Hospital Branding

Regardless of the business or industry you’re in, strategic marketing plans have long referenced initiatives for both customer acquisition and retention.  Strategies and tactics are focused on either gaining new customers or keeping them. The pandemic has caused (among many other things) an entirely new customer focus that has been receiving a lot of attention among marketing departments;   reactivation .  Simply put, reaching and motivating existing customers to once again   use   your services.  For any business that is not solely online, this is a critical objective that has significant impact on revenue and growth. The concept of customer reactivation includes other key differences than those of its acquisition and retention counterparts: Competition Customer reactivation brings on a whole new level of competition that has nothing to do with your competitors.  Basically,   you’re not competing against other businesses or organizations   –...

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...

During an annual exam, your physician can get a good sense of your heart health with an EKG.   As healthcare marketers, a Brand EKG can also give you a quick read of your brand’s health.  Several years ago, this model was introduced to help hospitals, namely C-Suite representatives, understand consumer research findings and implications. As indicated above and based on the classic consumer marketing behavior model, a brand has to have established a strong sense of awareness and preference before leading to trial.  This model has been expanded to include brand attributes such as likability, intent to recommend, and other layers of behavior.  Based on an analysis of nearly 100 consumer studies, and validated by leading healthcare researchers, we concluded that a “healthy” brand EKG would have a variance of 12-15 percentage points between key indicators.  A larger number would indicate an “unhealthy” brand that is not converting on the preceding att...

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...

I had the pleasure to present at the SHSMD Connections conference in Seattle a few weeks ago.  My co-presenter, and fellow disruptor, Paul Szablowski and I were thrilled to see a full house for our session, as healthcare marketers were eager to learn business lessons from the hit reality television show “ Shark Tank .”  And, at a time when marketers are under constant scrutiny from their CEO’s to demonstrate value and Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI), walking into a shark tank each time budgeting and annual planning rolls around is all too much a reality. Here’s a recap of our presentation, “ Lessons from the Shark Tank .”  If it leaves you swimming with questions or additional thoughts, I look forward to hearing from you. The Waters are Murky for Marketers Marketers in all industries are facing intense pressure to perform for their organization.  Many studies suggest that there is definitely a realignment needed between the C-Suite and marketin...

Your website is the hub of your digital marketing strategy.  It is the place where patients, members and influencers want to learn more about your organization.  While many medical product and service companies have an online presence, they don’t think of search engine optimization (SEO) while building it or even after the site’s been developed to maintain it.  A website can look great, but if it’s not built for SEO, no one will be able to find you. Follow these 5 important factors to make your website more successful, including design and development, and what to do once the website is live. Simple is better, especially for healthcare brands. Before you get started with a new website, first define your goals. What do you want your visitors to see and what do you want them to do? This all contributes to the design of your new site.  Not everything can stand out.  Highlight a few things that sets you apart from your competitors and make those stand ou...

Direct mail as a healthcare advertising tactic has undoubtedly declined in volume over the past decade. One of the contributing factors, of course, has been the rise and surge of digital and social media platforms, both allowing healthcare brands to effectively and efficiently deliver their message to consumers where they are; on line, on their phones, and always on demand, and looking for healthy supplements as  the best extract  of kratom you can purchase online. As a result, marketers are increasingly putting more of their budget into these new channels to the tune of over $70 Billion, nearly tripling its spend in the last eight years. In the mix, you’ll still find big traditional media such as television, radio, and (magazine) print.  These media are proven brand support and many of the elements can be shared with other platforms whether on line videos, banner ads, Pandora radio, etc. – so, all in all a very cost effective balance of new and old. Under the...

Creating a winning digital strategy takes the right combination of ‘earned,’ ‘owned’ and ‘paid’ media. Understanding what those are, and how to leverage them to create a successful plan can be confusing. A great way to tackle this is by thinking of earned, owned and paid media as a triumvirate. Each is an important part of your organization’s strategy, and combined, they can contribute to a successful digital marketing plan. For the purposes of this blog, we are going to focus on owned media.  Owned Media  is any communication channel or platform that belongs to your brand that you create and have control over. This can include your website, any content you publish, your social media channels, and the content you distribute on those channels. The cornerstone for any digital owned media strategy is a good website. For many, building a website can be an overwhelming prospect. But building one doesn’t have to be such a monumental task. It’s important to remember tha...

If you aren’t already using testimonials in your healthcare marketing plans, I hope that this inspires you to do so. Testimonials are a powerful tool that can persuade potential customers to buy or use your services. In fact, testimonials could be one of the most powerful marketing tools you have! People feel more confident engaging in a relationship when they know there are other satisfied customers. Through testimonials, you can give potential patients a reason to believe and a trusted opinion from a third party. Testimonials are effective because they: Build trust . Your customers share the positive experiences they’ve had with your organization’s services. Provide feedback . Asking for testimonials is a great psychological spur to encourage companies to continually strive for their best performances—and allows quick corrections if they begin to drift off course. Aren’t “salesy.”  Because they aren’t written in your corporate voice, they stand out as unbiased and auth...