Hospital Branding

  Healthcare marketing professionals are facing another epidemic; “ brand fatigue .”  Many are tired of working from home, an endless loop of Zoom calls, and constantly trying to think of new, better ways their brands can succeed in this new environment.  Yes, it’s exhausting! But this is when brands have to stand up to meet the challenge.  When their loyal consumers rely on them most.  Where trust and dependability matter more than ever before. So, how can you avoid brand fatigue in the next few months and step up to the new challenges that will ultimately impact your planning?  Here is a checklist to add to your Zoom brainstorming session that will hopefully spark some renewed energy and enthusiasm: Product/Service Innovation  – If there’s ever a time to think “ outside the box ,” it’s now. During  Wave 1 , we saw restaurants and retailers rise to the challenge with “ touch-free,  curbside services .”  Established brands like Peloton i...

This question used to be asked differently – “do your audiences click with you?”  Meaning, do they engage with your messages, watch your commercials, open your direct mail, or subscribe to your email. Today, it works differently.  It’s your brand’s job to click with its audiences in a way that encourages them to opt-in and engage with your organization.  These HubSpot statistics are a bit scary and support who’s really in control of message delivery and reception:          95% of consumers say they have skipped TV ads          98% have unsubscribed from an email           53% cite that there are direct mail pieces that go unopened         66% have requested to be on “do not call” list:  Approximately       200 million Americans  have  registered their phone numbers on     the FTC’s list As written about in other posts on thi...

On a recent flight to a holiday destination, I was fortunate to be on a newer plane with many of the latest enhancements to passenger comfort and entertainment.  For example, I had my own personal communications screen that provided my choice of movies, network shows, new streaming programs (Netflix) and a host of other possible viewing selections.  While having a screen in the headset was nothing new, having that many personal choices was something that I hadn't seen before.  And if that wasn't enough, I could get wi-fi and choose from my personal inventory of entertainment and data options. As I stretched my legs and walked through the cabin, I noticed how many different channels were being watched.  In fact, I didn't see any two people on the same program.  This made me think of how times and the way we communicate with people have changed and how personal it has become. Staying on board the airplane theme, recall how airlines used to entertain us. ...

The most effective way to be disruptive in today’s marketplace is to have the deepest possible understanding of your consumers. Have you ever been behind a fo­cus group mirror watching a group of your customers, wanting to reach through the glass to educate them about your brand so they could better understand the brand mes­sage and successfully choose your product or service? All the work you think you’re doing to develop the most compelling and differentiating brand proposition is falling terribly flat! It has happened to all of us and, while it is a humbling and reflective experience, it reinforces a basic principle of branding, communications, and breaking through the clutter. It’s not that customers don’t “get” or care about the message, it’s mainly that the content is not engaging or disruptive enough to rise to the top in their already multi-tasked lives. And this leads to the brand marketer’s next task. We use the term disruptive as an adapta­tion of Clayton M. Christe...

Separated by a mere three letters, there's a world of difference between the words "brand" and "branding."  Too often, they are used interchangeably and interpreted in many different ways.  Common terms associated with both words include "naming," "identity," "tagline," "packaging," "advertising," and so forth, mainly centered around tactical elements. In our experience working with organizations in the service sector, the difference between the two ideas comes down to this:  A brand is a destination, where you want to end up, while branding is the journey or the roadmap to get you there. There are other important differences between the two terms, some dealing with dollars and others that just make sense. A brand is a goal; branding is a strategy. From the breakthrough book, "Positioning - The battle for your mind," (Trout and Ries), establishing a market position is a goal, it's where yo...

The next wave of digital marketing requires brand builders to either SWIM or sink. Digital marketing is no longer the after-thought in the marketing plan.   In fact, it should be front and center in your discussions about the most effective ways to market your organization's products and services.   While traditional, off-line communications still has its place in terms of promoting a brand message and satisfying goals related to awareness and preference, digital marketing is the “go to” for achieving behavioral metrics and creating customer transactions. At a recent healthcare strategy conference, savvy marketing guy Chris Bevolo of Interval, presented on the topic of digital marketing.   In his presentation, Chris stressed that digital marketing strategies must be considered first, and in this order: search, web, and mobile.   Marketers need to think through how consumers will search their brand, where it will take them, and how they are search...

We recently attended an American Marketing Association brand leadership breakfast, featuring  Rodrigo Sierra , CMO & SVP of the American Medical Association. In addition to providing insights on leading his organization in a challenging marketplace, he discussed the evolution of the organization’s brand – brands they have shed, and how they want their brand to be perceived in the future. When a marketer gives a presentation there should be a dose of cleverness. When describing brand types they have moved away from, he did not disappoint, and offered: “Brandpa” – a grand old brand – tired and in need of some renewed vigor. “Brandelabra” – a multi-pronged brand strategy where each remains siloed, shines equally, but tends to fizzle out over time. We couldn't stop ourselves from expanding on his examples and thinking what we’d call many of the brands we see as we look at healthcare systems and associations.  Some common brand strategies th...

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...