With their hands tied by regulatory minutiae, pharma’s media is traditionally several steps behind other industries from a storytelling perspective.  It is in the area of technology where pharma is much more free to flex its creative muscles.

A huge, international meeting like ASCO is exactly the type of showcase where one would expect to encounter the latest, greatest media wizardry.  Granted, ASCO attendees are an unusually learned audience who are most interested in the science, but they interface with technology just like the rest of us.  And when technology enters the fold, the importance of usability—and the user experience—cannot be ignored.

3D MOAs

ASCO booths presented a veritable smorgasbord of 3D animations describing the mechanisms of action (MOA) of both marketed and investigational compounds.  The meeting provided the perfect setting for this type of educational eye candy.  But there was so much of it that it became difficult to stand out in the crowd.

Enter 3D.  Steroscopic presentations required audience members to don 3D glasses.  While on first blush this might seem to be an obstacle to garnering attention, having to wear the glasses encouraged viewers to stay through an entire presentation.  In such situations seating was wisely provided, adding to the theatricality of the experience.

Touch Screens

Too often I noticed that the content being presented at ASCO was difficult to navigate due to poorly designed user interfaces (UIs) and/or poorly functioning touch screens.  Here are a few guidelines designers should consider:

• Make it immediately clear to the user whether they are looking at a display monitor or touch screen.  Several times I found myself touching a screen to see if anything would happen.
• Some sort of sensory feedback is useful so the user knows whether their selection has actually registered.
• Observe design conventions.  When users see large icons on a HOME screen, those icons are recognized as buttons.  I selected several icons on one monitor before I realized that all of the icons were taking me to the same place and that the icons were not actually buttons.
• Test the program on the equipment that will ultimately display the finished piece.  One very large monitor had forward and reverse arrows so far out to the edges of the monitor that they were outside the region where one’s eyes would naturally scan.
• Consider the placement of touch screen monitors relative to other monitors/users.  Two monitors were touching at a 95-degree angle.  Had two users tried to use the two monitors simultaneously, they would have been forced to get very personal with one another.
• Vertically oriented touch screen monitors are most satisfying when the screen real estate is broken out to present video content at the top of the monitor, menu selections at the bottom, and ISI, referencing, and additional messaging in between.
• Beware of small touch panels below larger monitors.  These can be disorienting, making the user unsure where to look; particularly when the two monitors are displaying different content.

NOTE:  While these guidelines address the user experience, check out Judy Minot’s blog on content and strategic considerations in touch screen development.

Gadgets

Early adopters may be the first on their block with the latest gadget—but there is a price to pay for this privilege, both financially and in terms of reliability.  The same is true of the gadgets unveiled at meetings and trade shows.

Think twice before introducing a technology that requires some sort of tutorial or instruction.  Very likely, the user will never again need to operate such equipment and that instructional time is chipping away at valuable product messaging time.

It is better to wow an audience with a cleverly presented message in a cleanly functioning medium than to introduce a technology not yet ready for primetime.

The Big Takeaway

When it comes to med ed communications, content is clearly king.  But it is critical to take into consideration how this content is actually communicated to the audience.

I just finished reading “Better” by Atul Gawande, a frank yet compassionate study of the question of how physicians can do a better job of providing care. I highly recommend it for anyone who is a doctor, might ever want to be a doctor, or might ever visit a doctor.

At the end of the book Gawande provides some recommendations on how physicians can begin working to close the gap between best intentions and best performance. He calls them “Suggestions for Becoming a Positive Deviant.”

My work does not have life-and-death consequences and yet Gawande’s suggestions resonated with me. So, here they are, with my own commentary related to business communication and marketing:

1. Ask an Unscripted Question. It’s an old truism that the best sales people are good listeners. But listening is important for all of the things we do in the world. Part of listening well involves asking questions that initiate full responses. Start asking open-ended questions and you may find out more than you wanted to about your client’s summer vacation in the Poconos, but ultimately you’ll know each other better.

I actually play a couple little conversational games: one is to try to come out of the conversation having said nothing about myself. That’s good evidence that I asked, listened, and asked follow-up questions. My other game is to open up conversations with people I might not normally think of talking to. (Who knew that the UPS driver has a son who’s a chess champion?)  When you work a little harder to ask questions and listen to the answers from customers, suppliers, the woman who sits near the copy machine, and that quiet guy in your yoga class, you may be surprised at the new ideas and perspectives you hear.

