As the second week of the new year comes to a close, so does intern Sofia Szymanski’s first week at Thread. Since beginning her internship last Monday, Sofia has worked on multiple projects, all of which have given her a deeper understanding of the professional world of marketing.

Today’s healthcare consumer has more choice and more access to information than ever before.

Healthcare marketers know that 2020 was a year of fear, confusion, and loss…especially in that industry. As patients struggle with the “new normal” we, as healthcare marketers, can help calm consumer anxiety by providing information that both educates and empowers them to choose the best solution for their unique set of needs. After all, today’s healthcare consumer has more choice and more access to information than ever before which is why it is critically important to deliver solutions in a timely and technology driven manner.

As new digital opportunities emerge, marketers and agencies will look to how they can adapt and improve their messaging. Livestreaming has been around for years - YouTube Live (2006), Twitch (2011), Periscope (2015), Facebook Watch (2016) - but livestreaming was often limited to the platform where the livestream broadcast was offered and the technical ability of the content creator.

We have all dabbled with online meeting software through the course of the recent pandemic – using platforms like Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams.

Healthcare marketers have their work cut out for them in 2021 with the many changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. With healthcare top-of-mind, both locally and nationally, healthcare marketers continue to walk a path fraught with tremendous uncertainty, economic instability and patient anxiety.

People use their phones and social platforms nonstop. The preferred usage patterns that match these devices and their most common format and display calls for brief, concise, and global language. Hashtags and emoji are popular on social media and phones because they are simple, universal, and effective ways to communicate.

Thread Marketing Group is excited to be providing public relations and marketing support for Buff City Soap’s Holland location, which has had a successful and impressive first year of business.

Buff City Soap focuses on creating and selling handmade products that avoid harsh ingredients and are full of nourishing plant-based minerals that satisfy their customers and their skin. Ranging from hand soap to shampoo bars, from bath bombs to facial cleansers, from lotions to laundry soap – their products are guaranteed to make you feel and smell clean.  

In March of 2020, many universities made an unprecedented decision to transition to online classes for the rest of the Spring semester. Then orientations, graduations, and summer classes were affected by COVID-19 as well. There is no doubt that this pandemic has changed higher education in a big way. In these uncertain times, students need guidance and reassurance from institutions.

If you had asked me last fall what my plans were for the summer before my junior year, they would not have included dealing with a global pandemic and learning through a remote internship. My name is Ansley Carr, and I am from the Atlanta area. I am entering my junior year at the University of Alabama pursuing a dual degree with a B.S. in Marketing with a minor in Entrepreneurship and a B.A. in Dance. As a member of Alpha Omicron Pi, Riptide Dance Crew, and the Alabama football fanbase (roll tide!), and more, I am very involved on campus.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact companies, schools, and individuals, it has also changed the summer, work, and school plans of college students throughout the country. Students already had to accept the unfortunate news that they wouldn’t be finishing their spring semesters as planned and that they wouldn’t be having the summer they expected, and now they will need to learn how to face the unique challenges and excel under the new guidelines and restrictions for this upcoming school year.

As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to cause shifts in many industries, healthcare is one that is in the center of it all. Hospitals are extremely overcrowded, and primary care has taken a hit. Annual check-ups and elective surgeries are being rescheduled, and many offices have changed hours or even lost personnel. Outcomes can be detrimental if these trends continue, especially for high-need patients.