Category Archives: Marketing ethics

“Punytive” damages: the biggest corporate fines ever

Posted on by Carolyn Thomas
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Since I’ve discovered the website called Information is Beautiful, I’m afraid that all my available free time for at least the next year or so will be consumed by pouring over this fascinating time-sucker of a site. The book of the same name has been published across the world in nine languages. All of it was conceived and designed by David McCandless, a London-based author, information designer and data journalist. As he explains:

“I’m into anything strange and interesting. A passion of mine is visualizing information – facts, data, ideas, subjects, issues, statistics, questions – all with the minimum of words. Love pie – hate pie-charts.”   Continue reading →

An open letter to mobile health app developers and their funders

Posted on by Carolyn Thomas
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This guest post by Dr. Jessie Gruman was originally published on the Center for Advancing Health’s Prepared Patient blog in February. CFAH was founded by Jessie, who is the author of AfterShock, a book that helps patients navigate their way through the health care system following a serious or life-threatening diagnosis.

As a patient, writer and respected advocate, she sends this open letter to the techmeisters of Silicon Valley.

I hope they’re paying attention.

◊    ◊     ◊  Continue reading →

Branded content: advertising dressed up in a thin disguise?

Posted on by Carolyn Thomas
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Pity the poor marketer.  As reported in Forbes earlier this year, a lot of us simply do not trust advertising.  For example, a study called ‘Does It Really Ad Up’ from Lab 42, a Chicago-based research firm, revealed:

  • 76% of respondents said ads in general were either “very exaggerated” or “somewhat exaggerated”
  • 87% think half or more cleaning ads are photoshopped
  • 96% think half or more weight loss ads are photoshopped
  • 81% feel beauty ads are exaggerated (although – alarmingly! – 77% of men believe beauty ads are “very accurate”)

And that pervasive sense of mistrust (except for those guys watching beauty ads) helps to explain why industry has jumped all over the advertising concept called “branded content”.  Continue reading →

Patients As Partners or Patients As Tokens?

Posted on by Carolyn Thomas
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Reblogged from Health Care Social Media Monitor:

Click to visit the original post

It has been fascinating to watch a discussion take place on social media centering on the pertinent issue of whether patient engagement is a concept which is truly being embraced or is mere tokenism.

The debate started with the announcement of a Canadian Patient Experience Summit:

Connect with other healthcare leaders at the NATIONAL FORUM ON PATIENT EXPERIENCE and help shape the future of patient centred care in Canada.

Read more… 403 more words

The author of this post, Marie Ennis-O'Connor, is a respected patient advocate, speaker, blogger, PR consultant and health activist from Ireland. This was originally published on her site, 'Health Care Social Media Monitor', one of Healthline's Top Health Blogs for 2012.