Junto ("june-toe") is sponsored by Franklin Street, a branding and full service advertising agency specializing in health and wellness. We call the blog Junto in homage to Benjamin Franklin, who created the first "Junto" brainstorming group, which established the first American public hospital.
Chipotle, the Starbucks of burritos, proves once again small things make a huge impact on a brand.
The other day at lunch, I noticed one of the soft drink dispensers was out-of-order.
Instead of Sharpie scribbled scrap of paper taped to the dispenser, Chipotle used the opportunity to reinforce its irreverent brand.
Tricia, our spring digital intern from VCU, calls it service recovery – the opportunity to make a customer even happier during a service lapse.
In hospitals, things don’t always go according to plan. And for patients and families, sometimes what they face is much bigger than the prospect of a meal without an ice-cold Dr. Pepper.
Customer service programs like Disney, Ritz-Carlton or Studer Group focus on the small things that add up. Marketing communications has its role in these programs, and the net effect is the shape of a hospital’s brand. But tackling any of those programs is no small charge.
So this is my call-to-action for hospital marketing and communications professionals: how can your organization create a better patient and family experience by paying attention to the small things, like Chipotle does?
How can you make an Emergency Services waiting room more enjoyable for families?
What are the small touches to the lobby that give patients and visitors an amazing first impression? To borrow a phrase from 2005, what can you do to provide a “Wow experience?”
Look to Chipotle for inspiration. If a burrito bar can be nimble and showcase a personality, just imagine what we can do in our hospitals.
Even without a down economy, fundraising can be a challenge. Memorial Health Care in Chattanooga, TN is embarking on an ambitious fundraising campaign to allow the brand to continue its strategic goal of being a regional destination for world-class services and to fulfill its faith-based mission of service. To support the hospital’s fundraising efforts, Franklin Street developed the strategic healthcare marketing and fundraising materials. The campaign theme, “Inspired Heroes,” comes from Memorial’s core brand of “Inspired Medicine,” acknowledging its deep faith-based roots coupled with Memorial’s innovation in healthcare.
The campaign seeks to raise community financial support for five key initiatives: a new heart center, infusion center, lung center, expanded surgical services, and a new chapel. The campaign elements include television commercials, print advertisements, and a landing page on Memorial’s website where interested donors can learn more and even donate online.
Franklin Street has had the privilege of helping its non-profit clients raise over half a billion dollars in our 25-year history through fundraising and service line marketing. There are many best practices in developing fundraising materials, but here are three lessons in success:
1. Make the campaign an opportunity for donors to give from their hearts, not just their wallets: people should feel an emotional connection to the cause and that they are part of something bigger than themselves.
2. Make the campaign welcome to everyone, regardless of the size of donation: fundraising campaigns are inclusionary efforts; everyone can make a difference.
3. Make the campaign title an anthem: in the case of Memorial, we chose “Inspired Heroes” because it harkens back to the hospital’s core brand, was simple and memorable, and elicits an emotional impact.
To view all of the commercials in the campaign, visit our YouTube Channel. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.memorial.org/hero. To see more of Franklin Street’s campaigns for Memorial, visit our website.
You’re a savvy marketer—savvy enough that you probably turn off your brain whenever you hear the word “engagement.” After all, what is engagement other than another painful buzzword?
But here’s where things get tricky—“engagement” isn’t necessarily meaningless, but it also isn’t a cure-all panacea for your marketing woes. It does not have intrinsic value. It is not a metric, nor is it an easy way to build loyalty. It is not an end in and of itself, but it IS a valuable means to an end—and it is especially valuable if your end-goal is to raise awareness for very specific healthcare services. Because while your consumer might not need your brand-spanking new IMRT technology today, they might need it a few months or even years from now—and you definitely want to be top-of-mind when that need arises.
An engaged audience is a profitable audience.
