Effective marketing to keep your pharmacy memorable

December 27, 2018 by Smart Retailing Rx
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5 ways to make your pharmacy unforgettable

In brief:

  • A mix of marketing methods increases the customers you reach.
  • Frequent advertising ensures customers think about your pharmacy.
  • Form partnerships to stretch your marketing reach.
  • Try new avenues to add customers and sell more.

Always be top of mind

When residents around Warren County, Pennsylvania need a pharmacy, chances are high they remember Darling’s Family of Services.

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Whether someone reads the newspaper, listens to the radio, drives through town, joins in community events, or is active on social media, Darling’s Family of Services is there. They are constantly touting the benefits of its seven locations and home care service.

“We always want to be top of mind when customers need a pharmacy,” said Nicki Berdine, marketing liaison and community relations manager.  

5 keys to marketing success

Chris Darling started with one pharmacy in 2005 and added his seventh in 2018. Here are five ways Darling’s has created a growing family of pharmacies:

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Example of a Darling’s Instagram post
  1. Be where your customers are.

    To reach older customers, Darling’s continues to place ads in the phone book, which they still use, and the newspaper. 

    But they don’t stop there. They recently started posting on Instagram. Although the pharmacy’s first followers were employees’ teens, within a dozen posts it gained more than 80 followers. Posts include a “flash sale” on backpacks in August and a link to a scholarship that Darling’s co-sponsors.

  2. Communicate in multiple ways. Each week Darling’s communicates via Facebook, radio and newspapers.
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  3. Creatively tap into available resources. Darling’s works with multiple partners in implementing a wide variety of creative marketing approaches.
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  4. Make a commitment. Darling’s is committed to having a significant marketing presence. One way is an 18-month contract for two billboards. The messages on the billboards change about every six weeks. Thus far, Darling’s has focused on free delivery and “old-fashioned customer service.”
    example-of-a darlings-billboard

    Example of a Darling’s billboard

  5. Go big at events. Darling’s also participates in multiple community events, such as a senior expo. And they always make sure to make a big, fun splash. For example, since Darling’s promotes itself as “Superheroes of Home Care,” at the expo, it handed out crowns and masks saying: “We treat you like royalty at Darling’s.”
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    Example of Darling’s display at Senior Expo

Developing a flexible marketing plan

In the fall, Darling’s holds a marketing planning meeting for the coming year. The team brainstorms bold ideas to grow the pharmacies and be more valuable to the communities they serve. While the meeting sets direction, Darling’s marketing budget is flexible enough to jump at opportunities that arise throughout the year.

Reaching out frequently in so many different ways keeps Darling’s on the minds of community members. “They may not need you now, but down the road they’ll remember you,” said Berdine.