Examples of stories from multiple vantage points

A couple of weeks ago, I shared an exercise we did using the movie, Vantage Point, to show how the same events can be seen from several viewpoints.

Now, let’s move from Hollywood back to our health, science, and technology markets for some examples of how we can effectively tell brand stories from many viewpoints.

A major hospital distributor learned this using our N-of-8 approach.  The company had created an information management product to manage and integrate clinical, financial and operational information.  They approached me to moderate a series of focus groups to test the messages with hospital administrators, CFOs, heads of pharmacy, and nursing staff managers.  After conducting the groups separately, it was clear that each audience was seeing the product only from its own point of view.

And frankly, the potential benefits of the product were not very compelling.

But one comment by an administrator prompted an idea:  it wasn’t the individual data reports that were unique, rather that the program connected them greater sharing of interdepartmental collaboration.

Based on this insight, we reorganized the last round of focus groups in a single cross-disciplinary N-of-8 group, to allow each function to interact more around the story. That’s right. . .all four.  It was in this forum that the true benefits of the information management product came to light:

• better patient safety and comprehensive clinical systems
• regulatory compliance and HIPAA compliance
• financial management and revenue cycle capabilities
• fast-track to an electronic health record (EHR)

Together, the cross-functional group developed a brand story of service utilization, supply inventory, and time efficiency that would serve them all – and would compel executives to make the substantial investment in the product.

You can read more stories in my first book ForwardFast now available on Amazon.