Think about needs that are large investments, like automobiles. While you might not need a car in the near future, automotive brands are constantly fighting to make sure that you think of their respective companies when you do need a vehicle. In particular, they want to keep you in the family; if you drive a Ford now, they want to make sure you continue to drive a Ford in the future. They go to vast lengths in this struggle for mindshare, encouraging the consumer to participate with their brand as much and as often as possible. Healthcare marketing is no different.
In healthcare, having a relevant brand means engaging consumers today for solutions they may need tomorrow.
Keeping your audience interested is one of the bigger challenges in healthcare marketing, because no one wants to really talk about the subject. Who actually likes to think about possibly catastrophic events like heart attacks, strokes and cancer? On the other hand, some of the most successful websites cater to our inner-hypochondriacs; for example, Web MD has built a mini-empire around allowing users to at least feel as if they are taking an active role in their own health diagnosis and care. This is key.
Let’s think about one of the bigger health systems, like Mayo. Part of their success stems from their constant efforts to engage, educate and empower the audience. From various live events to their immensely informative website, they’ve gone out of their way to ensure that their brand pops to mind for the most intractable medical conditions. It is no small coincidence that the Mayo site ranks among the top Google search listings when potential users search for specific conditions, like “skin cancer.”
To ensure the long-term success of your service lines, you have to take the lead and actively promote them now through audience engagement. Keep your brand relevant in the minds of your consumers for their future healthcare needs. While some amount of effort is required, and the results are not immediate, the returns can be long lasting and immensely rewarding. By simply using calls-to-action whenever possible in your campaigns and websites, you can help keep various service lines on top.
Here is a list—by no means comprehensive—of calls-to-action that work when marketing healthcare:
Downloadable questions to ask your physician about a specific condition
Microsites for more in-depth interaction among consumers and your services
Email campaign with links to wellness information, classes and events
Ask the Expert monthly web chat led by physicians
Interactive kiosks in hospital lobbies and common waiting areas
Men’s health promotional events at local hardware stores
“Afternoon Tea” women’s events
Heart healthy shopping menus at local grocery stores and restaurants
Sign ups for Facebook “fan” exclusive promotions
Twitter/tweet announcements from live events
Sign ups to hospital Twitter accounts get entry into raffles
New resident gifts for completing surveys or calling to get a new physician
Find a new physician promotions with a call center or website payoff
Use Flickr and other photo sharing sites for cutest baby contests
Baby fairs and other community events
Meet the physicians night at housing community clubhouses
Clinics for sports medicine promotions (proper stretching, nutrition and rest)
Engagement is not a solution, but it is a very useful tool. Make sure you use it properly.
What calls-to-action do you use for your healthcare brand? Which has been most impactful? We’d love to hear from you.
On average, the typical physician sees 3,000 patients per year. Physicians who practice concierge or “retainer” medicine, in contrast, see between only 500 to 1,000 patients each year. We know what this model entails–doctors charge patients anywhere from several hundred to tens of thousands of dollars for their always-on-call medical services.
According to MD2.com, the concierge medicine concept has been around since 1996, when Seattle physician, Howard Maron, broke away from his well-established practice to provide on-call care for a select number of wealthy patients. Over the years, healthcare has seen only a small number of physicians make this transition. According to amednews.com, there were just about 1,000 concierge physicians nationwide in 2010, of the over 950,000 traditionally-employed physicians employed in the U.S. that same year.
But what if more doctors chose to move towards this model? According to PhysicicanTrends.com, “If the patient load of each CM doctor is one third that of a traditional practice, then simple math would require three times as many doctors to care for America’s citizens.” The alternative would be for non-concierge doctors to take on an even heavier patient load, leading to a truly two-tiered healthcare system.
It seems like concierge medicine has found its niche in catering to a select number of wealthier patients, and that niche is where concierge medicine will most likely remain.
Where do you see concierge medicine heading in the next 5 years?
We’re not talking gift shops or Starbucks. Lake Health‘s West Medical Center in Ohio recently became the first in the country to feature an entire wellness-focused retail store inside the hospital.
