Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru
I was supposed to attend the Houston Chatchkis and Collectibles Association’s (HCCA) Annual Meeting where I heard that a promotional product dating back to 100 A.D. would be on display. Unfortunately my new assistant got a little confused and booked me a ticket to the HCCA Compliance Academy in San Francisco. As some of you may know, HCCA also stands for Health Care Compliance Association and while I appreciate the important work they do there, I was fairly certain they would not have any ancient collectibles on display. Since my ticket was non-refundable, I decided to make the best of it and sit in on a few of the seminars. By the fifth breakout session, I had had my fill of the C word and decided to take a break and check out the city. I took the ferry to Alcatraz and toured the jail. It was pretty interesting and, not surprisingly, gave me a few marketing ideas.
As I headed back to the hotel to learn more about Healthcare Compliance, and take advantage of the free buffet, I got to thinking about how being compliant in business practices affects marketing. For a many of you, especially in the healthcare industry, the “C” word is a big deal and creates some challenges. Every company (and industry) has different policies and procedures in place to protect its employees and shareholders from getting fined by the Man for being non-compliant. It turns out that, at least in the healthcare industry, giving expensive gifts to healthcare professionals is a big no-no. I tried to institute the same policy in my household but it got voted down. So, how do you market your company’s products and services and stay at the forefront of your potential customer’s mind without breaking the rules?
Most policies allow for gifts that are “office related” as long as they are not big-ticket items like computers or fancy office chairs. This is actually a great rule since it not only ultimately protects patients, but also means you can be an effective marketer without spending a lot of dough. One gift that is sure to be used everyday is our Memo Holder Magnetic Paper Clip Dispenser. It’s a two-in-one, compliant gift* that shows your customers how much you care about their daily clipping needs.
Even though I didn’t get to see the world’s oldest branded drinking cup, I did learn a lot about a tough subject (and gained five pounds eating nothing but hotel buffets for three days straight) so my unintended trip turned out to be worthwhile. As my great-grandma used to say, “when life gives you lemons, make lemon meringue pie.” She was a smart lady and had a way with piecrust.
*Check your company’s policy to be sure.