News

April 2005

Brand establishment was the central theme of a seminar provided by Merrily Orsini, Private Duty manager-turned-marketing guru, at the 2005 NPDA Conference. From an article in the Private Duty Insider, "NPDA reports that 225 private duty managers attended its three-day meeting, the largest crowd drawn by the 650-member organization in the three-year history of its annual event. Nearly 100 attended the lesson delivered by Orsini, who was a private duty agency owner and manager for 17 years before changing professions."

The article went on to state, "'Branding goes beyond colors and images, she stressed. You've got to set yourself apart from the competition and become the go-to source in your market for home care', said Orsini, now the managing director of Louisville, Ky.-based corecubed. Unlike food or retail businesses, branding for private duty agencies "is not a logo or a corporate identity or a product or a strategy," she said. Instead, it's a way of combining all those factors into "a person's gut feeling about your service."

Orsini discussed other branding tips as well, including increasing awareness and excellence in your telephone staff, who are your front line of contact with your clients. She also emphasized:

Developing a specific guarantee
Enhancing and supporting your brand message with your letterhead
Creating a great Web site
Leaving a lasting impression

Excerpt from article by Karen Kaplan [kkaplan@decisionhealth.com] for the Private Duty Insider.

In another article in the Private Duty Insider, the value of a promotional offer of free home care is discussed by Merrily Orsini. While this type of campaign may work for other venues, she "doesn't believe such a campaign will ever accumulate much business for a private duty agency".

"Care decisions for your loved ones are not based on (giveaway) offers like that..."It's a long-term decision that's generally made from referral sources and trusted counselors. I would be suspect of that as a come-on from a home care business. You're not selling tires or widgets or hamburgers."

Excerpt from article by Karen Kaplan [kkaplan@decisionhealth.com] for the Private Duty Insider.

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