pr campaign plan by louie deraita

8/13/2019 PR Campaign Plan by Louie Deraita

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Louie Deraita

MSCM 347: Principals of Public Relations

Final Project

11 Dec 2013

Final Project Campaign Plan: Hearing Health Care, Inc.

Situation Analysis:

Mission:

The client I chose for my campaign plan is Hearing Health Care, Inc.(HHC).This

business practice is owned and staffed by a sole proprietor.HHC aims to improve the lives of

those with hearing losses through education and proper use of hearing devices by the sales of

hearing aids(Hearing Health Care, Inc). Hearing Health Care, Inc.has been locally owned and

operated since 1983 with two offices, one located in Brookings, Or. and the other in Crescent

City, Ca., approximately 30 miles in distance.The main location for primary sales is the

Brookings office, which is open four days a week while the Crescent City office is only staffed

one day a week.

The services this business offers include no charge comprehensive hearing aid

evaluations, digital/programmable hearing aids including Bluetooth technology, hearing aid

repairs and batteries, loaner hearing aids during repairs and custom ear plugs.It also offers a two

year warranty/two year loss and damage policy, lifetime no charge in-office maintenance, and

lifetime no charge programming.Hearing Health Care Inc. focuses on the follow up services and


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education that is provided after hearing aid fittings to insure long term success.These services

are crucial to those wearing hearing aids because proper education and knowledge of the devices

enhance customer success and overall satisfaction over the products lifetime.

External Environment:

There are three factors affecting this client.The first is economic and pertains to a new

oncoming health care system, Obama Care.Hearing aids are currently not covered by many

insurance companies; like Medicare for example.When Obama Care goes into effect, hearing

aids may be covered by more insurance companies, and they will be dictating what hearing aid

providers will be reimbursed.Some major insurance companies like Blue Cross, Blue Shield

(BX-BS) currently cover up to 80% of usual customary reasonable charges (UCRC).The

average cost of hearing aids range from $2,500 up to $10,000depending on the type and features

(Deraita, Pam).When Obama Care goes into effect, providers like Hearing Health Care, Inc.will

no longer be able to set their own prices, Obama Care and other insurance companies will set

price level.This directly affects how much time and care a provider can give a patient.This plan

cannot address this specific threatto the business,but the educational value of the HHC services

will be crucial for keeping patients interested in purchasing hearing aidsafter this healthcare plan

goes into effect.

The second factor affecting this business is technology.Technology in the hearing aid

industry has not advanced as rapidly as other electronics.Although hearing aids cannot return

ones hearingback to normal, they can greatly enhance and improve speech understanding.A


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computer chip is built into hearing aids which help process sound in different

channels/frequencies to improve speech clarity and understanding.Twenty years ago, hearing

aids simply amplified sounds equally by using an analog circuit.Now, these sounds are

amplified digitally in different areas of ones specific hearing loss.This computer chip has not

advanced or improved as rapidly as other technologies due to supply and demand.This factor

cannot be addressed with this plan,but still remains a relevant external factor.

The third factor affecting Hearing Health Care, Inc.is the surrounding community.

Although HHC has offices in both Oregon and California,most sales are generated from the

Oregon office. Most patients in California travel a half hour over the border to purchase hearing

aids tax free in the Brookings office.A significant amount of the Brookings community is retired

and low-income.The population is approximately 6,000 people, limiting the number of possible

clientele.This plan is intended to educate and target those in the community who do not

understand the value of the services and why hearing aid prices are set at what they are.It will

deter those in the community from buying hearing aids without services provided, either from

third party sources or on the internet.

Business Analysis:

Hearing Health Care, Inc.s competition is a corporate owned franchise business, Pacific

Coast Hearing Center.Pacific Coast Hearing Center is owned by All American Hearing, a

franchise business based in Minnesota.Because of the size of this large corporation, they can

afford frequent, large, and costly advertisements in the local paper, on the radio, and through


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promotional mail.Pacific Coast Hearing Center has a licensed audiologist on staff and brings in

hearing aid sales closers every month.These advantages of a larger franchise provide threats to a

smaller business such as HHC.

Unlike Pacific Coast Hearing Center, HHC is a locally owned and operated business .

