Internal Branding and Stemming Leakage the Imperative of Today
by Michele von Dambrowski
Consider these statements made by two speakers at a session of the 18th National Healthcare Marketing Strategies Summit in Scottsdale, AZ, earlier this year:
“The ROI on internal branding is significantly higher than what you might achieve with external communications for probably 30 percent of the spend.” – Rob Rosenberg, President, Springboard Brand & Creative Strategy, Arlington Heights, IL
“It’s not uncommon for 70 percent to 80 percent of your own employees to go outside your own network for care.”
– Paul Szablowski, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Dignity Health Arizona, Chandler
In fact, data indicates that 30 percent to 40 percent of patients are referred outside the health care enterprise, resulting in a loss of volume, revenue, and consumer engagement. Weak or no internal branding contributes to this “leakage” to competitors. Leakage, Rosenberg explains, is not only caused by doctors, but also by everyone associated with the health care system – from employees to call center operations to emergency medical technicians and laboratories.