Hospital Branding

Hospital Branding: Why a name change isn’t “just a name change.” Naming is a key element of a brand strategy along with an identity, tagline, and architecture.  Creating a new name involves many hours of deliberations, word combinations, napkin renderings, pillow talks, research studies and brainstorm meetings.  However, the result is (hopefully) a strong brand name that perfectly reflects the new organization and its desired market position. So, after all the painstaking work that goes into a naming strategy, why are some companies quick to qualify, or downplay it,  as “just a name change.”  It’s almost as if they’re apologizing to their customers about changing the name. Wrong!  If you’ve gone through the decision-making and strategic process to change your name with key goals in mind, then   own   it and promote all the changes associated with it.  Your customers want to know the “why” behind your name strategy and what’s in it for them. Whethe...

What a year it’s been!  The devastation associated with the pandemic has touched all of us and I hope this finds you in a healthier and more positive space. Thankfully, vaccinations are being rapidly dispersed, and the world appears to be on its way back (save for the good old’ “hot spots”).  I won’t say “back to normal,” because – frankly – we don’t know what that is yet, but what will your brand look like going forward? When it comes to your brand, the same thinking applies, and questions abound.   How are you planning to move forward?  “What does your brand look like?”  “How will you portray customers, with or without masks?”  “When will you go full throttle?” Therefore, brand planners in all industries are actively game-planning the return of their brands and we have already begun to see shifts in their advertising away from the “together” message back and toward the competitive spin.  No more kumbaya! Here’s our thinking on some of these key ...

  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...

We are almost six months into this pandemic, and many marketers are reading, writing, and answering loads of questions about the return to brand “ normalcy. ”  Personally, I haven’t heard the same response given to that question in the many webinars, zoom presentations, and podcasts in which I’ve either participated or tuned in. Most thought leaders agree, however, that there is a four-phased approach to “ re-opening ” brands. The four phases include Response, Recovery, Restoration, and Revitalize.  A quick recap of each: Phase 1 Response  – Brands focused on safety, gratitude, and reassurance. “ We are all in this together ” was heard around the world.  And for healthcare organizations, it was all about the “ heroes .” Phase 2 Recovery  – Again, new safety protocols were ‘front and center’ and brands were actively changing operations to meet the needs of a very scared public. From home delivery to curbside pick-up, every organization had to rethink their produc...

If you’re like millions of Americans, you’ve seen the award-winning television show “Shark Tank,” in which entrepreneurs have 10 minutes to sell investors on their business idea. Now transfer that image to the last time you walked into the C-suite to sell your annual strategic marketing plan and budget. “It can be a similar experience,” said marketing consultant Rob Rosenberg, president of Springboard Brand & Creative Strategy, Ltd., in Chicago. “You have a limited time to give your presentation to a skeptical audience who has typically been sitting in a conference room for hours listening to numerous other pitches involving new investments or the request for more resources.” Read more on SHSMD’s newsletter  Spectrum  that features an interview with Rob Rosenberg and Paul Szablowski. Link Here

As 2020 approaches, there are important changes to make in order to help improve your personal and professional success in healthcare marketing. 1. Focus on growth and business building, not marketing Marketing in many healthcare organizations still lands on the promotional side of the equation.  Successful marketers are those who understand the growth goals of their organization and develop strategies, beyond campaigns and clicks, to generate revenue and support new customer acquisition.  Marketers need to shift their “frame of reference” from “doing marketing” to “leading organizational growth through marketing.”  This will earn you a more favorable spot in the C-Suite and among your team.   2. Develop the right dashboards You’re too focused on the promotional side of things when your marketing “dashboard” consists of primarily digital terms that leave the C-Suite in the dust.  When you include business metrics, your dashboard will light up and prov...

Coming up with fresh content for your healthcare website can be challenging, but is vital since content is the most important ranking factor in Google’s search algorithm. Stale content can lead to bored readers and duplicate content can lead to penalties from Google.  Don’t let content on your website become dull and repetitive by following these tips below to keeping your healthcare marketing content fresh. 1. Research Hot Topics and Keywords Use  Google Keyword Planner  and  Answer the Public  to see what people are searching for on the web that’s related to your business and services.  These are the most searched keywords, phrases and questions – if you don’t have content on these topics, you are missing a huge opportunity to reach these people. As you can see from the chart below, about 50% of blog traffic is found through search results.  It is crucial to write blogs on relevant topics that people are most interested in. Source: Nei...

