Powerful Storytelling Shifts Perceptions for New York Hospital

Mark Shipley, CEO and Strategy Director of Smith & Jones

“Every great brand has a story to tell,” says Mark Shipley. And “an emotional, honest brand story can change the perception of a hospital or health care organization, eliciting consumer engagement, employee alignment, and a unique competitive position,” he adds.

Shipley is the CEO and Strategy Director of Smith & Jones, a health care marketing agency specializing in hospitals and provider networks. He recently shared the branding success story of Columbia Memorial Health (CMH) with us.

CMH is a 200-bed hospital in New York’s Hudson Valley. “In the first six months since its new brand launch, this hospital-based network witnessed the largest increase in outpatient revenue in the organization’s history and a shift in the way the staff viewed themselves as brand advocates,” Shipley says.

How did CMH pull this off? “By reframing the story from CMH not being as good as its competitors, to a story about an organization that can deliver on things that its competitors cannot,” Shipley says.

CMH’s storytelling efforts focused on humanizing the brand, focusing on the personalized care experience it provides, and helping prospective customers understand the patient experience. For all the details, read the full article now: Columbia Memorial Health: How Storytelling Changes Perceptions and Engages Patients.

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