How marketing and brand can drive the trajectory of health systems post-COVID

During the peak of the fast-rising pandemic, healthcare marketing departments shifted priorities to respond to practical concerns and changes in consumer behavior and sentiment. With the realities of COVID-19 settling in, how can healthcare marketers drive forward with focus and new capabilities to achieve better business results? During a July 29 webinar, marketing leaders from Ascension, Cleveland Clinic and Providence discussed lessons learned from the pandemic and shared insight into their preparations for the future, in a session moderated by BrandActive’s Philip Guiliano. To access the full webinar, visit: modernhealthcare.com/ MarketingHealthSystemsWebinar.

1 Trust in healthcare organizations is at an all-time high.

In the five-month period between January and May 2020, trust in healthcare organizations jumped eight points, the most significant jump that communications firm Edelman has ever recorded on its Trust Barometer for the sector. While this is encouraging news, it comes with responsibility and risk—a short-term increase in trust can lead to rapid disappointment if the industry underdelivers in fighting COVID-19. Hospitals are considered by respondents to be the most trusted subsector at 81 percent, followed by pharma, biotech and insurers.

2 Health systems must take tangible action to preserve the trust they’ve earned.

During this uncertain time, it is critical that providers engage both patients and staff frequently and continue to be a source of trustworthy information. At Ascension, CMO Nick Ragone and his team have focused on highlighting the expertise and selflessness of the organization’s clinicians, who he believes are a major driver of trust and brand loyalty during this time. Focusing on gratitude for caregivers, Ascension has doubled down on traditional media like billboards, radio and TV, while putting more investment into quantitative, digital CRM-based campaigns.

3 Now is the time to work collaboratively with other departments within your organization.

Panelists on the webinar discussed how the pandemic has forced marketing to work closely and collaboratively with finance, operations and other key departments to ensure outreach and messaging accurately reflect current conditions, which are changing rapidly. Daily calls are a must. At Providence, CMO Jigar Shah said these meetings kept his team informed about expanded telehealth efforts and upgrades to the organization’s AI chatbot, which allowed marketing to promptly share the news with patients and encourage them to use these tools to seek care without delay.

4 Leverage data and internal information to determine what is top of mind for patients.

Health systems have thousands of data points at their fingertips that can help them understand what kind of content and information their audience is searching for. Leaders should comb their website traffic and search engine trends to see what consumers are looking for, said Cleveland Clinic’s Amanda Todorovich. They also should consider weekly touch-bases with call center leadership, who can share firsthand what patients are asking about when they call the main switchboard. These practices ensure that marketing content is timely and relevant.

5 As you continue to deal with a rapidly changing environment, prioritize the emotional wellbeing of employees.

During this pandemic, things are changing by the hour. Being able to stay on top of it all can be incredibly stressful. While health systems must be responsive, it is critical that leaders enable a healthy work-life balance for themselves and their staff so that they can continue to serve their communities. Marketers in particular are squeezing what would have been years-worth of marketing initiatives into just a few months, so it’s critical that they set aside dedicated time to think creatively.