2. Don’t Complain. My boss is big on this one, too, I wonder why ; )  Still it’s true that although work (and life) are often frustrating, if we complain we get pulled into a kind of negative conversational gravity, bringing others down with us. After a session of kvetching about everything that’s wrong with the world, do you walk away feeling better? Of course not! “It’s boring, it doesn’t solve anything, and it will get you down,” as Gawande writes. Find something else to discuss: a problem you are trying to solve, an idea that interests you, a joke; but resist the impulse to gripe.

3. Count Something. A friend of mine used to say, “50% of my marketing budget is wasted - I just wish I knew which 50%.” How often are we or our clients engaged in an initiative, and 6-12 months later we have no measure of its success? Gawande proposes that, “if you count something you find interesting you may learn something interesting.” Maybe you can find ways to count what was formerly uncountable.  I recommend that you build measurement into your plans from the start of a project.

4. Write Something. I am a huge proponent of blogging. I agree with Gawande that you shouldn’t underestimate the effect of your contribution, even if you think it’s small. Also, the act of writing is very powerful, even if you don’t publish. When you write, you’re forced to step back and order your thoughts, think about the big picture, and even check your facts. Gawande hints at how writing for an audience affects the writer. “An audience is a community. The published word is a declaration of membership in that community and also of a willingness to contribute something meaningful to it.” In an individualistic culture, we often lose sight of how satisfying it is simply to communicate with others.

5. Change. We talk about early adopters (Brian in our office had an iPad the first day they were on sale), late adopters (Robert just got his first smart phone), and resisters (Mike prints all his emails).  The point is not to become a different kind of person, but rather to think about why we resist certain ideas and practices, and to stay open to new input, even if you think you’ve already made your decision. We all like consistency, but take a tip from Albert Einstein. Try something else. Actively look for inadequacies in what you do - even ask others for positive criticism. If you are open to change, solutions may come more easily

Blogs work (both technically and strategically) because their purpose is simple and specific.  They are basic machines that allow users to easily:

1. Create content with on-board content management tools
2. Leverage Search Engine Optimization & RSS to distribute content
3. Moderate discussion with comment administration tools

Combined with your subject matter expertise, a blog gives your organization a surgically effective tool for reaching a highly qualified, interested audience - an audience that is ready to engage.

Effective blogs have several things in common.  They:

• Have a narrow focus
• Strip away “marketing speak”
• Deliver meaningful and valuable content
• Are published frequently
• Are concise and built around one idea

Here are some examples of blogs I frequently read.

• Engadget
• Smashing Magazine
• SethGodin.com

So what are you waiting for?  Today is a great day to start developing your corporate blogging strategy.

Here’s a story from my friend, Jon Websurfer. Jon was assigned the task of finding a supplier to make customized edible treats to use as corporate gifts for his company. He typed some keywords into his search engine, including his location. Out of thousands of bakeries in the U.S., a lucky eight showed up on the first page of  results (the rest of the results weren’t bakers). Jon clicked on the results for five or six of these and looked over their websites, taking a maximum of two minutes on each page (for some it was more like 10 seconds). He evaluated them for:

• Presentation (if the site looks good, chances are they’ll do good product presentation)
• Ease of navigation (if he’s frustrated with your site, he may be frustrated with your service as well)
• Best looking (and best variety of) product photos
• How well they explained their ordering procedure, packaging, delivery and lead time.

Hoping to patronize a local supplier, he was frustrated at how hard it was to find out their locations.

One thing none of the pretty pictures could tell him was the taste of the goodies, so he decided to ask for samples from two sites. That’s when he found that neither listed a phone number. They only gave email addresses. Already fearing what would come next, Joe emailed both companies with his questions and a request for samples. As you might expect, 24 hours later, Joe had heard nothing. Next step: he found a local baker in the Yellow Pages who could provide a solution.

Both these companies’ websites performed their function excellently: they went out into the world (through search engines) and brought in customers who might be interested in their product. They provided enough information to qualify customers who were really interested and ready to buy. And then human beings bungled the sale.

Here’s some lessons we can take home about ‘Contact Us’ pages:

1. If you ask people to contact you, make sure you have a plan on how you will respond.  Not doing that is like launching an ad campaign when there is no product on the shelves.
2. Offer customers many ways to reach you. Research shows that individuals have different preferences for “communication channel,” whether it’s phone, email, IM, text, Facebook, Twitter or even US mail. Don’t lose customers by trying to force them to use your preferred channel.
3. Tell people where you are. If you have a product they want, people won’t mind if you are far away. On the other hand, if the search terms include a location, the searcher is looking for a local company - why pass up an opportunity?
4. Respond as quickly as humanly possible. Consumers are looking for immediate answers when they use the Internet. Most consumers feel 6 hours is the maximum acceptable time to respond to their request for information. Remember: they are most likely to purchase from the supplier who can answer their questions. Don’t miss the opportunity to be that supplier.
5. If you can’t do one of these things, explain why. For example, the message, “We’re bakers, not marketers. We answer phone calls and emails once a day, usually between 9 and 11am,” might have coaxed Jon to wait another day before calling a local supplier.