We spoke with Gary Robinson, Vice President for Government and Community Affairs, on the venture that could influence how organizations nationwide work to keep patients healthy and out of the hospital.
But healthcare reform didn’t drive the idea.
Necessity was the mother of invention. Actually, a mother’s necessity.
Gary explains:
Our CEO, Cynthia Moore-Hardy, was frustrated looking for items her sick mother needed. She stumbled across a store in Cleveland called Max-Wellness. She found everything she needed for her mom – plus a few things she hadn’t thought about. She asked an associate if she could talk to the store’s CEO, who responded within hours.
It was Michael Feuer, the founder of office supply superstore OfficeMax. The store was one of four new prototypes focused on the wellness industry. Wide, bright aisles held more than 7,000 health and wellness products including vitamins, blood pressure monitors, skin care products, sleep aids, orthopedic braces, exercise devices and mobility equipment.
The two met and brainstormed about Lake Health and a flagship “mini” store concept that’s designed to be within hospitals and rehabilitation centers.
Ideally, patients and their families can purchase whatever they need before they go home, so everyone’s full attention can be on furthering recovery after discharge.
The hospital consulted with physicians, nurses, employees and patients to help Max-Wellness teams tailor inventory at West Medical Center. The store debuted last July.
We hoped it would increase patient satisfaction, but we didn’t anticipate the other benefits. Employees and physicians love it, too – so much that they’ve been driving sales the first six months. They’re always emailing ideas for more wellness products and healthy snacks to carry. We expect caregivers will transition this year to the bulk of sales. It’s been really well received.
So far, Lake Health has only marketed its Max-Wellness through public relations and internal communications.
Our staff continues to work with patients pre-discharge to discuss what they will need and help them get it.
We’re still in the development phase, so Max-Wellness teams continue to listen and meet with our departments to adjust the product mix for our patients’ recovery needs and general wellness. We looking to add new mom products soon.
Another unique aspect: Lake Health is a minority owner in their pilot store.
We don’t see it as a money-maker. It’s part of our mission to care for patients and their families. Everyone involved in the project knew it was right for us and our community.
Based on the store’s success at Lake Health, Max-Wellness could expand to other hospitals throughout the country.
Other hospital administrators have requested tours of the pilot mini-store to see if it is a good fit for their facilities.
Lake Health also may test other Max-Wellness concepts like health product vending machines at urgent care or physical therapy locations. The system includes a second acute care hospital and 13 other health sites in Lake County.
How would a retail partnership work in your community? How do you engage patients in their recovery and promote overall health? Do you think Lake Health’s store is a game-changer for health reform?
In 2008, Holy Cross Hospital opened the nation’s first geriatric emergency department. The new design, featuring handrails along every corridor, larger clocks, and pressure sensitive beds that can be set for those patients who tend to wander, caters to an ever-increasing population of elderly E.R. frequenters.
“When you talk about marketing hospitals, there’s a saying that kind of everybody knows, which is, ‘The emergency room is your hospital’s front door,’” said Dr. Bill Thomas, a geriatrician who helped open the first senior emergency room in the country. “Among the most vocal users of that front door, and the people who sometimes have the strongest opinions of that front door, are elders.”
MSNBC notes that the trend continues to snowball as hospitals across the US see the flourishing results of these specialty ERs. Emergency Medicine chairman Dr. Mark Rosenberg of St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, NJ says his center saw a 15% rise in patients last year. Rosenburg started a 14-bed Senior Emergency Center just over two years ago and plans to open a larger one this autumn.
Of course, not all health systems are quite prepared to adopt this new program; however, many are changing protocols and increasing awareness to cope with a flux in elder care. How is your hospital preparing to serve the growing population of seniors?
Should your hospital consider creating a specialty ER for seniors? Consider these questions as you make your plans:
Is your hospital located near retirement communities or 55+ independent living communities?
