Living Creative and the Future of Promotion

Model rewires the DNA in healthcare agency marketing

All agencies, at one time or another, assert that they have an innovative agency model. For many, this just means rebranding old processes with new names. And in those cases where the claim may be valid at the moment in time, soon enough, others will simulate aspects of the approach so that the shiny object looks the same all over again. In order for networks to truly implement a proprietary methodology, a fundamental alteration in agency DNA must take place. The process we call Living Creative is not only a proprietary methodology but also one that’s impossible to duplicate without vast and fixed internal resources of a different kind.

A new approach to market research

Market research, then ideation, characterizes traditional agency creative processes. Discovery yields insights about customers, markets, and the competition. Ideation generates a series of promotional concepts. The client selects a few and performs quality and quantity research. Tweaks are made, and a final campaign survives the journey; weeks and weeks pass. But imagine cutting that time in half and getting a higher quality product. Living Creative is designed to do just that.

Concepts and messaging are co-created in real time with customers, so the ideas grow organically into genetically original content. That is, the customers are part of the creative team. At its very heart, this approach mandates unmatched access to HCPs and patients.

Why Living Creative is the future

“Market Research—Ideation—Market Research” characterizes a traditional agency creative process. This approach operates under the philosophy that one concept fits all target customers. On the other hand, we believe segmenting customers by mindset, or belief, leads to a different conclusion and, therefore, a truly unique model. Living Creative envisions co-creation with customers in real time to identify ideas that truly represent differences in mindsets. Some ideas need to invite curiosity, while others build better engagement with the brand, and, finally, some ideas reaffirm beliefs about the brand to maintain strong loyalty. Living Creative allows manufacturers to cover a broad spectrum of customers so that no segment of their audience goes unserved. Different campaigns can run at the same time, at no greater cost to clients.

Avoiding testing bias, saving precious time

Physicians are trained to find pathology. Show them a creative or marketing idea, and they’ll tell you what’s wrong with it. Part of this dynamic is rooted in the belief that if they aren’t critical, then they’re not paying close enough attention. However, during Living Creative sessions, a negative bias is replaced with pride of ownership. That is, they are an integral part of birthing the baby, so they feel that special bond with what they’ve created.

Of course, clients are still free to put the ideas into traditional research. Our experiences with Living Creative show us that greenhouse ideas do a far better job of succeeding in testing. Rather than waiting weeks to find out if HCPs and patients like the ideas, we already know that at the start. Throughout performing many Living Creative sessions, we’ve found that we can cut the entire timeline down by weeks at the same costs afforded by other approaches.

Wide reach

MJH Life Sciences™ is the largest privately held, full-service medical media company in North America, with a monthly outreach of 5.4 million health and wellness practitioners and patients from every medical specialty and every disease state. Truth Serum NTWK™ is the agency network within MJH. Truth Serum takes a client challenge, instantly puts together a cohort of target customers and agency creative teams, and just lets the ideas flow with Living Creative.

So, if you’re looking for a true, new agency model that will continually outpace the industry’s penchant for same-old-same-old, give Living Creative a chance to reveal the future of healthcare promotion.