More Flies With Honey

www.ColonoscopyJoke.comwww.ColonoscopyJoke.comwww.RxForSanity.comwww.RxForSanity.com

More Flies with Honey: More Flies with Honey: Using Humor to Highlight Using Humor to Highlight HealthHealth

Patricia L. Raymond MD FACP FACG, Patricia L. Raymond MD FACP FACG, Rx For SanityRx For SanityAssociate Professor Clinical Internal Associate Professor Clinical Internal Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk VANorfolk VA


The Divine Ms. Butt The Divine Ms. Butt MeddlerMeddler

aka Patricia L. Raymond MD FACP FACGSimply ScreeningChesapeake Virginia

The Diva of Doo…The Diva of Doo…


Sing along!Sing along!

Your wife is wrong; your heads Your wife is wrong; your heads not up herenot up here

At least so far as I can see!At least so far as I can see!I am your colon cancer I am your colon cancer

screening…screening…

Yes, I put the wind Yes, I put the wind between your cheeks!between your cheeks!











Trying to figure out why Trying to figure out why something is funny is something is funny is like dissecting a frog. like dissecting a frog. You'll come up with You'll come up with answers, but the frog answers, but the frog always dies.always dies.

~ Mark ~ Mark TwainTwain


Advertising ToolsAdvertising Tools

Strong visualsStrong visuals SexSex Powerful headlinesPowerful headlines SexSex HumorHumor


Humor PlussesHumor Plusses

Gets attentionGets attention Relaxation/ desensitizationRelaxation/ desensitization

Comfortable atmosphere, Comfortable atmosphere, approachableapproachable

Start the conversationStart the conversation



Humor PratfallsHumor Pratfalls

– Appropriate to audience “Where’s Appropriate to audience “Where’s the beef?”, or who is ‘Butt’ of the beef?”, or who is ‘Butt’ of humor?humor?

– Keep to topic: Funny but pointless?Keep to topic: Funny but pointless? SuperBowl effectSuperBowl effect

– Relatively short life span compared Relatively short life span compared with pathoswith pathos

– Failure results in complete disasterFailure results in complete disaster


Humor in Medical Humor in Medical Awareness: Awareness: Seriously Seriously EffectiveEffective Remarkable (Seth Godin)Remarkable (Seth Godin) Clean, not mean, humorClean, not mean, humor Actionable Actionable


RemarkableRemarkable

Seth Godin “Purple Cow”Seth Godin “Purple Cow”



Humor Style QuizHumor Style QuizQuestion 1Question 1

Who is funnier? Who is funnier? A.A. Howard Stern Howard Stern

B.B. Bill CosbyBill Cosby



The best clips on America’s The best clips on America’s Funniest Home Videos are the Funniest Home Videos are the ones where people slip and fall.ones where people slip and fall.

A.A. TrueTrue

B.B. FalseFalse



I like to tell jokes and act funny; I like to tell jokes and act funny; it helps people to blow off steam it helps people to blow off steam and relax.and relax.

A.A. FalseFalse

B.B. TrueTrue


Answer key for the Answer key for the anal retentiveanal retentive A answers= negative humorA answers= negative humor B answers= positive humor, high B answers= positive humor, high

self esteem, lower tensionself esteem, lower tension

Washington State University, Prevention Washington State University, Prevention February 2005;56February 2005;56


ActionableActionable

Sales technique: Call to ActionSales technique: Call to Action Specific plansSpecific plans




Analyze campaign forAnalyze campaign for

Target/MessageTarget/Message Funny 1-10Funny 1-10 Appropriate 1-10Appropriate 1-10 CTACTA Remarkable? Y NRemarkable? Y N




Feminine ProtectionFeminine Protection










First 2 not funny, butFirst 2 not funny, but

Target/MessageTarget/Message Is the campaign likely to Is the campaign likely to

be effective in the selected be effective in the selected target?target?


























The Bad and the UglyThe Bad and the Ugly






Why’d They Miss?Why’d They Miss? 3 I’s 3 I’s InsensitiveInsensitive IntimidatingIntimidating Information Information (as in ‘TMI’)(as in ‘TMI’)


Ten Dos and Don’ts Ten Dos and Don’ts for Humor in Healthfor Humor in Health1. Don't over-analyze a humorous idea. It's funny, 1. Don't over-analyze a humorous idea. It's funny,

or it's not. Remember Mark Twainor it's not. Remember Mark Twain2. Don't use humor for its own sake. Make it 2. Don't use humor for its own sake. Make it

relevant to your objective. relevant to your objective. 3. Don't use humor to deceive or tell a lie. It's a 3. Don't use humor to deceive or tell a lie. It's a

scientific fact that humor intensifies positive scientific fact that humor intensifies positive physical and psychological reactions; deceit will physical and psychological reactions; deceit will undermine these good feelings and supplant undermine these good feelings and supplant them with anger and resentment. them with anger and resentment.

4. Do use humor to entertain. People love to be 4. Do use humor to entertain. People love to be entertained. (What do you do in your free time?) entertained. (What do you do in your free time?)

5. Do use humor to be thought-provoking, but not 5. Do use humor to be thought-provoking, but not offensive. offensive.


Ten Dos and Don’ts Ten Dos and Don’ts for Humor in Healthfor Humor in Health6. Do test humorous concepts, not techniques. 6. Do test humorous concepts, not techniques.

Slapstick, irony and word play are techniques, Slapstick, irony and word play are techniques, but what is the idea you want to convey? but what is the idea you want to convey?

7. Do let your reader/listener/viewer experience 7. Do let your reader/listener/viewer experience the joy of "getting it." You'll make a friend. the joy of "getting it." You'll make a friend.

8. Do engage the imagination of your target. 8. Do engage the imagination of your target. Theirs may be even bigger than yours. Theirs may be even bigger than yours.

9. Do the homework on your target. Humor 9. Do the homework on your target. Humor comes from knowing your audience inside-out. comes from knowing your audience inside-out.

10. Don't forget that rules are meant to be 10. Don't forget that rules are meant to be broken. The best humor comes from the edge, broken. The best humor comes from the edge, where there are no rules.where there are no rules.

Adapted from Don Stroh’s The Serious Side of Humor in Direct Marketing


Choose your target…Choose your target…

What are the obstructions to What are the obstructions to awareness, diagnosis, and awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of your issue?treatment of your issue?

Who should this campaign target?Who should this campaign target? What media outlets will be most What media outlets will be most

effective for your message?effective for your message?



The art of medicine The art of medicine consists of amusing the consists of amusing the patient until nature patient until nature cures the disease.cures the disease.

~ Voltaire~ Voltaire





Call to ActionCall to Action

Cheek Cheek CheckCheckChallengeChallenge


Sing along with me!Sing along with me!

As you approach your fifties, As you approach your fifties,

Don’t put off this test too long-Don’t put off this test too long-

‘‘Cause if you think that colon Cause if you think that colon screening’sscreening’s

Just for Just for SadoMasochistic IdiotsSadoMasochistic Idiots, , then you’re wrong!then you’re wrong!


Just remember when you’re fiftyJust remember when you’re fiftyYour risk of colon cancer grows.Your risk of colon cancer grows.

Suck it up, make your Suck it up, make your appointment,appointment,

When you’re clean, here comes…When you’re clean, here comes…

The HOSE!The HOSE!




Passionate HealthCare…Passionate HealthCare…Love caregiving, just for the Love caregiving, just for the health of it!health of it!

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More Flies With Honey