop-ups are not emergencies:
Signing up for your newsletter
Chatbots that open automatically and block the screen
Graphics to promote a new feature of your website
Excessive Jargon and Acronyms
If someone doesn’t already go to your school, and you use a lot of your own acronyms and internal jargon, they will have no idea what you’re talking about. Say, for example, you work for Minnesota State, and your mascot is the Screaming Eagles. If you brand your freshmen orientation as “Fledgling Freshmen” or “Eager Eaglets,” you still need to have the words “freshmen orientation” somewhere in or near the title so that people don’t get confused. Take it easy on parents who have to take off from work and watch their children leave the nest.
Complex CAPTCHAs
When users are trying to log in to parts of your website or submit forms, use simpler and more user-friendly CAPTCHAs and other security features. Did you know that 19 percent of American adults quit during a transaction because of a difficult CAPTCHA? These features can cause serious and consequential user experience problems.
Unoptimized PDFs
Have you ever needed to fill out a form, but the form is just a flat PDF that looks like it was photocopied, scanned, printed out, and photocopied again? We are over twenty years into the new century, so it’s beyond time to post professional, interactive PDFs that people can save and fill out on any device.
Our advice is to avoid PDFs entirely by transferring PDF content into your website pages and using styled web forms, but if you must, you can use Adobe Acrobat Pro to create accessible PDFs and then test them.
Talk to a College Website Specialist If you have looming questions about making a website for your college, join us for a free 30-minute Q&A with a college website specialist.
