Era of Change for Health Care Marketing: 6 Key Strategies for Future Success
The dynamics of health care delivery have changed dramatically. In the coming year, health care executives will need all the tools in their toolboxes to meet the challenges.
// By Amalia Stanton //
It has been 34 months since the COVID-19 pandemic uprooted our lives and altered the way we work — perhaps forever. This time period has been like no other for individuals working in the health care field, including the marketing and communications professionals who play a critical role in supporting operations, strategy, and the overall success of a health delivery organization.
Similarly changed, consumers became less loyal to their health care brands, had higher expectations for ease of access and shorter wait times, and became increasingly less patient and forgiving.
The devastating impact of the pandemic — including workforce shortages, supply chain disruptions, inflation, and reimbursements not matching the skyrocketing cost of care — continues to take its toll on health care delivery.
For marketing professionals, this translates into the need to, now more than ever, work hand in hand with operations, patient experience, and digital functions. There will be a renewed need to prove the efficacy of budgets, justify staff, and demonstrate success in achieving both short- and long-term goals while exhibiting a solid return on marketing investments.
Combined with increased competition from health care disrupters, as well as waning consumer loyalties due to less-than-ideal experiences, it has become increasingly evident that many tried-and-true marketing efforts need to be re-examined to ensure continued success in today’s market.
This coming year will require marketing executives to:
- Listen actively
- Deliver seamless service to patients
- Rethink brand activities
- Compete effectively with new disrupters
- Realize past messaging and content may not work today
- Continually strive to improve equity and access.