Hospital Branding

When media was mass, but predictable, and messaging was broad-based, not entirely personal, brand strategists could use the more structured way of developing a launch plan. One step at a time, each leading to the next, working to the top platform. The "ladder" approach. Today, media is highly segmented, personal, and available in forms and channels only imaginable to screenwriters. And messaging almost has your name on it. Add event marketing, social media, mobile applications, tablets, community-based networking, internal communications, and customer delivery/satisfaction - to name a few - and today's brand strategist has to step off the ladder and begin thinking in the "lattice" approach. The comparison between the ladder and lattice was first explored by Deloitte as they examined the changing workplace, but certainly works in the context of brand development and implementation. Organic, green, simultaneous, 3-dimensional, transformational, bottom-up, wi...

Lady Gaga came through Chicago last week. I was there. I'll let the music enthusiasts and concert goers blog about the show itself (okay, it was fantastic) while I focus on another important aspect of her performance. The Gaga brand. We often talk about a brand in the context of an expectation, experience, and effect. Against this criteria, this brand is a huge success. The expectation is clearly visible while walking around the United Center "monster" watching...people dressed in Gaga gear from all walks of life. See, the Gaga brand isn't targeting a certain demographic - it's about a way of life that touches monsters of all ages, genders, orientations, body size, etc. Her fans are branded "monsters" to unify and engage their inspiration and aspiration for the brand. Why monsters? The brand promise is being empowered to live life the way you want no matter who you are, how you look, or what you believe in. Every brand has a destination. In G...

At first, it seemed like another story of "progress meets obstacle." A plan to tear down old buildings to pave the way for a $150 million development project in Baltimore's re-emerging west side hit a roadblock when preservationists came out in force to protect—a former drug store. Really? Then I read further. In 1955, African-American college students staged a sit-in at that Read's Drug Store lunch counter—five years before Greensboro's more famous event at Woolworth's. The sit-in movement began in Baltimore. This is "not an African-American story, it's a Baltimore story," said David Terry, executive director of Maryland's Reginald F. Lewis Museum. That sentence caught my eye. A Baltimore story. A seminal event for a movement that changed millions of lives and an entire country. The massive development project slated for the area is certainly important for the city's continued growth. But Baltimore—like a business—grew upon a foun...

In both the spirit of the holiday's and the celebration of the Beatles now available on iTunes, the title of this post seems right. It also seems to fit what we're hearing and seeing more of these days from hospital systems - the "Unified" approach to brand strategy and architecture. There are two models that have been most prominent over the last decade; the endorsed model and the unified model. The endorsed model keeps the equity of each individual entity and provides a "seal of approval" in the form of a master brand that serves to connect all the pieces. BJC in St. Louis is a good example of this approach - and illustrates the pivotal decision point when evaluating both strategies - when you have the power of individual brands such as Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, or St. Louis Children's Hospital, chances are you're not going to lose them in favor of a master brand. The "BJC" seal shows the connectivity and...

Hospitals have become very complex these days. Not the cause of reform, or receivables. Not the technology, nor the patient records. The branding. Yes, the branding process has become so complicated that hospital marketers and their organizations are oftentimes overlooking the "DNA" that differentiates their brand from the competition. Instead of focusing on real points of difference, and interest to customers, branders are obsessed with trying to be something they are not or trying to cram 20 pounds of brand promise into the proverbial 10 pound bag. There's the case of the smaller, rural hospital that wants to be world-class. Um, no . The cancer center with a great and relevant donor name that wants to be known for its "care." Don't think so , and please read this blog post on the seven deadly words in hospital advertising. The world-class medical center that wants to be transparent. Okay, I see you, now what? And what does that mean to me? So co...

In today's economy and with looming reform implications, hospitals are not shy about accepting generous donations from trust funds and those who want to leave behind a legacy presumably from years of wonderful care and service. Development departments are busier than ever raising much needed funds to further develop or build new hospitals, research programs, and update existing facilities. And for those very large gifts, there's an expectation and agreement that the donor's name will appear on the facility so - for generations to come - they will always be remembered for their generosity. Corporations are even getting into the game by donating millions to a hospital for naming rights. I guess when all the ballparks are sold out, it's time to turn to local healthcare providers. Here in Chicago, we've seen countless examples of this, from the new Willis Tower (formerly Sears) to U.S. Cellular Field (formerly Comiskey Park). At least Wrigley Field is still holdin...

A recent conversation with another long-time advertising professional made me think. Actually, made me talk about the "old days" when word-of-mouth advertising was often cited as a top selection factor for various products and services. For ad professionals, this always made us cringe. We would develop unique strategies, create breakthrough work, and place it with innovative media ideas. Yet, when research was conducted, many consumers would often cite "yellow pages" and "word-of-mouth" as reasons for having awareness of a company, service, or product. Yikes! Cringe! Fast forward a few decades and "word-of-mouth" and "yellow pages" are still major factors - but now in their digital avatars of "social media" and "internet." And now, instead of a cringe factor, it's a "cool factor." And, it's a fact of life in brand-building and advertising strategy. Mass media is still being used to create broad-base...