Written by Natalie Moore on Feb 23, 2015
8 Killer Pieces of Branding Advice for Healthcare Providers
We are pleased to introduce Naomi Garnice, Director of Marketing at Salucro Healthcare Solutions. Naomi is a savvy content marketer and fluent in all forms of social media. At Salucro, she oversees all digital, events, and creative.
Healthcare has changed. The consumer-centered healthcare experience we’ve been reading (and blogging) about for months is here. And a consumer-brand with sharable content is the only way to provide the complete, uncut experience.
Now that Patients Are Consumers, How Do We Turn Them Into Our Loyal Brand Advocates?
More of your patients are finding your brand before they ever need to consider treatment options. Maybe they found you on Facebook because one of their cousins or colleagues liked your page, or they heard your commercial on the radio. The best healthcare brands, like any consumer-brand, are creating a constant dialogue about healthcare providers and turning their now-consumers into supporters.
Your healthcare brand can be and should be a content phenomenon. What exactly does this look like?
Here in Arizona, Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s larger than life brand has become an unshakable part of the community. Anyone living in the greater Phoenix area, (even those of us without children of our own), know that PCH is a children’s only facility, one that’s trusted by Arizonans.
How do we know? Because we hear their radio commercials. We see advertising about their events and cause from their proud, seemingly endless list of corporate partners – online or eating lunch at a supporting business. Their one-of-a-kind logo of a child’s hand, (created by a PCH patient), also happens to be on the hospital’s signage and all of their marketing. And we know that logo means Phoenix Children’s the second we see it. The brand is everywhere.
Stare With Your Brand Strategy
Before you can start putting out content that puts your facility or health system’s brand everywhere, you need your brand strategy to be in the right place.
It seems children’s hospitals across the country are finding the right approach, but they aren’t alone. I spent some time looking at healthcare providers here in Arizona and nationally that have an impressive brand and presence. Then I asked these marketing leaders to spill their most important brand strategies for hospitals and healthcare. Here’s what they had to say:
1. Your Brand Should be More About Your Consumers Than Your Organization Itself
“At Phoenix Children’s Hospital we define “brand” as consistent performance to our values, embedded in our culture and experienced by our stakeholders. Under this definition, our brand takes shape in the hearts of our team but it lives in the minds – and voices – of our consumers.
First, we use market data and consumer feedback to understand our key stakeholders. How is this executed in our marketing plan? The Phoenix Children’s key differentiator is our endorsement as Arizona’s only US News & World Report Best Children’s Hospital. We create programs and advertising targeted to payers, pediatricians and parents that support the fact that Phoenix Children’s is the right choice for the best pediatric care. This is not an advertising tagline, but the single point we know stakeholders will believe about our organization. We develop communication tools that are meaningful to the audience segment and incorporate proof points that touch their specific needs.
So you can see that branding is far more about the consumer than about the organization itself.“
– Debra Stevens, Director, Marketing & Communications, Phoenix Children’s Hospital (Follow her on Twitter, @kidsneedus.)
2. Find What Makes You Different, Then Run With It
“In the re-branding and marketing of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the most important strategy was to find a key differentiator between CHLA and our competitors and then shout it from the mountaintops. We went through a process of self-exploration and re-evaluation of who we were as an institution and where we saw our future and the future of health care. We had to ask ourselves: “What was our promise?” “How/can we deliver on it?” “What part of the health care experience separates us from the rest of the pack?” “Are all employees viewed and trained as ambassadors of the brand?” and many others. From those answers, we were able to craft a brand and marketing messages that are uniquely CHLA. “
– Jim Deeken, Vice President of Marketing, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
3. Keep the Brand Focus on Your Patients and Their Families
“I think the most important brand strategy we can work on is the overall patient/family experience. Today’s marketers have to go beyond the traditional focus of attracting and converting patients (getting more patients in the door), and help ensure that their overall experience is as positive as possible. If the experience is positive, even those who suffer adverse outcomes can become advocates. And the resulting word of mouth can be the difference-maker for patients who have a choice on where to get care.“
– Neal Linkon, Director of Interactive Marketing, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (Follow him on Twitter, @bladelink.)
4. Put the Humanity Back into Healthcare Marketing
“The most important brand strategy for healthcare providers is to put the humanity back into healthcare marketing. Through a balance of humanistic appeal and thought leadership, corporate brands are strengthened by infusing an emotional connection into the solutions that their organization works so diligently to bring to market. Beginning with comprehensive marketing and growth plans, communication strategies can effectively reinforce and build brand images that are relatable to healthcare audiences. Through case studies, public/digital/media strategies, direct marketing and strategic communications, brand stories are crafted, captivating their prospects, clients and stakeholders along the way.“
– Crystal Morley, Marketing and Communications Manager, PhyMed Healthcare Group (Follow her on Twitter, @B2BExchange.)
5. Listen to Your Audience to Shape the Brand and Customer Experience
“The single most important brand strategy in my opinion, is matching up the brand capabilities of the hospital with the healthcare needs of the community and delivering on that experience day in and day out.
Why? Because hospitals try to be all things to all people. With constantly shifting messages and clinical program promotions, individuals lose sight of what the hospital does well and what the brand stands for. Focus the brand strategy internally and externally around what you do best and deliver that experience and brand promise day in and day out. ”
– Michael Krivich, Independent Marketing Executive (Follow him on Twitter, @MKrivich.)
6. Your Brand Should Always Be Centered Around Your Patients
“Healthcare branding should always be “patient centric” and speak to the importance of that trusting relationship, the ease in which it should be established and maintained. Your brand should reflect what a privilege it is to serve your patients.“
– Mike Robertson, Senior Vice President Marketing & Public Affairs, Maricopa Integrated Health System
7. Keep Your Brand Visual and Relevant to Your Patients
“Hospitals are typically grouped into one category: scary, unfamiliar, and sterile – not a place anyone truly wants to be. As healthcare continues to evolve and patients take more of an active role in their treatment, hospitals in particular have the opportunity to differentiate themselves among competitors to become patient-preferred facilities. To do this, they must develop brands that are relevant to patients, create a visual representation of what the hospital aims to be for their patients, and at the core, prompt the response of choosing that hospital over others. The foundation of a successful hospital brand strategy will begin with asking key questions: What makes patients feel safe? What will they remember when they leave? How will they continue to engage with us? And most importantly, what will they tell others? By developing a brand strategy based on these components, hospitals are positioned to create scalable, successful brand strategies, and most importantly, continue to foster an environment that results in patient satisfaction.”
– Jennifer Gitt, Director of Marketing, Freedom Pain Hospital (Follow her on Twitter, @gitt_itgirl.)
8. Build Your Brand Around Your Consumers
“Branding in a consumer-centric manner facilitates a quick and confident acceptance of new patients with an obvious invitation to receive treatment in a place of convenience, competence, and care. Patients need a simple and clear method to select a provider. Placing the key components of that decision in clear view and in simple terms makes it easy for individual locations to showcase “best of” services. This might include a real-time dashboard for ER wait times, Center of Excellence or specialty offerings, or patient satisfaction testimonials. Being upfront about what makes a location distinct drives patient behavior with facts, clinical information, and referrals that engage and educate.”
– Nykki Stenger, Independent Marketing Executive (Follow her on Twitter, @picknyk.)
Are you already using these brand strategies or do you have one to add to our list? Share below or comment directly on our post on LinkedIn.