Advertising and marketing agencies are known for having a wide array of clients. They say it takes all kinds, and we prove that statement right. Sometimes our clients can be just plain weird, but hey, there’s a client for everybody. Our job as marketing agencies is to help our clients reach their clients. You might be interested to hear that there is one industry that comprises 86 percent of all the advertising dollars in the United States, and it is not the industry you might think.
In 2014, cancer centers in the United States spent $173 million on marketing and advertising. Research by Indiana University School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh shows that in the nine years between 2005 and 2014, advertising costs for U.S. cancer centers increased more than three times over.
The study was conducted to take a deeper look into how advertising created by marketing agencies affects how cancer patients select treatment centers. The Universities’ research shows that the cancer centers that spent the most on advertising focused large amounts of their budgets on national media sources.
National advertising allows treatment centers to attract patients outside of their typical regions. However, the Commission on Cancer does not accredit more than half of the cancer treatment centers with the highest advertising budgets in 2014. So, what can marketing agencies do on their part to serve their clients and help to ensure patients get the best treatment available?
First, marketing agencies should be selective with their clientele. Running a business with integrity means taking on clients you feel good representing. Even if you wouldn’t use the product or service yourself, would you feel good about recommending it to a friend or family member?
Second, do your best to represent the facts. Most advertising for cancer centers relies on emotion. Emotion is an essential part of advertising, but try your best to present an equal amount of factual information. In this way, your agency can do its part to help those in need and give your clients the best product that you can.
