Marketing Guidelines
Save the Date Announcements
Only basic "save the date" information (e.g., title, date, location) can be distributed before CME credit is approved for the activity.
- If CME credit has not yet been approved by the Office of Continuing Medical Education and Lifelong Learning, no mention of CME credit can be made on the save the date announcement. Never indicate that “AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ has been applied for” or use any similar wording.
- If CME credit has been approved, the save the date announcement can state “This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™” without stating an exact number of credit hours.
Promotional Materials
A draft of all primary promotional materials (printed or electronic) that include a full agenda, lecture topics, presenter names, and/or the ability to register must be submitted in your application and approved by us before distribution. We need to ensure the materials comply with the national rules set for accredited CME before distribution.
If promotional materials are distributed before approval, CME credit cannot be designated.
MiCME will provide an Activity Web Page and Activity Announcement, using standard Michigan Medicine branded templates, that can be used as the primary promotional materials for the activity. These are generated using information from the approved CME application, as well as additional information about the activity or session added by the Activity Coordinator. We encourage the use of these materials to reduce extra work and ensure the language used in the promotional material is correct and compliant with CME accreditation.
MiCME will automatically generate the following:
- An Activity Web Page will be generated and used for general promotion on the OCME&LL website. The Web Page is customizable with full details of the activity (agenda, presenters, registration options, photos, hotel information, and web links) added as needed.
- Activity Information Sheet contains essential CME information, including the mandatory disclosure statement (sharing the presence or absence of financial relationships with participants), and the accreditation and credit designation statements. Educational Planners must share this Activity Information Sheet with participants before the activity begins, usually via an email, by posting on the door where the activity is held or by placing it beside the sign-in sheet on the day of the activity. This sheet provides information to help participants record their attendance, provide feedback, and receive CME credit.
Note: Primary promotional materials not created by MiCME will need to be uploaded as an attachment to the CME credit application.
Information to Include
Effective promotional materials are essential for attracting participants and ensuring a successful activity. Adequate detail about the activity should be included in brochures, websites, flyers, emails, etc. to ensure prospective participants can decide if the activity meets their learning needs. We suggest that all primary promotional materials include:
- Activity logistics (i.e., title, date, location, registration link)
- Target audience
- Activity description and/or learning objectives (expected changes in physician behavior and/or patient outcomes) that the activity is designed to affect [Required]
- Principal faculty and their credentials, including planners
- Agenda, including lecture topics and list of presenters
- Accreditation and credit designation statements [Required]
For enduring materials, the additional information may also be included:
- Medium or combination of media used
- Method of participation in the learning process
- Estimated time to complete the activity
Secondary promotional materials, such as postcards, social media posts, etc. need not contain full information but should direct the participant where to access it (i.e., the primary promotional materials).