Coronavirus: If You Offer the Answers You Become the Leader

Bruce G. Silverman, Silverman Consulting LLC

“If you become a trusted source of information in a time of crisis, you are demonstrating leadership rather than simply claiming it. And people notice,” says veteran copywriter and frequent SHCM contributor Peter Hochstein.

In his new article, he discusses the value of becoming a source of information and reassurance during a crisis, with key strategic insights from Bruce Silverman.

Here’s an excerpt:

There must be millions of Americans who are simultaneously struggling to avoid a pair of plagues. One is COVID-19. The other is rampant anxiety.

Just note the recent run on toilet paper in supermarkets across America — not to mention supermarket shelves in some areas that are also bare or almost bare of staples like bread and even laundry detergent — to get a sense of the panic that is at least as infectious as the pandemic.

What’s a hospital marketer to do? Has your hospital considered an informative advertising campaign that helps to quell anxieties before your patients try frantically to reach their doctors?

I’m not talking only about generalized information concerning hand washing and covering your mouth when you cough, although that ought to be some part of it, too. Instead, I’m talking about detailed, specific information in a series of advertisements — probably online, in print, via e-mail or possibly on the radio — that addresses the specific conditions and concerns of patients, their families, and friends.

Read the rest of Hochstein’s article now, including a classic case study from four decades back that illustrates the truth of his point:

Seize the Opportunity to Keep Patients Informed on How COVID-19 Affects Them: It Helps Position Your Institution as a Leader.

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President