Commencement speeches have a lot in common with other types of “one to many” communication. So even if you think there’s little chance you’ll ever be called on to speak to Harvard’s class of 2020, you may be able to use some suggestions for your next public address.

1. Engage the audience with humor, stories, unusual ideas. Startle them with something they don’t know.

2. Don’t give advice. At least, not as “advice.” Give the new graduates stories, based on your experience, that they will call to mind when the right time comes.

3. Speak to your audience: the graduates. Not the media, the parents, the administration, or the teachers.

4. Avoid cliches. “Today is the day you will enter the real world,” is advice you can get by Googling “graduation.” Give them something more personal.

5. Keep your speech under 18 minutes and mark it in advance with places where you can shorten if necessary, especially if there’s rain in the forecast. Not only is a speech that is too long inconsiderate of those that follow you, a concise, well-edited speech reflects much better on the speaker.

If you want some inspiration, here’s a list of some outstanding commencement speeches from 1936-2009

What a great ride!  LOST came to an end last night but my brain is still processing—which is exactly the kind of ending I wanted.  In this way, it hasn’t actually ended.  Because LOST has been so much more than just the series.  It has fostered pockets of communities that allow viewers to participate at whatever depth they prefer.

All along we’ve yearned for answers—but not as spoilers.  That would ruin the fun of trying to figure things out on our own.  In an age when Hollywood output is so formulaic, that the writers could consistently outwit the audience at every turn is quite a feat.  The sheer volume of blog entries and online discussions generated within the past 24 hours is testimony to the impact of the series.  Certainly my musings would not be missed if I did not add my two cents but processing my thoughts at this time is cathartic.  So, fair readers (I hope there are more than one of you out there), please grant me this indulgence.

I came to the series when the pilot was first rerun in May 2005.  I was immediately hooked by the human stories and intricate plotting.  It was like nothing I’d ever seen.  As the storyline became more fantastic, it was the characters that kept me hooked.

I can only imagine the creative satisfaction Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse must be feeling.  To be able to envision something and see it brought to fruition is always a kick, but to be given the freedom ABC afforded them to plot the series ending over the course of three seasons, ignoring every convention that normally shackles a program, fully recognizing that the increasing complexity would shed less engaged viewers, puts the weight of the show squarely on their shoulders.

I’ve trusted in the creators, even when there were lulls in the storyline or so-so episodes, because I knew that at the times when they hit their stride, nothing else compared to the unique vision of LOST.  Along the way, this vision changed to accommodate the genius of Michael Emerson, who parlayed a planned three-episode appearance as Henry Gale/Ben Linus into a five season acting tour de force playing one of the most complex characters television has seen.  And all the while, his machinations were somehow worked into the complex jigsaw puzzle that was LOST.

I went into the LOST finale eager for answers but hesitant for the series to come to an end.  I didn’t expect that I would be disappointed because of the trust I have in the creative geniuses behind the show—and I wasn’t.  I can’t say, at this point in my ruminations, that I totally “get” it.  Was that the remnants of Oceanic 815 on the beach over the end credits or perhaps the Ajira flight?  Were the flash sideways of Season 6 the after life?

The producers warned that not all questions would be answered but I would like to know how Walt was able to appear to Shannon the same way the visages of those who had passed appeared to the other “Losties”.

In one way, I envy those who have yet to discover LOST—those who have not yet taken the ride.  They can readily plow through the episodes on DVD, Netflix and ABC.com.  But they will have missed out on the larger experience of the series—the dialogue and speculation that occurs when mystery-riddled episodes are parsed out one a week, seasons are separated by as much as eight months, and an evolving media landscape simultaneously emerges to engage an audience like never before.

The video primarily focuses on what motivates people to succeed at work.  It is common to assume that money motivates people.  It turns out that assumption is dead wrong! The video features white board animation (think UPS commercials) set against a presentation given by author Daniel Pink at an RSA event.  If you’ve got 10 minutes I highly recommend you watch it.

Back to the traffic report.  I know the station is determined to make everything entertaining or cool, but they’ve gone too far.  In addition to the woman reporting traffic you also hear MUSIC and CAR HORNS in the background.  Car horns, in a traffic report, really?  Guess what I do every single time I hear the traffic report? I look all over trying to figure who I just cut off.  As a result I never hear the traffic report, and I can’t be the only one.

