 |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
| |
| We need Dean Winters: Rants and Musings of a Retail Pharmacist |
 |
by The Redheaded Pharmacist - October 24, 2011
|
Provided by The Redheaded Pharmacist
“Be protected from mayhem, like me!” That is the tag line from a successful series of television commercials by the Allstate insurance company starring actor Dean Winters as “Mayhem.” Winters is depicted to demonstrate all sorts of dangers that drivers face as examples of why one would need good car insurance coverage in case something bad happens to you too on the road. And that is just the kind of clever advertising campaign that the profession of pharmacy needs! Seriously!
OK, at least hear me out for a few minutes before dismissing my idea completely. One of the goals I listed in my previous post for the profession of pharmacy was for us to promote ourselves and show the world why we are important and what we do. Originally I thought that a large print advertisement in a major magazine would be a good start. But then again there is nothing like a good television advertising campaign to get people’s attention.
The Allstate campaign centers around showing viewers all sorts of bad things that can happen to people and their personal property. And that “mayhem” is characterized by Dean Winter’s role in the commercials. He plays the part to sell all the various bad outcomes in a way that also adds humor. And his humor and the memorable suit he wears completes the package for viewers. It’s a great advertising campaign that by no surprise has led to a revitalized career for the actor.
I think the profession of pharmacy needs an edgy advertising campaign that strikes a chord with the general public in a way in which they can relate to without being boring or preachy. And if we could ask the Allstate company if they’d allow us the right to “creatively borrow” their idea we could produce similar commercials that could appeal to a wide audience of people and show just what we are about in a unique way.
Think about a similar advertising campaign that again talked about mayhem that needs to be avoided. But instead of a car accident or a tree branch the mayhem could be a Coumadin overdose or a severe drug interaction or allergy. We could show the negative outcomes that are avoided all the time as a direct result of the intervention of a pharmacist. And I’m sure Dean Winters is up for the part. He’s already proven himself with this very role for the Allstate company.
The profession of pharmacy is notorious for not promoting itself well. It isn’t like we aren’t important. We just don’t show the public why we are important very often or they simply haven’t listened very well. That is why a unique advertising campaign might actually reach people and educate them. And quite honestly it could be fun to come up with these kinds of commercials.
The best of both worlds is to educate and entertain at the same time so you can keep people engaged enough to at least have them absorb some of the message you are trying to convey to them. Some may dismiss this as a gimmick that wouldn’t be taken seriously but I’m just throwing an idea out there. Plus, I think it is a risk we need to take as a profession because we desperately need to show the general public just how important we are to them.
This kind of idea might not appeal to some pharmacists. It may only resonate with a younger audience. We do have to think about spreading our message to seniors and a broad variety of people. That is true. But this advertising campaign has been hugely successful and I think this is just the kind of outside the box thinking the profession needs right now.
And it could be a real educational tool that wouldn’t just be entertaining. People could learn about why pharmacists are important and what things could happen if we weren’t around to help patients. This could be a real opportunity for the profession to get out of our comfort zone and spread the word about what we really do. Even if you completely dismiss this idea or don’t take it seriously you have to admit the profession needs to do something major to promote itself.
I’m sure there are thousands of ways for the profession of pharmacy to promote itself to the public. We could brainstorm several ideas if we really put our minds to it. I just thought up this specific idea late last night and wanted to share it with everyone because I thought it might work and I just love the Allstate commercials. Sure, I admit it isn’t an original idea. But we would be taking an idea that has already been proven to work.
So if the agent for Dean Winters is out there somewhere I have to ask how we can make this pharmacy promotion happen? Will Allstate allow us to borrow their brainchild for a little experiment to promote pharmacy? I think the profession of pharmacy needs to break out of it’s shell and educate the world about what we do and why we are important in a unique and memorable way. And yes, we can tell everyone how to avoid mayhem like Winters. What do you think? If not this we need to do something. Any ideas?
The Redheaded Pharmacist
The Redheaded Pharmacist has been working full time in retail pharmacy for more than a decade. He is in his mid 30s, and, yes, he has red hair.
Disclaimer: This blog represents the opinions of the author and the author alone. It does not represent any pharmacy group or organization. I also will leave out or change the names of patients/customers to protect their privacy and comply with government regulations regarding patient privacy rights and personal information.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
RECOMMEND THIS ARTICLE
You must be logged in
to recommend articles
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
