When we talk about seasonal trends, we are referring to two different concepts: annual festivals and holidays such as Christmas, and healthcare awareness days such as Pain Management Awareness Day.
Both are opportunities to display the personality of your company and demonstrate corporate responsibility.
Traditionally, medical device companies relied on their sales reps connecting with doctors and other HCPs at tradeshows and in the operating theatre as a way to express who they are as a brand and what’s important to them.
However, in this post-pandemic world where trade shows are less feasible, creating an emotional connection with your target audience through digital mediums is essential. Seasonal trends are a great way to demonstrate the non-clinical side of your business, creating a human aspect that people can relate to and connect with.
Why do seasonal trends matter in medical device marketing?
Research shows that consumers want more from companies than they ever have in the past.
People want to know that they are buying from an ethically sound company. An example of this is that 70% of buyers want to know what brands are doing to support social and environmental issues.
Other studies have shown that customers also want to feel connected to the company they buy from, and they want that business to give back in some way and have a purpose.
They’re no longer looking to just buy a good product; they’re looking to buy a good product from a good company. Medical Device companies have a tendency to focus solely on their products and their benefits.
Whilst that is important, it doesn’t help to build the emotional connection that consumers crave, and it doesn’t display the company’s purpose.
By incorporating annual festivals and holidays into marketing plans, companies can take the opportunity to project a unique social identity. There is an opportunity to delve into company culture and show the human aspect of a company.
Having a brand personality and traits that consumers can relate to makes it much easier for them to feel an emotional connection and loyalty to a company.
Likewise, acknowledging awareness days is a good opportunity for companies to publicise their purpose in a way that doesn’t seem forced. When a consumer feels as though a company has a genuine purpose to give back or help people in some way, they feel good about investing in them.
How to incorporate seasonal trends into medical device marketing
Undoubtedly there are benefits to acknowledging holidays and awareness days, but how do you do it in the medical device industry?
Just like in all industries, it needs to be done right to get the best results and to avoid any negative consequences.
Annual festivals and holidays
Posting about festivals and holidays on social media can be a great way to exhibit the personality of your business. It steps away from your product temporarily to place the focus on your company. There are a few main holidays that you can acknowledge.
Christmas
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, full of fun and good cheer! Why not show off some of the positivity within your company? You can post about how your office celebrates Christmas or simply wish your followers ‘Happy holidays’ (if your company is international). Either way, Christmas evokes a sense of fun and community, which can portray your company in a positive light. 
New Year and Chinese New Year
A new year means a new start, so what better time to tell your customers about your ambitions and goals for the year? This is a good time to display your company’s passion and motivation with your target audience, which may be enough to convince them to get in touch with you.
If your company is international and does business in China, acknowledging the Chinese New Year can be a gesture of goodwill. Culture is important to everyone, so seeing that a company is in tune with that can leave potential customers with a positive view.
Awareness days
Awareness days are a good time for your company to delve into its purpose and demonstrate that your motivators go beyond money, which is likely to resonate with healthcare professionals who value their patients. Remember, only choose Medical Device awareness days that are relevant to your company.
For example, a Medical Device company that manufactures insulin pumps could post about Diabetes Awareness Month as they are helping to combat diabetes. There is no need to post on every awareness day, and doing so will appear inauthentic.
Customers want authenticity from a company, and if you are found out to be posting about causes that your company does not actively support, it can result in bad publicity. For example, many companies were criticised last year for posting about Pride Month without actually doing anything to actively support LGBTQ+ rights.
Companies like these have policies in place to promote social inclusion internally. Smaller companies don’t need to do anything as big as these companies have, but there has to be a programme in place that goes beyond posting on social media.
Medical device-related awareness days should not simply be considered a marketing strategy; they should be woven into all parts of your business to avoid any backlash. Rather than just posting about an awareness day, post about how you’re helping to raise awareness. For instance, if you are posting about Mental Health Awareness, take the opportunity to discuss what it means to your company in particular and what you are doing about it.
To stay on top of the awareness days you could be promoting in your own company, we have created a download of awareness days that are related to Medical Devices. Take a look at the list and add any days relevant to you to your diary; that way you can prepare, and you will never miss a relevant day.
If you would like to learn more about how to get the most out of your social media posts, see our article on our 10 best practices for social media.
Seize the awareness day!
As you can see, incorporating seasonal trends into your Medical Device marketing can elevate it to a whole new level.
It shows your potential customers that you are more than just a medical device manufacturer; there is a company behind those devices with a personality and some social responsibility.
Be wary when posting though, as seasonal trends have to run to the heart of your business, not just at the surface. Otherwise, you are not being authentic, which isn’t well-received by potential customers who want to buy from a company they can trust.