Your Web site is no different.  If visitors are bombarded with text, images, calls to action and a host of other distractions, they aren’t getting your message. That’s because without white space, it’s difficult or even impossible to visually sort and prioritize what’s on the page.

Here’s an example of excellent use of white space in design from the 37signals site.

Take a look at your Web site.  Are you asking too much of your visitors? Are there too many words, too many calls to action?  Next time you are considering a redesign (maybe that should be now) think about what adding white space can do for you.

Here are five rules for creating great touch screen presentations:

• KEEP IT SHORT.
  Average length of time spent at a trade show display is shorter than you think.  So focus your message and make sure you get it to the user within half that time.
• KEEP IT SIMPLE.
  Create a road map of where you want the user to go, and help them get there by making the route as uncomplicated as possible. It’s easy to imagine that because you have assets, (testimonials, case studies, data), including them into your interactive piece will make it better. Au contraire, mon frere. Think of this as a poem where every word and every cadence supports the central idea.
• KEEP IT FUN.
  It’s a touch screen, it should be engaging. Think outside the box when you create your user interface. Examples we’ve seen or done:
  -When the screen is touched, water ripples across the screen
  -Use a real word object (a key, a cell phone, a face) and interacting with it via a camera.
  -Using technology that allows hand gestures to take the place of a mouse
• WAIT LOOP TELLS ALL.
  Your wait loop will be running just like a screen saver whenever no one is using the display.  It should not be an afterthought. The wait loop needs to arouse curiosity.  It also needs to tell your story, in case people don’t have time to stop.
• DON’T FORGET THE TAKEAWAY.
  Give people something to take home to remember their kiosk experience. It allows them to explore at their leisure, and spread the word.

“Sorry that this e-booklet is so short. Actually, if I hadn’t spent so much time on it, it would be longer.”

How many times do you edit your written communication [not just proposals, print, web copy, but even brief e-mails] before it is ready for release? What “rules of thumb” do you use when you edit? Do you try to make sentences shorter, ideas clearer, remove unnecessary words? Do you remove entire sentences or subjects if they are about you instead of about your audience?

Here’s how to tell if you’re using a good method to edit: in most cases, the finished product should get shorter…and shorter… and shorter, until it’s as short as it can be and still express the essential ideas you need to get across.

An Extreme Example?

Yesterday I attended a lecture by Jonah Lehrer, who is, first of all, way too young to be so smart. He talked about the confluence of science and art (extending some of the ideas in his book, Proust was a Neuroscientist). One of his premises is that the reason art is valuable in our culture is it helps us to think about thinking, or “metacognate.”

Reflecting on my job, I realized that one thing I do is to use the elements of fine art (visuals, sound, text) to short-circuit metacognition. You could say that one definition of good marketing is to get people to jump directly from the reception of a message, to acting on the message, without the intermediary step of rational thought. (My social media counterparts will argue with me a little there, I think).

The paradox is that although I spend my day working out how to get people not to use their prefrontal cortex, I do it by spending a lot of time thinking about thinking. How do people behave? How do they react? What motivates them? What are the subconscious associations someone will have when reading one phrase vs. another phrase? When seeing one image vs. another image? My business is to persuade and to bring about behavior change.

I have always gotten a kick out of metacognition (I recognize this, now that I know what it’s called). There are those out there who are proud of being “Joe Sixpacks,” who would label me an “intellectual” (ouch!) or “navel contemplator.” I am now able to point to the practical uses of metacognition in changing behavior. I could even go farther and predict that (if we creatives are as good as I think we are) those of us who don’t metacognate are going to be increasingly controlled by those of us who do. In fact, I think it’s already true.

That’s why the word of the day is: metacognate!

The Volvo brand reputation has been built on safety.  If you’re talking cars and mention safety - Volvo always comes up.  The two are synonymous.  Despite that, I’m probably not going to buy the Volvo.  That’s because the other car I am looking at is also very safe and it has a whole host of other attractive benefits like…

• It get’s better MPG
• It employs greener engine technology
• It has more convenience features
• It has a few more cubic feet of space
• Finally, it costs less

I understand that safety is a selling point (a very important one) but if that’s all you really have to offer (and competitors offer it too) maybe it’s time to start finding out more about what your customer wants and needs.

It may be a cliche but it always comes back to the same refrain,

“What have you done for me lately”?

If your product isn’t continually improved, no matter how fantastic it is, competitors will catch up.  The shift from leader to contender happens much faster than you might think.  Just ask GM.