Is your hospital service area a destination for retirees?
Wal-Mart is addressing the difficulty of navigating its super centers by cutting store sizes and wider checkout lanes to make it easier for wheelchairs. How easy is it to navigate your ER? (Both driving to and once inside?)
Are you considering the addition of freestanding ERs? This new trend is perfect for senior citizens as convenient location is critical for senior-friendly design.
good point on humanity of the term. Might counter w/thinking bout patients as consumers may faciliate patient-centerdness.
I always thought customers/consumers as the real innovators in any industry. They might not make the product, but they inspire the product and innovation. Consumers elected to end CDs and get their music digitally. I look at how plentiful it is in Richmond now to get organic beef and dairy products. That wasn’t the case only a few years ago. Consumers vote with their wallets, and the same is true of healthcare.
But that word still bothers me: consumers.
It sounds so cold, detached, like the expressionless Pac Mans I tweeted about, gobbling up healthcare.
As marketers for health organizations, it’s our job to develop communications that connect, resonate, engage. It’s hard to muster the creativity and inspiration for campaigns when all we can say about these people is that they are “consumers.”
Years ago, the agency for Dell Computers brought life-sized cutouts of guys with beer bellies and Hawaiian shirts to the presentation of their ad campaign for Dell. The agency explained, “We’re not talking to consumers who are IT professionals. We’re talking to guys who like to grill out, watch sports, could stand to lose a few pounds and make IT decisions.” It helped Dell understand that their advertising had to go beyond photos of computer monitors and advertising copy full of technical specifications but lacking in emotion and a real connection with the audience.
Is that what’s wrong with so much healthcare advertising? That it feels like it was written for consumers and not moms and dads, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, cousins…Human beings, after all, with lives, passions and legitimate fears about what happens after they enter the hospital.
We know better than to use the word “consumer” in a public-facing ad, of course. My concern lies in the invention process: are we setting ourselves up to fail by continuing to use “consumer” in our lexicon?
What do you think? Should we replace “healthcare consumer” with something else? Healthcare audience, perhaps? Or prospective patients?
Our president, Will Flynn, was recently featured in a documentary on graphic design in Richmond, which directed by a VCU student, Jamie Bourne, along with Bekky Rage and Rachel Kim. Will is a VCU graphic design alum (Go Rams!), has taught at VCU, and regularly speaks to students about the communications, healthcare, and design industries.
In the documentary, Will talks about the importance of specialization: that by becoming an expert, it allows more freedom of exploration – both in design and the strategy that informs the design. Will is an advocate for specialization of your craft, whether it is design, law, or accounting. Franklin Street is a strategic marketing firm with deep expertise in the health and wellness industries. We help hospital systems, biotech firms and other health organizations overcome complex brand challenges and identify new revenue opportunities.
One of the great ironies about creativity is the freedom that comes from the discipline of focus and specialization. This is true in two different ways. First, by choosing to narrow your palette and work within a medium like oils or a form like a print advertisement, you free your creativity to expand to fill your vessel. In other words, your brain won’t toy with a sonnet when you’ve committed to a haiku.
Second, by choosing to specialize, you accrue knowledge that builds upon itself and drives inspiration, insightful strategy, and produces work that has few equals. That knowledge base you cultivate positions you as a sought-out expert – and those who seek to work with you are most likely to listen to you and abide by your expertise, which provides you even more fruitful knowledge.
We are honored to be a part of this project along with our Richmond design and advertising colleagues. A special shout out to the other firms featured in the documentary: J H I, riggs ward, and 1717 Design Group.
Huntington Hospital, established in 1916, is a well-respected 408-bed nonprofit community Hospital located in Huntington on Long Island. Huntington Hospital has been a member of the North Shore – Long Island Jewish Health System (NS-LIJ) since 1994. NS-LIJ is one of the nations integrated healthcare networks, and the largest in New York state.
