Hospital Branding

As another year comes to a close, we think about all we've accomplished in 2012.  However, it's equally important to think about what we didn't. In fact, our business-oriented list of New Year's resolutions should begin with the "to do's" that remain undone.  There are many reasons in the marketing world why we're not always able to put check marks next to our check-lists.  Deadlines, new project initiatives, changes in staffing, revised business priorities...the list goes on with many items that just can't be helped.  But there's another reason we often don't complete what we've set out to accomplish - "overthinking." Overthinking.  Admit it, we're all guilty.  There are many examples in the world of hospital branding that fall prey to the symptoms of overthinking. Most center around how we think people will react to strategic decisions and whether or not they'll be able to put "two and two together."  B...

Since the mid-80's, when healthcare marketing first burst onto the scene, "women, 35-64" were considered the 'sweet spot' of consumer audiences for marketing communications programs.  She represented the heavy user, influencer, and the primary decision maker for the entire family.   However, in the last 30 years, with seismic shifts in lifestyles and household compositions, this traditional view of the "classic demographic" needs to be re-examined to take into account non-traditional family dynamics.  And this represents a great opportunity for healthcare marketers to capture these emerging households. As Springbrand Brand and Creative Strategy (happy now SEO department) engages in more focus group panels across the U.S. on behalf of hospitals and health systems, one message is consistent:   people want to see themselves  ("people like me") reflected in advertising and communications campaigns.  This should be welcoming news to marketers ...

Since we're in the middle of "Conference Season" - yes, that time of year when squeeze balls and personalized pens go flying off the exhibit tables - I'm pleased to report that the topics of branding and strategy are, once again, in the conversation.  For the past couple years, or so it seems, break-out sessions and keynote addresses have centered on the "hot picks" including social networks, digital media, and mobile technology. And while these subjects are still the bullseye of marketing agendas, the context is brand strategy  and, at least for now, the dog is back in charge of wagging the tail. There are several key factors and forces which appear to be influencing this shift in context, away from tactical marketing to strategy and branding.  Based on the conferences I've attended thus far this Fall, here are a few: The "Steve Jobs" Effect - Maybe it's the surging stock price of Apple, or the upcoming one-year anniversary of h...

Like everything else, it seems that internal marketing is undergoing a transformation - moving from the "touchy-feely" era of benefits to those that really hit the bottom-line hard.  Especially in these times of acquisitions, affiliations, and other cooperative arrangements. Several summertime events have reinforced what we've thought all along - the value of building brand knowledge on the inside has immediate and very tangible results. First, a personal experience from a recent summer trip that included a hotel scheduling snafu.  For some reason, the Marriott hotel I thought  I was booked into, was actually sold out and did not have my name on the list.  Even with my usual "song and dance," the receptionist could not accommodate.  But, instead of sending me and my travel companion on our way to a competitor for four nights, she provided us a list of other Marriott branded properties in the area and called a special hotline for availability. S...

This month, Springboard celebrated its 10-year anniversary.  The number of well wishes and thoughtful remarks were much appreciated and gave us "cause for pause" and the opportunity to reflect on the last decade. Obviously, much has changed in the healthcare and marketing industries; from the invent of social media to the real inroads of healthcare reform. Amidst all the changes, there is a consistent thread that has remained woven in the fabric of consumer buying, and has for decades. Yes, the concept of branding is alive and well and remains at the "heart beat" of reaching and motivating customers to choose one product or service over another. That's it - heart beat!  After spending so many years describing the concept of branding and all the text-book definitions, it comes down to these two key words.  And when contrasted with the words "chest beat," used to describe branding's first cousin, selling, it really ticks! A brand strategy makes...

At a recent breakfast branding club, featuring those in the business and not famous cereals and toaster items, the discussion popped up about the strategy of owning key phrases and images. In addition to graphic standards, which organizations develop to illustrate proper spacing and color palettes, the conversation centered on the need for companies to create key words, phrases, and images that support their brand propositions. Having once worked on Sealy Posturepedic mattresses, I recalled the "ownership" (and subsequent trademark) of the phrase, "designed in cooperation with leading orthopedic surgeons." Key words that created a franchise and contributed to a 90% awareness of the Posturepedic brand. In addition to this copy, all sales materials and advertising were required to feature the now famous mattress "cut-away," the scientific illustration that shows various layers of ticking, coils, and foam. This combination of art and copy became a hallma...

Have you noticed it in your marketplace? Hospitals and health systems are undergoing a vast resurgence in new naming strategies. Here in the Chicago area, for example, we've seen Central DuPage Hospital and Delnor Health System come together as "Cadence Health." Provena Health and Resurrection Health Care have selected "Presence Health" as their new combined name. From corporate HQ in San Francisco, Catholic Healthcare West has become Dignity Health in their 40-plus markets in the U.S. The Ohio State University Hospital changed its name to Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University. And, just recently St. Luke's Hospital in Allentown, PA announced it will now be known as St. Luke's University Health Network. These are only a handful of the many name changes happening in markets across the country. Why this surge? The reasons vary; from an onslaught of recent mergers to faith-based practices, from competitive positioning to donor recogni...