The ACSA National Conference has been held in Sydney over the past three days and a major topic has been the poorly kept secret that the ABC has a TV program in production on aged care similar to the retirement village ‘Bleed them dry until they die” Four Corners program.
Rumour says the show will appear in the next few weeks.
ACSA CEO Pat Sparrow, in her panel presentation yesterday afternoon on the greatest challenges facing aged care, said opening up a national conversation with the public on aged care was the greatest priority.
As marketers, our advice is don’t wait!
(We are talking to you retirement village marketers as well as aged care marketers – everybody will have their ‘trust’ undermined).
Our advice: if the ABC program is two weeks away you have two weeks to talk to your residents and families, reminding them of the value you deliver.
Communicating upfront while your customers are positively open to your messages is significantly different from communicating after a bad media blitz. After the event, it will look like you are scrambling to make yourself look good.
How to do it? Simple. A quick newsletter summarising all the services and the benefits that you deliver.
Every retirement village and aged care operator must produce a regular communication with existing customers and their families to remind them why they purchased in the first place. In our digital world, it is easy.
Insurance companies do it all the time. “Last year we paid out $658 million for 23,958 low impact motor vehicle accidents – that is $2 million and 66 accidents every day of the year – your turn may come which is why you are smart to insure with us” etc.
An aged care operator can say: “Last year we delivered 87,600 hours of care, 10,950 meals, distributed 14,600 rounds of medication, made 3,650 beds and poured over 20,000 cups of tea or coffee in our one care facility. We have 80 staff caring for our 100 residents 365 days and nights a year”. Facts.
(We use Australia’s Campaign Monitor to produce our newsletters – including this one).
You have two weeks.
Chris