This is an advantage in a small community like Brookings because the community favors the

support of local businesses.Although HHC does not have an audiologist on staff, the sole

proprietor is a licensed Hearing Aid Dispenser, which tests individualshearing for the purpose

of selling hearing aids.The owner of HHC is committed to not only testing for hearing loss, but

providing professional services and education after a hearing fitting.The value of these services

is important for the success and satisfaction of the patient.

The owner of HHC is an active member of the community and serves as a board member

on the Brookings Chamber of Commerce.She attends executive meetings and forums, and is

also involved in other non-profit organizations located in Brookings.In addition, she supports

her community with sponsorships and donations to local causes.Because the owner is actively

involved in the community in which she does business, this involvement and local support can be

implemented into a public relations plan.Being an active member of the community helps

communicate to ones publics about their business and the services offered.

Target Audience:

The target audience for this business is anyone with a hearing loss who is 18 years or

older.Because the owner is not an audiologist, she cannot fit hearing aids on children less than


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18 years of age.This audience includes adults of all age ranges, not just the elderly.It is a

common misconception that only the elderly populations are in need of hearing aids.The

National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD) studies show 18% of

American adults ages 45 to 64 have reported having a hearing loss(NIDCD). Another study by

the Ear Foundation showed people between the ages of 45 and 59 have a significant amount of

hearing loss due to loud noises in the work place, concerts, and military involvement (The Ear

Foundation).The amount of adults diagnosed with hearing losses climb each year and the

current generation will see the effects of this in the near future.

Because of the statistics for these age groups, this audience continues to grow each year

and hearing loss is a health concern that is being diagnosed more in younger adults.Opinion

leaders for this audience include family members or caretakers of those who have a hearing loss.

These family members and caretakers are often the ones who persuade a potential patient to get

their hearing evaluated and encourage the purchase of hearing aids and devices.These family

members are the ones who will be seeking information via the internet and media sources for the

information they need for their loved one with a hearing loss.This secondary audience will be

targeted in the plan, but the patients with a hearing loss will initially be the ones choosing to

purchase the hearing aids.

The Plan

Goal:

The overall goal for Hearing Health Care, Inc.is to stabilize clientele numbers by selling

ten hearing aids each month over a span of one year.One of the problems of this business is the


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lack of stability in sales in the past years.HHC has not had a consistent number of hearing aid

sales in the past years, and each month these sales fluctuate dramatically (Deraita, Pam).If this

business were to level out and stabilize sales for each month of the year, this plan could continue

to be implemented annually.

Objective 1:

The first objective in this plan is to educate 60% of adults in the community about the

complexity and value of support services after the purchase of hearing aids.In doing this, the

adults and family members of those who live with someone who has a hearing loss can learn

why the services after a fitting are so important.It is crucial for the patient to have the

knowledge of how to properly use their hearing aids and/or technology for their own personal

success and for the betterment of their hearing.Not only are these services important to the

patient, but also to who the patient lives with, i.e.spouse, family, caretaker, etc.If these people

are also educated, they can assist in the success of a patientshearing.

I am basing my plan on the Diffusion theory.This theory includes five stages that pertain

to my plan.The five stages are awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, and adoption.My first

objective targets the first two: awareness and interest, and the remaining steps are based upon the

success of these.The last three steps, evaluation, trial, and adoption, will be targeted under the

second objective.By using the strategies chosen to educate and inform the public and

community, awareness and interest for the client and products and services it provides will be

created.The diffusion theory looks at how people accept and process information that is


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presented to individuals in order to help them make important decisions.The important decision

to be made in this plan is the purchase and adoption of hearing aids and services.

Strategy 1:

The first strategy is to use HHC owners Chamber of Commerce membership in order to

educate opinion leaders in the community and create awareness and interest.By utilizing the

businesses chamber membership, HHC can communicate effectively with opinion leaders in the

community.These opinion leaders are other local business owners in the Brookings area.Being

a member of the chamber allows businesses advertising and enhancement opportunities.The

more a business has exposure in the community, the more the word is spread about the products

and services it offers the public.

Tactic 1:

The first tactic is to create an open house event to communicate with business leaders and

the public.This will be an opportunity to educate, make connections with possible referral

sources, and attract people to the physical location of the business.The event will be no longer

than an hour and take place in the evening when other business owners are off work.An open

house will bring a sense of awareness and interest in HHC, which are the first two steps in the

diffusion theory.

