Emotion. It is driving us all, regardless of what we think.

I am currently reading the book Switch by the Heath brothers. I think it is a brilliant account of what drives us all to make decisions big and small. I am so thankful to the boys for providing an easy and clear explanation for what I have been ranting about with clients for years: everyone makes decisions based on emotions that are somehow steered by logic. Another important point the Heath brothers make ...

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Author: Ken Ribotsky

Mob Mentality and Marketing

How often do we underestimate the power of social norms? Let’s face it, just like many animals, humans learn by imitating the behaviors they observe, and they continue this learning process through adulthood. Modeling, if you will, is widely accepted, even by us corporate types. Modeling is one of the pillars of sales training. By watching and imitating others, we learn to act in ways that make us effective at activities such as sales, surgery, ...

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Author: Ken Ribotsky

The Power of Story

So many have written on this topic. I recently read (and highly recommend) a book titled the same, as well as an article in Forbes about the lack of story in PR.  I have to say this is true. We continue to forget that there needs to be a story behind our products, services and brands. In fact, without a story, you do not have a brand. But why do we continue to ...

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Author: Ken Ribotsky

Positive reinforcement for ad execs and patients

Well, I have to say one of the biggest recent lifts to my ego was our companies’ (Brandkarma and Core-Create) nominations for two Manny Awards. And while some may be jaded to all the fanfare and hoopla (including myself), I recognize how darn good it felt to receive that first notification. And if I could feel good after so many years of the jade build, just think how others ...

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Author: Ken Ribotsky

It’s time to get over social media anxiety

I’m tired of talking about social media as if it is the “next thing” or the latest fad. Social media, or the premise, has been with us as long as we have had verbal communication. It is human nature to recommend things, discuss problems, complain, and brag.  So I can’t understand why there is so much reluctance to become active in the conversation, even if you are a pharma company. The excuse that the “rules” ...

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Author: Ken Ribotsky

My Anti-social Media

Don’t get me wrong, I love it all, but I have to admit, I can’t get used to the amount of work it takes to keep up with the social media outlets I am interested in. [...] ...

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Author: Ken Ribotsky

Never Time to Do it Right

I have been quoted as saying that the quote made popular by our economic downturn—“now more than ever,” has been overused, and I admit I may be included in that group of over-users. As sick of the economy [...] ...

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Author: Ken Ribotsky

Can AHT be the new DTC?

The way things are going with our ability to effectively communicate with our prescription drug stakeholders, I think our business model is in for a big change. My clients—pharma, biotech and device companies—are losing the ability to differentiate themselves and drive demand due to regulation and an ever-complicating playing field. What if the healthcare we get were to change so drastically that we no longer had primary care as a service point? I suspect that this ...

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Author: Ken Ribotsky

Data crunch vs. opportunity lost

I work in an industry that loves its data. I am a fan of data as well, but often I get a bit concerned that we have decided that data has taken the place of thinking [...] ...

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Author: Ken Ribotsky

Stop saying you are sorry and just do it right!

This week I stayed in a hotel. Granted, it was not top-of-the-line, but it was a mid-level brand—you know, the kind that’s a little too run down to be the flagship brand [...] ...

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Author: Ken Ribotsky