Effective communications require an understanding of the palliative care program's various audiences, both within the hospital and in the larger community. The following six questions will help the palliative care team get the information needed to form the basis of the marketing plan.

To successfully market the palliative care program, the palliative care team must be able to profile the target audience; to create a specific and vivid stereotype of what the audience is like as a person. Most importantly, the team should develop an understanding of the audience's current behavior; in essence a “map” of the steps toward or away from supporting, referring to or asking for palliative care.

Target audiences for a palliative care program will fall into three broad categories: 1) hospital administrators and decision-makers, 2) clinicians, and 3) patients and their families. Understanding as much as possible about each of these audiences is important to effectively market the program.

Effective communication requires specifying the actions we want the audience member to take after hearing our message. Depending on the target audience's knowledge levels, perceptions, current behavior, and receptiveness to change, the proposed actions could be very different.

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This question focuses on which rewards the target audience might find the most appealing and motivating. What do they get in exchange for taking the desired action? The reward needs to motivate the audience to take action.

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Images allow an audience to quickly process the information and know that we are talking to them. The overall image answers the audience's implicit question: “Is this action something that I can see myself doing?” An effective image is appealing and relevant, makes the action seem feasible, and tells the audience, “I'm speaking to you.”

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In marketing your program, remember that educating any of these audiences about the evidence-based value (quality) of palliative care alone is not enough. How palliative care relates to their priorities and perceived needs must also be demonstrated. By keeping the team focused on the approach and the language that appeals to its different audiences, palliative care is repositioned from a request or demand to an offer hard to turn down.

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Then we must make good on the offer. The biggest mistake a program can make is to promise a reward and then not deliver.

One task is to promise the audience a reward; another is to make that promise credible. What will make the audience believe they will get the promised rewards? Support is built through use of relevant and credible information sources, such as statistical data or testimonials from peers. Graphic illustrations and personal stories can bring the facts or feelings to life.

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The key issue in designing ways to reach the target audience is to determine when and where the audience can best receive the message – not when and where we can best send it.

Openings are the times, places and circumstances in which the audience is most receptive to the message. They may be the places where the audience is thinking about palliative care (or have a need for these services).
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To determine the best communications vehicle(s) for reaching each audience, think about the reading, listening and communications habits of that audience. Vehicles convey messages along established channels like meetings or personal conversations. Pocket pain cards for clinicians, or brochures for patients and families, are examples of communications vehicles. Other examples include word-of-mouth, web and interactive, print advertising, public relations and direct mail. Vehicles need to be selected that are suited to and fit the openings.

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