Tactic 2:

By inviting other chamber members and distributing informational brochures and referral

cards, this creates an opportunity for the business to educate on the products and importance of

the services offered by HHC.The reward for referral cards will be as follows: if you refer three

people to HHC and they visit the business, you will receive a $20 gift card.A short slideshow


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and presentation by the owner will then be given, along with educational information on the

products and services HHC offers distributedto those who attend.

Strategy 2:

The second strategy is to use mass media in order to educate the community.The Curry

Coastal Pilot is the only local newspaper in Brookings and about 70% of the population currently

subscribes to it.The local newspaper and chamber newsletter are great opportunities to get the

name of a business out to the public for little to no cost. The demographic of these people who

subscribe to the paper are adults, which are the target audience. Using mass media to educate the

community will create an awareness and interest in HHC.

Tactic 1:

The first tactic is to receive a write up in the monthly Brookings chamber newsletter

about HHC.This would be at no extra cost, and would fall under the membership dues for HHC.

The chamber newsletter comes out every month and is distributed to all chamber members.It

provides information on the chambers directors, economics of the community, and current

events. A presence in this newsletter will increase awareness of the HHC to other business

owners.

Tactic 2:

The second tactic is to write an opinion editorial for the local newspaper.An opinion

section in the newspaper will allow the professional owner of the business to educate readers

about hearing loss and hearing aids.Because HHC is a small business, it has a very limited

budget for public relations.Writing an editorial in the opinion section eliminates advertising

costs for HHC.Planning ways of advertising or education to be distributed to the public at little


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to no cost is beneficial for a small business.The op-ed will create an educational awareness of

the services that this business provides from the owner herself.

Strategy 3:

The third strategy for this objective is to use public speaking opportunities in order to

educate and communicate to local organizations in the Brookings community.In doing this, the

owner can target adults in organizations in the community which she is not already involved in.

This is an opportunity to spread the word and awareness of not only HHC, but the importance of

the services offered.It is also another way for a business owner to create a personal presence in

the community.

Tactic 1:

The first tactic for this strategy is to call local organizations and schedule dates to meet.

The organizations that would be called are Rotary Club, Soroptimist Club, Elks Club, Red Hat

Society, Emblem Club, Shrine Club, and Veterans in Brookings.Having personal knowledge of

the demographics in Brookings, most of the members of these organizations are in their late 40s

to early 90s.This is a perfect age range for the target audience for this plan.Even if the members

of the club are not interested in the information provided, they could still become possible

referral sources for HHC.

Tactic 2:

The second tactic for this plan is to prepare a presentation and speech materials for the

owner of HHC.Having a simple, informative and short slideshow is the best way to keep the

attention of the members of the club and to interest them in the subject of the presentation.In

addition to the slideshow, a carefully prepared speech is a tool for communication and a way for


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the professional of the business to reach out to members of the community.Referral cards will

also be distributed to the members of this organization as well as a blurb about HHCs no charge

hearing aid evaluations and consultations.

Objective 2:

The second objective for this plan it to generate five new patients on average per month

through referral sources.Current patients or family members of those patients are the main

sources of referrals for HHC.Satisfied patients who purchase hearing aids and services refer at

least one person to HHC each month (Deraita, Pam).With this plan, HHC will increase the one

person referred per month to five people.Referrals and word of mouth are key for a positive

business outlook in a small community.

Strategy 1:

The first strategy under this objective is to use the internet in order to reach more referral

sources and target potential patients to evaluate products and services offered by HHC. Because

the age range of families of those with hearing losses are in a more technological generation, the

internet serves as a tool to reach more referral sources compared to just word of mouth.The

internet is a vast tool that opens many doors of communication for a large audience and can be

utilized in many different ways.It provides potential patients and referral sources a way to

evaluate the information that is given and will push them to the next step in the diffusion theory,

which is trial.

Tactic 1:

The first tactic under this strategy is to create a social media presence.This is something

that HHC is greatly lacking in.HHC currently only has a website that is rarely updated and too


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expensive for a small business owner to pay and maintain on a monthly basis.The use of an

updated website through a different provider enables information to be updated regularly at a low

cost for those who search the internet for hearing services in Brookings.In addition to updating

the website, social media links would be added to connect to others on the web and spread

informationto sites such as Facebook, which will be created in the next tactic.

