We’re all storytellers these days. Well-told stories have the power to influence behaviors and decisions. We tend to “lend an ear” to our neighbors. Community experiences matter, which is why tapping former patients from small towns and cities across a vast geographic service area made perfect sense to Geisinger for its health care brand journalism Read More
Patients speak from the heart about their health care experience at Geisinger in unscripted videos shot from their hometown. “What’s more powerful than that?” asks the health system’s marketing chief. // By Marcia Simon, APR // We’re all storytellers these days. Well-told stories have the power to influence behaviors and decisions. We tend to “lend Read More
“When it comes to marketing health care services, content marketing provides an excellent platform for conveying the expertise of providers and building confidence and trust among prospective and current patients,” says Susan Dubuque, cofounder of NDP Agency. Here’s an excerpt from Susan’s new article: “Our overarching content strategy is to position U of U Health Read More
// By Susan Dubuque // From podcasts and social media posts to infographics and blogs, content marketing is becoming a staple of today’s health care marketing departments — with a wide array of tactics that bolster brand recognition and support marketing goals. When it comes to marketing health care services, content marketing provides an excellent Read More
As diversity, equity, and inclusion continue to increase in importance, Advocate Aurora Health has been making strong progress in connecting online with the more than 2.2 million Hispanics who live in its service area. The Illinois and Wisconsin provider launched a market-wide social media initiative at the end of 2019 designed to “position the organization Read More
// By Brian Griffin // One of the Midwest’s largest health systems is effectively using social media to reach its Spanish-speaking population with information about COVID-19 and important health services for the community. As diversity, equity, and inclusion continue to increase in importance, Advocate Aurora Health has been making strong progress in connecting online with Read More
“Hey, there’s a pandemic going on!” writes Peter Hochstein, crackerjack copywriter and regular SHCM contributor. “Hospital workers are supposed to look harassed, grave, and ready to collapse from exhaustion, right? That’s not quite the way the communicators and staff at Johns Hopkins Medicine saw it. Result? Internet views by the — no, not by the Read More
// By Peter Hochstein // Hey, there’s a pandemic going on! Hospital workers are supposed to look harassed, grave, and ready to collapse from exhaustion, right? That’s not quite the way the communicators and staff at Johns Hopkins Medicine saw it. Result? Internet views by the — no, not by the thousands, by multiples of Read More
“A group of musicians in Iceland demonstrated that promoting social distancing doesn’t have to sound like somber, top-down marching orders from an authoritarian central command,” says SHCM contributor and copywriter Peter Hochstein. “Instead, they tapped into something uplifting, communal, and perhaps instinctively primeval.” Here’s an excerpt from Hochstein’s new story: I feel sorry for the Read More
// By Peter Hochstein // A group of musicians in Iceland demonstrated that promoting social distancing doesn’t have to sound like somber, top-down marching orders from an authoritarian central command. Instead, they tapped into something uplifting, communal, and perhaps instinctively primeval. I feel sorry for the American doctors and public health experts who’ve been tasked Read More
Is there a strong reason to create a hospital branding campaign that dispenses with emotional appeals to make a rational sales argument? How can you keep it visually surprising and compelling? And how can you show that you’re talking about a hospital without resorting to the visual clichés? Notable Health Care Advertising // By Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // For the 36 or so years I’ve been writing this column, hospital marketing managers and their agencies have been telling me they didn’t want their ads to look like “typical hospital advertising.” And much hospital advertising really has been atypical. I’ve seen senior citizens doing stand-up Read More
In an elementary school science classroom in the Fort Worth area, children work diligently on their assignments, eager to earn a chance when they finish to participate in a fun deskside exercise break that gets them up and moving . . . playing silly games, following mazes, and learning catchy dance moves. In the process, Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // Childhood obesity is a serious problem in North Texas. Find out how one health system addresses the issue with the help of local schools and an innovative deskside exercise program, and see how the results make a difference. In an elementary school science classroom in the Fort Worth area, Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // Any number of hospitals post videos on the internet featuring their doctors and other staff discussing their institutions and specialties. Too often, these standup “talking head” presentations feel unspontaneous and uncomfortable. Eyes shift nervously as speakers obviously read from cue cards. Language that looked good on Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // Uh oh! Something isn’t quite right about the race car driver in a TV spot. He’s a bit too pudgy. He seems overly fidgety. Instead of wearing a race car driver’s fireproof suit, he’s sporting a short-sleeved polo shirt. And as he floors the gas pedal Read More
The journey to selecting a health care system is not unlike the way people decide to buy a car, book a vacation destination, or hire a plumber. In fact, the basic consumer journey model can be adapted to almost any industry, according to Stephen Moegling, chief growth officer at Franklin Street, a health care brand Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // Do you know exactly how people decide where to go for their medical care? Understanding the path that patients take to access care can help you determine where in the decision process you have the best opportunity to influence them to select your system. Mapping the Decision Pathway Consider Read More
“The health care sector lacks the rich marketing history of industries like retail or automotive, but today’s patients are more empowered than ever and the behaviors they display when seeking health care services or products largely mirror their shopping journeys for apparel, electronics, or any other household product,” says Susan Gullion, associate director of search Read More
// By Susan Gullion // The health care sector lacks the rich marketing history of industries like retail or automotive, but today’s patients are more empowered than ever and the behaviors they display when seeking health care services or products largely mirror their shopping journeys for apparel, electronics, or any other household product. That is Read More
Flip through the channels of your television set any evening and chances are you’ll stumble across an episode of a reality TV series that was filmed in a hospital emergency department. Over the past few years, such “real” medical TV that presents traumas as they unfold has grown in popularity among viewers, and some organizations Read More
// By Lisa Ellis // Flip through the channels of your television set any evening and chances are you’ll stumble across an episode of a reality TV series that was filmed in a hospital emergency department. Over the past few years, such “real” medical TV that presents traumas as they unfold has grown in popularity Read More
What’s the best way to nurse an ailing employee newsletter back to health? For Miami Children’s Health System (MCHS), the solution to overhaul an existing internal publication in dire need of an update was to use an updated software solution that creates an interactive digital experience for staff members. As the only designated health system Read More
Plus 6 Tips for Success with Your Organization’s Newsletter // By Lisa D. Ellis // What’s the best way to nurse an ailing employee newsletter back to health? For Miami Children’s Health System (MCHS), the solution to overhaul an existing internal publication in dire need of an update was to use an updated software solution Read More
How do you get your news today? If the answer is mainly online, you’re certainly not alone. In fact, with fewer people reading printed newspapers and magazines than in past decades, you may be considering following the trend by ditching your health care organization’s printed material to focus your efforts solely on the digital side Read More