Interview: Leveraging Corporate Success Strategies for Health Care

The corporate and health care sectors often talk in different languages and have different ways of doing business. But there are lessons from the business world that can translate well to the health care setting, especially when it comes to building a brand.

Lisa Stockmon, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at City of Hope

Perhaps no one knows this better than Lisa Stockmon, the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at City of Hope, an independent biomedical research institution and comprehensive cancer center near Los Angeles. Stockmon comes to City of Hope from the corporate world and is now finding new ways to translate her past achievements into her health care marketing efforts.

SHCM Editor Jane Weber Brubaker recently spoke with Stockmon about how she’s using her marketing experience to raise visibility for City of Hope, and how she’s building on her successes to bring new treatments, and brighter futures, to people fighting cancer.

SHCM: How long have you been with City of Hope, and what is your specific role?

LS: I joined City of Hope in October 2014 as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. I provide the strategic leadership for the marketing and communications initiatives. My goal is to raise the national profile of this remarkable place.

SHCM: What has your career path looked like?

LS: Prior to City of Hope, I was Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a Forbes Top 50 charity. Before that, I was managing director for Time Inc. Content Solutions and a corporate vice president for Brand Planning & Development for Time Warner Cable.

SHCM: How does all of this past experience translate to what you are doing now?

LS: In all of my positions, I’ve led cross-functional teams that engage and motivate key stakeholders while also driving revenue. I focus on brand development, digital marketing, and integration across all channels. I have a track record of transforming the marketing within a competitive environment, and few environments are more competitive than health care.

At The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I launched a national brand awareness campaign in both existing and new markets, driving revenue growth through an expansion of digital marketing and online fund-raising.

SHCM: Tell me more about this campaign.

LS: The LLS campaign included print, outdoor, and digital ads, and it had a very contemporary tone and feel, designed to resonate with potential patients and potential donors. People want to feel hopeful; they want to focus on a positive vision for the future—and play a part in making that future a reality.

In that campaign, we leveraged customer insights, marketplace trends, competitive dynamics, and channel strategy to develop an integrated multichannel marketing plan that maximized customer acquisition, engagement, and retention.

For more on this successful campaign, the first change Stockman made when she arrived, her thoughts on the rapidly evolving world of health care marketing, and more, read our full interview now: Taking a Page from the Corporate World to Write a Health Care Organization’s Success Story: Q&A with Lisa Stockmon, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, City of Hope.

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President