Tactic 2:

Another tactic under creating a social media presence for HHC would be to create a

Facebook page for the business.A Facebook page is an easy, free way to promote a business and

create friends who can share or like the information and posts which would be updated on a

weekly basis.After creating a friend base (or base of those who like the business) of other

business leaders and members in the community, posts from HHC could create awareness in the

Facebook community.

A Facebook page is also easy to create, navigate, and post information on.Each week

something new will be posted or promoted by HHC.These posts could include statistics on

hearing loss, research done in the field of audiology, announcements of news, information about

referral cards, or questions intended to engage followers.It provides an excellent and free

advertisement tool for any businessthat also aids in further evaluation for potential patients or

those who are looking to help someone with a hearing loss.

Tactic 3:

The third tactic is to keep proactive on LinkedIn.LinkedIn is a social media website for

professionals.It is important to create a broad network of professionals and to connect with


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colleagues.With LinkedIn, one can learn about other businesses and companies to discover new

opportunities and knowledge.With this site, a business like HHC can share information such as

memberships or affiliations they have and even presentations for others to view.This constant

activity on LinkedIn will help target referral sources and other important business leaders in and

outside of the Brookings area.

Strategy 2:

The next strategy for this objective is to persuade potential patients to go through with the

trial and adoption process of buying hearing aids.Trial and adoption are the last steps in the

diffusion theory, and they ensure that the first three steps of awareness, interest, and evaluation

were successful.There is only so much one can do to create awareness and interest before a

potential patient actually takes the steps to evaluate the education provided and adopt the

product.

Tactic 1:

The first tactic for this strategy is to use the newly created Facebook page to implement

elements a business blog would have.Those who have liked, shared, commented, or are a

current patient of HHC can write testimonials on the page.Often after a hearing aid evaluation,

potential patients have a hard time deciding whether to try and/or adopt hearing aids.There are

two reasons for this; one is the cost, and the other is the self-realization that a patient actually

needshearing aids.Current patients who agree to write a testimonial on either of these reasons

will help persuade the potential patients who are almost to the adoption step. The Facebook page


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also creates a place for people to ask questions about the business through comments or personal

messages.

Tactic 2:

The last tactic for this strategy is to promote no charge hearing aid evaluations and

consultations through mass media.Customers are always looking for opportunities to gather

information at no cost.The opportunity in which a no charge hearing aid evaluation creates is a

chance for potential patients to not only find out their test results, but also gather professional

information on what level of technology in a hearing aid would best suit their personal needs.

This also allows the opportunity for more potential patients to come in the door.Advertising no

charge hearing aid evaluations at the open house, organizational speeches, in the chamber

newsletter, local paper, website, and Facebook page will help persuade patients to try, and then

adopt the use of hearing aids.

Evaluation:

I will evaluate the effectiveness of this plan by recording the success of each of the tactics.

To do this, I will use the monitoring method of evaluation and also measure audience awareness

and education. For the tactics involving education under the fist objective, I will document how

many people attended the open house and also use a survey to measure how much of the

information provided was understood and learned. This survey will also be used after the

presentation and speech that is given at different organizations in the community. It will be noted

if the presentations at these organizations actually happened, and at which organizations. To

measure the effectiveness of mass media, I will note if the editorial was published in the paper,

and research how many adults in the community actually received and read the paper.


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The second part of the plan which involves generating new patients through referrals will be

measured by the success of the new media implemented.I will look at how the Facebook page

created awareness by how many people shared, liked, or commented on each post.I will

document how many people wrote testimonials on the page and also how many people visited

the page, what time, and the feedback provided for those who have shared HHCs posts or

information. The more HHC was talked about, the more effective the new media was.I can look

at audience response in what attitudes and behaviors were changed after this information was put

out.I will also gather information on how many people chose to go through with the trial and

adoption steps in the diffusion theory.If the media was successful, the number of new patients

from referrals will have increased from one person to five per month.Finally, to see if my

overall goal of the plan was met, I will record the number of new hearing aids each month to

measure if the clientele numbers have been stabilized over the span of one year.


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Sources

Deraita, Pam. Personal Interview. 25 Nov 2013.

Hearing Health Care, Inc.. Audiology Design, n.d. Web. 30 Nov 2013.

.

The Ear Foundation: Hearing and Communicating in a technological Era. Presence Multimedia.

Web. 30 Nov 2013. .

The National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders. NIDCD Intranet , 08

May 2013. Web. 30 Nov 2013.

.

pr campaign plan by louie deraita

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