Each week we email a tip or news that we are covering in Strategic Health Care Marketing. You can view the archives of this weekly ezine below.
The SHCM Editorial Advisory Board is made up of leaders in the health care marketing field who are committed to shaping the future of the industry. They offer ongoing feedback on our editorial coverage, write occasional articles, and point us to developments and people SHCM members like you should know about. I’m very pleased to announce that Linda MacCracken has joined Read More
How often do you go to Starbucks, and what do you order? Your answer likely will be different from that of your co-worker or neighbor, since everyone has his or her own unique lifestyle and taste. The same premise also holds true when it comes to selecting health care services. Different people have different needs Read More
“The health care field is in a state of constant disruption today, with mounting competition coming from many outside sectors,” says Craig Allan Ahrens, MHA, MBA, a leader at national health strategy firm BDC Advisors. “But the time is also ripe for health systems that understand the current marketplace to capitalize on growing opportunities to position Read More
Does your brand fully resonate with your employees? If the answer is “no,” and your mission and goals aren’t connecting internally, it’s important to invest time and resources to capture and distill market research data to create a unified vision. Then you’ve got a brand to promote externally. Look at Spectrum Healthcare Partners, a physician-owned Read More
When the powerhouse brands of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase recently pooled resources to form a new independent health care delivery system to serve 1 million collective employees, an entire industry took notice. While lots of questions remain as to how the company will operate, one thing is clear: The health care industry has Read More
When the movie Wonder was released in fall 2017, sharing the fictional story of a fifth-grader named Auggie coping with a facial difference called Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS), Dayton Children’s Hospital saw this as an exciting opportunity to raise awareness about groundbreaking treatments offered for children with TCS through its own Craniofacial Center. “We do Read More
In an elementary school science classroom in the Fort Worth area, children work diligently on their assignments, eager to earn a chance when they finish to participate in a fun deskside exercise break that gets them up and moving . . . playing silly games, following mazes, and learning catchy dance moves. In the process, Read More
It’s no coincidence that people who like the Apple brand tend to be loyal customers, keeping all of their technology purchases within the Apple family. This is because Apple goes to great lengths to ensure its customers always have a very positive, consistent experience in stores, online, and by phone, according to Steven Maskell, chief client Read More
Have you incorporated audio content in your health care communications strategy? If not, you could be missing an opportunity to engage prospective patients who live in your service communities, and to position your organization as a leader to referring physicians across the country. While some health systems dabble in producing radio content and developing podcasts Read More
“Sorry, family health care decision-making moms, ages 20-something to about 50. For once, you’re not the specific target of a children’s hospital advertising campaign,” says veteran copywriter and frequent SHCM contributor Peter Hochstein. “Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, with 618 licensed and leased beds and 1.4 million patient visits annually, has been running a Read More
What’s old is new again at Methodist Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. Methodist recently celebrated its 125th anniversary, and this milestone provided a valuable opportunity for the health system to build on its past to position itself for the future. While most health care systems pride themselves on being ahead of the curve when it comes Read More
The SHCM Editorial Advisory Board is made up of leaders in the health care marketing field who are committed to shaping the future of the industry. They offer ongoing feedback on our editorial coverage, write occasional articles, and point us to developments and people SHCM members like you should know about. I’m very pleased to Read More
“There are three unmistakable truths,” says Paul Gauthier, founder and chief executive officer of MedicareCompareUSA. “The first truth is that approximately 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day, making Medicare recipients the fastest-growing segment of the American population. The confluence of aging baby boomers, better lifestyle habits, and incredible advances in pharmaceuticals has resulted in 41.5 Read More
One patient, one blanket, a world of difference. That’s the theme of a recent campaign at Scripps Health to inspire people to donate $100 to buy a soft blanket for a woman undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Donors also are encouraged to include personal encouragement with their gift to support the recipient. Scripps is a Read More
Veteran copywriter and regular SHCM contributor Peter Hochstein suggests an interesting proposition: “Run some hospital advertising that flat out calls your potential patients nerds. Nah, come to think of it, that probably wouldn’t work, and might prompt some irate letters to your CEO. Well then, how about offering advice that sounds financial, and encourages people to ‘go Read More
Sometimes the best marketing opportunities come from just naturally doing the right thing for the people you serve. That’s certainly been the case for Beaumont Health, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. Its commitment to caring for the community extends beyond addressing people’s physical health to also supporting their mental and spiritual well-being through an array of Read More
Some of the greatest champions for your health care organization no doubt come from your service communities. A new campaign from the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) shows how champions are newly motivated and empowered to take the lead in raising funds for causes they care about. Millennials and Generation Xers often naturally add viral elements Read More
“Before anything, Rachael Kagan, director of communications for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, wants you to know that the campaign her department launched is not an advertising campaign. It’s a branding campaign, she insists,” says veteran copywriter and regular SHCM contributor Peter Hochstein. “It wasn’t about drawing more people or business,” she explains. Read More
“One of the great pleasures of [Strategic Health Care Marketing] is tracking the innovative marketing approaches that are key to building consumer engagement,” says Linda MacCracken, senior principal at Accenture (and member of the SHCM Editorial Advisory Board). After numerous conversations with providers and technology innovators, and from reviewing trending analytic indicators, she has identified Read More
Do you wear a fitness tracker to count your steps or follow other health-related measures? Many people who access health care services within your system also probably use the latest devices to monitor details like activity level, amount of sleep, and blood pressure. All of this information can paint a valuable picture of health status Read More
You probably wouldn’t buy an appliance or book a cruise without knowing what it will cost. Yet historically, health care systems have expected patients to undergo various diagnostic tests, procedures, and treatments without any idea of what they will be charged. But times are changing quickly. While most patients are not yet comparison-shopping based on Read More
At the annual meeting of the Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD) in September 2017, a group of health care strategists from the Middle East came all the way to Orlando, Florida to attend the presentations. When they introduced themselves to SHSMD representatives, they revealed that they had made the trip to attend Read More
Close examination of your referral patterns may bring to light some surprising gaps in your current practices that could be impacting your revenues. That was recently the case at Tampa General Hospital (TGH), says Katie Alexander, director of physician relations at TGH. But once her organization identified the problem using a Physician Relationship Management (PRM) Read More
When most people think of Customer Relationship Management (CRM), it’s usually in the context of service line promotion and prospecting for patients. But CRMs present similar opportunities and challenges for fundraising, too. The most effective health system fundraising campaigns focus time and effort building personal relationships with perspective donors. But for many health care organizations Read More
Is your organization truly on the same page as your physicians? If not, you may be missing important opportunities to maximize the quality and costs of the care you provide. Poor alignment among management and medical staff can cost you greatly—in lower patient satisfaction, lower physician retention, and reduced profit margins. “The relationship between physicians Read More