This past autumn, Huntington expanded its advanced cardiac program. The hospital’s cardiology services include diagnostic cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology and radio ablation. They are in the process of building a second cath lab and will soon offer elective angioplasty, a huge development for any hospital.
Huntington Hospital will be able to provide most invasive cardiac procedures short of open heart surgery. Additionally, 2011 hailed a new designation as a teaching hospital for Hofstra.
In short, the cardiac program is comprehensive.
So what could be the problem? Consumers in this area have an abundance of choice. There are about ten hospitals within thirty miles of Huntington, and New York City is just about an hour train ride away.
Our job? Show residents in this area that they are lucky to have Huntington as their local hospital offering both state of the art services and a caring staff.
After extensive market research, we discovered that residents there wanted to be educated on how to stay healthy, so we focused our campaign on preventative care urging residents to develop a relationship with a local cardiologist. By creating a strong tie to both the Huntington Hospital and a specific doctor, we knew locals would stay in town for major and minor heart care alike.
To answer this call, our creative team developed work that promoted the urgency of heart care and the benefits of preventative care through direct mail, newspaper advertising and flash banners. With a strong call to action and a dramatic viewpoint from an emergency care patient, the ads offered a strong incentive to choose Huntington and choose early.
So what is the lesson? Creating ties through preventative care may result in long term relationships. And a big fish may still need to strike the right chords if the pond is big enough.
Take a moment to think about the following brands: Nike, Apple, Coca-Cola, Exxon, McDonald’s. What do they all have in common besides giant war chests, near-global ubiquity and a preference for questionable business practices?
Consistency. There’s a very good reason why every Apple retail store looks exactlythesame, or why every McDonald’s bag faithfully adheres to the red and yelow color scheme. True, consistency can be boring and predictable, but it also works. It preys on our collective need for familiarity, creating a simple set of symbols for complex associations.
By keeping your brand identity consistent, you are removing one of the most important barriers between you and your market. Repetitive exposure to the same symbols allows your consumers to quickly and easily recognize your core message. This is why all your communications—whether it’s an ad campaign, a website, or the waiting room—must be visually consistent with each other. Your brand changes from being an unknown entity to a familiar presence. Familiarity builds trust. When people trust you, they are more inclined to listen.
There are other consequences to ignoring brand consistency. Your customers should be able to follow a clear path between your collateral, your advertising and your physical spaces. Without those clear links, your organization risks credibility and appears disorganized. At worst, consumers might think you’re new to the market, causing them to avoid you altogether.
Take a look at a few non-healthcare examples of consistent brand identities:
You can clearly see the narrative thread that connects every aspect of Apple. Consistency has turned their brand identity into a brand experience, which is one of the reasons why they’re one of the most valuable companies in the world. Note how their advertising, website, products and retail spaces align harmoniously to present a unified image—an image that is unmistakably Apple.
Similarly, there’s a very good reason why Pepsi has been unable totopCoca-Cola ever since their ridiculous 2008 logo change—and it’s coincidentally the same reason why New Coke was such an utter disaster. For the most part, straying from your core brand identity will inevitably end in nothing but tears, lost revenue and confused consumers.
Healthcare marketing is no different. Brand consistency leads to trust and acceptance. So when Centra—a leading three-hospital system in Virginia—added a new hospital and expanded to serve 13 counties, we created a visual identity that unified the system but allowed flexibility for growing service lines.
After Centra’s new identity launch, research showed staff morale, name recognition and patient volume for key services increased. In fact, consistent brand extensions actually proved to strengthen the overall brand and helped increase recognition. Finally, consistent branding strategies helped Centra save money on brand development and overall marketing expenses. After all, tweaking a brand identity with every new service line or center of excellence may mean you have to work harder to help consumers make the connection with your hospitals. And why do that, especially in lean times?
Know a brand that’s growing effectively? Or an extension that’s stretched a little too far from the brand? Please share.
