Trust

What Comes Next: A 2026 Forecast from Health Care Marketing’s Front Lines

Daniel Fell is senior vice president, Healthcare at BVK

// By Danny Fell // Health care marketing is entering 2026 at an inflection point. AI is no longer an emerging capability. It is a structural force reshaping how patients search, choose, access, and trust health care. In this article, 10 health care marketing leaders weigh in on key priorities for 2026.

Navigating Executive Communications in a Politically Charged Health Care Landscape

Althea Fung

// By Althea Fung // Public trust in institutions is eroding, and health policy debates are increasingly polarized. Health care leaders face growing pressure to speak publicly on issues that blend medicine, politics, and public perception. For executive communications teams, the question is not whether to engage, but how and when to do so for maximum credibility.

Northwell Health Strikes an Emotional Chord with Sonic Branding

Ramon Soto, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Northwell Health

Few things connect more directly to human emotion than sound. In marketing, that connection is powerful: Audio cues can reinforce brand recognition up to 96 percent faster than visuals alone. Discover how Northwell’s sonic brand amplifies emotion, strengthens trust, and helps the organization break through the clutter in a fiercely competitive marketplace.

The Power of Data in Search: How a Small Marketing Team Masters AI Overviews

Lacey Reichwald, Aha Media Group

// By Wendy Margolin // The search landscape has changed dramatically now that AI-generated answers are featured at the top of search engine results pages. Do consumers trust what they find? How should health care organizations change their approach to content development? New research sheds light on some of the new dynamics.

AI vs. Human Insight: Who Wins in Creative Strategy Decisions?

Deb Pappas, Connecticut Children’s

// By Deb Pappas // Is AI ready to accurately predict creative strategy choices? To explore this question, Connecticut Children’s undertook a side-by-side test during the development of the next phase of creative for a brand campaign surrounding the December 2025 opening of a new patient tower. Read on to see how AI-generated research measured up.

Advertising Showcase: Northwell Health Uses Sonic Branding to Deepen Connections

Logo - Northwell Health

// By Susan Dubuque // Few things connect more directly to human emotion than sound. In marketing, that connection is powerful: Audio cues can reinforce brand recognition up to 96 percent faster than visuals alone. Discover how Northwell’s sonic brand amplifies emotion, strengthens trust, and helps the organization break through the clutter in a fiercely competitive marketplace.

Can Authentic Messaging Cut Through Today’s Health Care Distrust?

Shannon Hooper, president and COO of Unlock Health

In the current environment of cultural tribalism, how can health care organizations break down barriers and rebuild trust in the communities they serve? Brandon Edwards and Shannon Hooper believe the antidote to toxicity is authenticity. Here, they share ideas for how marketers can break through the red state/blue state conundrum.

Why Human Insight Is Still Essential in the AI Marketing Era

Jordan Buning, President, ddm marketing+communications

Large language models are breathtakingly fast at returning answers to our prompts and even adjusting the voice and tone according to our guidance. But people skills, unique to humans, can’t be outsourced to AI. Here are a few of the most important people skills marketers must possess, now and in the future.

Hospitals and FQHCs: Why Partnerships Matter Now More Than Ever

Toniann Richard, CEO, HCC Network

// By Susan Dubuque // Community Health Centers are bracing for major Medicaid cuts. Community Health Centers, including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), have been the backbone of health care access since 1965. Hospitals and health systems have a vested interest in supporting their sustainability. Read on to see how health systems benefit by partnering with FQHCs.

Authentic Health Care Marketing: Treating People with Empathy, Curiosity, and Respect

Brandon Edwards, CEO Unlock Health

// By Jane Weber Brubaker // In the current environment of cultural tribalism, how can health care organizations break down barriers and rebuild trust in the communities they serve? Brandon Edwards and Shannon Hooper believe the antidote to toxicity is authenticity. Here, they share ideas for how marketers can break through the red state/blue state conundrum.

A Marketer’s Guide to Human Relationship Building in the Age of AI

// By Jordan Buning // Large language models are breathtakingly fast at returning answers to our prompts and even adjusting the voice and tone according to our guidance. But people skills, unique to humans, can’t be outsourced to AI. Here are a few of the most important people skills marketers must possess, now and in the future.

What Parents Value Most in Pediatric Care—and How Providers Are Responding

Rob Klein, founder and CEO, Klein & Partners

Trustworthiness is the quality Americans value most, according to national consumer studies from Klein & Partners. During a Strategic Health Care Marketing webinar in May, Rob Klein presented results from the company’s latest National Consumer Insight Study. Here, we discuss some of the larger themes that emerged from the conversation.

Embracing Change in a Turbulent Era: Paul Keckley’s Roadmap for Health Care Leaders

Paul Keckley, The Keckley Report

The U.S. health care industry is approaching a critical inflection point. In a candid and thought-provoking keynote at the 2025 Healthcare Marketing & Physician Strategies Summit, Paul Keckley outlined the challenges and potential opportunities health care leaders must navigate in an era of unprecedented economic uncertainty, regulatory disruption, and consumer discontent.

How Can Health Systems Align Internal Culture With Public Perception?

Cynthia Newton, President, Cynthia Newton Consulting

In an SHCM exclusive Q&A, marketing strategist Cynthia Newton unpacks how review platforms, transparency, and employee engagement reshape health care reputation from the inside out. Read the full article for insights to help ensure that your employer reputation matches your culture.

From Budget Battles to Consumer Backlash: Paul Keckley on the Future of U.S. Health Care

Jared Johnson

// By Jared Johnson // The U.S. health care industry is approaching a critical inflection point. In a candid and thought-provoking keynote at the 2025 Healthcare Marketing & Physician Strategies Summit, Paul Keckley outlined the challenges and potential opportunities health care leaders must navigate in an era of unprecedented economic uncertainty, regulatory disruption, and consumer discontent.

Your Employer Brand Shows What Candidates and Patients See

John Marzano

// By John Marzano // In an SHCM exclusive Q&A, marketing strategist Cynthia Newton unpacks how review platforms, transparency, and employee engagement reshape health care reputation from the inside out. Read the full article for insights to help ensure that your employer reputation matches your culture.

Advertising Showcase: CaroMont Health “Trust in Caring” Campaign

CaroMont Health logo

// By Susan Dubuque // CaroMont Health has spent more than 80 years earning the trust of its neighbors. Testing ad concepts for emotional stickiness lends credibility to this organization’s brand platform and messaging. Discover the creative executions and discover how this health system uses emotion to distinguish its brand.

Henry Ford Health “We Go For It” Campaign Brings Grit to Health Care

// By Althea Fung // Henry Ford Health’s latest campaign “We Go For It” pairs the grit of Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell with the health care system’s relentless commitment to patient care. Find out how Henry Ford Health leveraged an important sports partnership to showcase its own expanded services and the region’s renewed vitality.

Health Care Brand Loyalty Dwindles Amid Primary Care Delays, Survey Reveals

Rob Klein, founder and CEO, Klein & Partners

In an age where health care access is a primary concern, people can’t love a brand they can’t use. This was the resounding message from a 2024 National Consumer Insights Survey (NCIS) by Klein & Partners. What will it take to deliver experiences that meet consumer expectations, and where should health care organizations focus?

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