Hearing loss is an emotional and chronic condition that affects many individuals. In the US alone, 15% of American adults—approximately 37.5 million people—aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing. In 2011, Clear Digital Media (CDM) was founded by Michele Ahlman and Brad Dodson to help educate these individuals on hearing devices and their benefits. With their roots planted in hearing technology manufacturing, Michele and Brad strived to help hearing care practitioners better educate and inform patients at a time when they were most receptive to the information—in a waiting room.
Addressing a shortage of content
In order to address a gap in knowledge, CDM recognized a need for more education at the point of care. They understood, through experience and feedback from the community, that preconditioning patients on hearing aids pre-appointment or exam was more effective for both the patient and the practice.
Since it first launched, CDM has expanded and evolved into a cloud-based digital signage network that publishes tailored content on behalf of advertisers in the captioning sector, for auditory, hearing and battery manufacturers and other industries related to hearing care. With hundreds of digital signs situated in waiting rooms of hearing clinics across America, CDM’s digital signage network displays customized content that’s viewed by over two million patients per year.
Great content that speaks to patients
For manufacturers, advertisers and clinicians in the hearing loss sector, there’s no better way to reach their target audience than using Clear Digital Media’s Hearing News Network (HNN) situated in waiting rooms across the country. By displaying content to patients as they’re waiting for their appointment, patients are being gently introduced and educated on the different types of hearing aids available and their related costs and benefits, at a time when they are most receptive and interested in the information.
With their in-house team of writers, designers, and animators, CDM’s team not only publishes the content but creates it as well for any advertiser who needs some extra creative assistance. From staff bios that add a personal touch, customer testimonials that add extra confidence, displays with exciting promotions and specials, and even Spanish-language content, most of the messaging that is displayed on Clear Digital’s screens are created by their own experts.
To ensure that the content they create is constantly energizing patients, CDM put in place a patient content review panel that reviews digital videos and signage and provides feedback on clarity and effectiveness. This allows their creative team to continually review and refine their content to ensure that their digital signage network is always pushing forward content that is educational and informative for the millions of patients who view it each year.
The right place at the right time
In addition to delivering relevant and effective content, CDM’s network is also able to deliver content to the right target, at the right place, at the right time. With a majority of baby boomers needing hearing aids at this part in their life, CDM ensures that the message is delivered through a medium that they are comfortable with, in a respectful and non-intrusive way that builds trust and confidence.
With average wait times of 20 minutes or less in waiting rooms, viewers are able to digest and reflect on the content. This ensures that the appointment itself is more focused on testing, fitting and giving more specific information on the device itself, which is better for the patient and more cost beneficial to the practice. With an average sell-through rate of 75%, this method of content creation and delivery is one that works for CDM’s network of advertisers who continually strive for education and trust within their target audience.
Clear digital media & broadsign
As Clear Digital Media continues to grow and build their educational network, they’ve relied on partners such as Broadsign to help streamline their content delivery. Using Broadsign’s automated digital signage software, CDM is able to deliver their customized content and ads to individual waiting room in over 700 locations.
The Broadsign platform also offers a programmatic ad-buying model, which allows CDM to better monetize their ad inventory and give advertisers more opportunities to reach a specific target audience within the hearing health sector.
CDM is excited to evolve their content strategy so that audiences continue to learn and benefit from their display messaging, delivered through the flexibility and innovation of digital out-out-of-home media. By choosing technology-forward partners like Broadsign to help manage their network, Clear Digital Media will continue to empower patients by turning waiting rooms into engagement tools for generations to come.
