What Marketing Opportunities are there at GP Surgeries?

Healthcare marketing has long been dominated by a ‘doctor knows best’ mentality. Patients visit their doctor to be told what to do and what to take with little consideration of how they can be involved in their own treatment.

However, a shift towards patient-centricity means the landscape for marketers is evolving. Focusing on delivering personalised experiences to patients is becoming increasingly important and in demand – opening up new opportunities for marketing within a health and wellness hotspot.

You won’t be surprised to hear that GP surgeries play a significant role in shaping the behaviours and health outcomes of the UK public.

More recently, however, this environment has become a significantly important destination for patients seeking guidance and support on wellness and welfare issues too, and this can be attributed to;

• The UK government is broadening primary care’s role. Recently, GPs were asked to advise patients on the importance of school attendance, and regional schemes are being tested to show the impact of prescribing heating to patients with conditions that get worse in the cold.
• Health is ubiquitous. With austerity driving a rise in frailty and mental wellness linked to physical wellness, health is in everything we do, not just the OTC medicines we take.

As a result, there are over 26 million appointments in primary care every month, mainly dominated by three audience groups coined as frequent attenders: parents with young children, those with chronic health conditions, and those with poor mental health. ‘Frequent attenders’ now make up around four in every 10 consultations in primary care and visit their GP five times as often as other patients on a general practice list.

1. Digital Signage

Digital displays or screens in waiting areas can showcase health-related messages, educational videos, practice updates, and community health events. These displays are ideal for time-sensitive campaigns, mainly those centred around national weeks/months or reactive campaigns based on a newsworthy moment.

Interactive screens allow patients to engage with more than just onscreen content—such as appointment scheduling tools—which further increases engagement opportunities and dwell time.

2. Printed Formats

Printed materials such as leaflets and magazines in waiting areas will get advertisers into the hands and homes of consumers actively seeking support, guidance and information on a range of health, wellness and welfare issues.

Unlike their digital counterparts, which lend themselves well to clear CTAs and short messaging, leaflets are ideal for complex information and imagery in one design. They allow for comprehensive storytelling to educate your target audience on multiple facets of your product or service.

With long dwell times as standard, printed materials in waiting areas can also provide patients with some relief while waiting and allow them to learn about health-related topics or solutions.

3. Education Packs

Healthcare professionals rely on up-to-date information, research findings, and educational resources to stay informed about advancements in their field and improve patient care.

Curating and distributing education packs aimed at specific groups of clinicians (e.g., GPs, midwives, and oncologists) can serve as a valuable educational tool. By providing them with access to relevant clinical data, product information, treatment guidelines, and best practices, they can make informed decisions and enhance their professional knowledge and skills.

Distributing tactile marketing materials directly has tremendous power to boost brand awareness and communicate the value of your product and/or service, so including samples in a pack is also worth considering.

Media campaigns in a healthcare environment benefit from unique advantages not often experienced in more commonly used spaces such as transport or roadside – in our opinion, contextual advertising at its best. Here are two significant benefits you can expect from a media campaign in a primary care environment.

1. Targeted Audience Engagement

Advertising wastage poses a significant problem for advertisers and their incumbent media agencies. It leads to inefficient resource allocation, reduced effectiveness of advertising campaigns, and a diminished return on investment.

Primary care advertising reduces this risk as clearly identifiable audiences present, most of whom are there with a purpose—finding a solution for or guidance on specific health and wellness issues.

Whilst 93% of the population are registered at the GP, 30-40% of all appointments are for roughly 7% of a practice’s patients, who visit up to 21 times a year.

In general, footfall in primary care is more likely to be made from patients who are female, older, have more social and psychiatric problems, take more drugs for mental illness, have more medically unexplained symptoms and suffer more long-term conditions such as diabetes, joint pain and cardiovascular disease.

If you want to read more about ‘frequent attendees,’ our insight piece is worth reading.

Due to limited resources, the NHS cannot provide many potential solutions and support tools, from mindfulness apps to incontinence wear. This means those with multiple chronic health conditions or complex medical needs that require ongoing management and monitoring are more likely to require supplementary support from brands and organisations outside of the NHS.

2. Brand Visibility and Recall

Advertising in GP surgeries also helps Increase brand awareness and recall as patients are exposed to messages in a setting where they are known to be particularly attentive and receptive.

69% of UK consumers are more likely to recall an ad when it appears in a contextually relevant environment.

According to a study by Integral Ad Science and Neuro-Insight, when adverts are placed in relevant environments, audiences’ spontaneous recall increases by 41%, and prompted recall increases by 69%.

For any marketers considering our primary or secondary care OOH networks, here are five best practices to be mindful of:

1. Focus on Patient Experience 

Materials must enhance the overall patient experience by providing valuable information and support rather than pushing sales. Remember to focus on them, not you.

2. Don’t Treat Your Audience as a Homogenous Group 

Gain a deep understanding of the audience demographics, preferences, and needs and tailor advertising messages accordingly. This means producing content in multiple languages.

3. Utilise Multiple Channels

Use a mix of media channels and formats to effectively reach patients or HCPs. This may include digital displays, posters, and leaflets in waiting areas, consultation rooms, and high-traffic areas within the surgery.

4. Be Aware of Health Literacy Issues 

Although we will help position your message prominently inside thousands of primary care sites, you must ensure that messages are visible and easily understandable to maximise impact and recall among patients.

5. Provide Actionable Information 

Include clear calls to action (CTAs) to prompt patients to engage with the advertised content and take the next step. For example, patients can request more information, visit a website for additional resources, or use a QR code for a discount.

By following these best practices, you can help your clients effectively leverage this trusted environment to engage and educate patients and/or support healthcare professionals while delivering measurable results for their clients.

Advertising in this niche environment can be a far better option for clients looking to activate a health or wellness OOH campaign. Low ad wastage, a highly engaged audience, and the power of contextual advertising are three reasons why.

Yes, broadcast media has its strengths (broader reach, potential for mass exposure, etc.). However, GP surgeries may also be more cost-effective for specific campaigns than broadcast media, especially for those targeting specific geographic areas or demographic groups.

Moreover, trust and credibility in this environment are unmatched. GP surgeries are the bedrock of UK society, where patients have established relationships with doctors and nurses. Advertising here can enhance brand credibility and trust, as patients are more likely to perceive advertised products or services endorsed by the healthcare professionals they trust.

You can’t get that at a bus stop now, can you?!

If you have a health or wellness brief on your desk and are interested in thinking outside the billboard box, let us know, and we can show you what we have up our sleeves.