Twenty years ago, when some companies were “printing money,” corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies were often developed as a way to deflect consumer attention away from big profits, write-off more expenses, and – in fairness to those who did – do good for the sake of society. Studies prove that CSR has a positive impact on a brand; increasing preference, loyalty, and engagement. The companies benefit, too, with less employee turnover and more revenue. That was then. This is now, and CSR seems to have taken a back seat. Not saying it doesn’t exist, but it  appears  less visible and instrumental in brand strategies. There are probably good reasons for this; certainly digital media is highly targeted and therefore these types of initiatives are not as mainstream as they once were, markets are much more competitive and some brands can’t afford to spread budgets too thin, and senior marketing people are less willing to take risks and implement programs that don’t ge...

Fall is a season of great transformation.  From colorful leaves to kick-offs and playoffs, the season brings change, reflection and hope. In the healthcare industry, fall also unearths many metamorphoses among companies, hospitals, and health systems.   After months of planning, studying, researching, and “cocooning” new ideas, brands emerge and dot the landscapes across U.S. markets.  Many of these names surface from the multitude of mergers and acquisitions that have also been in the planning stages during the summer months. I always enjoy reading about these new brands and learning their story as told by a new name, logo, and tagline.  Some, you can tell, are thoughtful, customer-based, and research-influenced.  Others seem to come out of the blue (healthcare’s favorite color, of course) with little explanation and depth. This always begs the question in brand evolution; what comes first – the name or the position? By “position,” I’m referring t...

As the new year kicks in, there are all sorts of tips and habits to break in order to help improve your personal and professional success.  For those in healthcare marketing, here are eight bad habits that need to be broken to help fix your strategies and outcomes. Focusing on marketing and not business building Marketing in many healthcare organizations still lands on the promotional side of the equation.  Successful marketers are those who understand the growth goals of their organization and develop strategies, beyond campaigns and clicks, to generate revenue and support new customer acquisition        2. Developing the wrong dashboards You know you’re too focused on the promotional side of things when your marketing “dashboard” consists of primarily digital terms that leave the C-Suite in the dust.  When you include business metrics, too, your dashboard will truly provide a snapshot of your organization’s marketing success in te...

When it comes to reaching and motivating consumers, healthcare marketers face a double “whammy.” First, studies show that the average person is exposed to 7,500 brand messages and marketing content every day.  The School of Human Sciences and Technology estimates that people switch between screens up to 21 times an hour. As a result of this overload, the average person’s attention span is eight seconds! What makes this even more complicated for healthcare marketers is the second whammy; making healthcare messaging engaging, simple, digestible, and differentiating in less time than it takes to say “multi-disciplinary, comprehensive, continuum of care.” As healthcare systems continue to grow adding new capabilities, physician practices, and other services, messaging becomes more complex – all the while consumers are giving them less time. Here are 8 ideas on how you can manage the “8 Second Rule” for healthcare brands A long-time colleague, copywriter and tagli...

Many years ago, when I was on the client side of B2B marketing fence, our messaging beat its chest about how our product was bigger, better, faster, stronger and could make our customers more money. Years later, after time on the agency side of both B2B and B2C marketing, we’re seeing a massive shift in how B2B buyers at various levels need to be engaged. Sure, there’s a procurement officer that’s all about specs and cost, but we’re assuming you’d like to move up the chain a bit. Consider this B2B value pyramid from a Bain & Company study earlier this year. This illustrates from the bottom of the pyramid to the tip top: The bottom of the pyramid – where many B2B marketers stop. This is where no one wants to be – it’s commodity-land. Living on specs and price will not keep you in business. Neither will simply addressing your buyer’s economic or performance needs with features and functions. As someone recently told us, don’t talk to me about the horsepower and t...