Healthcare and Hospital Marketing – 4 Tips for Boosting Your Brand Equity

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Brian Bennett

STIR | President
May 17

Many midsize and rural communities with one dominant hospital see local providers as inferior to “big city specialists.” They need to build confidence in the quality physicians that they employ to retain them. These systems need to focus on keeping profitable procedures local.

Urban hospitals in larger, more competitive markets need to increase relevance and positive perceptions versus their local competition. They will want locals to bond with the facility – seeing it as a source of health information and a center that supports wellness in their area. This will build affinity with the organization that will be rewarded by maintaining their fair share of procedures.

Here are 4 things you can do to build a better brand and create brand equity for your healthcare or hospital system:

  1. Prioritize | Understand what truly makes your system special. Feature that in your messaging. Focus on those audiences that will benefit you the most. Become more important to them by being a more important part of their life.
  2. Develop Loyalty | Loyalty is based on successful interactions. Create engagement with your audiences. Reward them with positive experiences. Help them live a healthy life & they’ll trust you when they’re sick.
  3. Defend Your Turf | Large health care systems feed on growth and expansion. The best defense against intrusion is a good offense. Be proactive in your approaches and engagement.
  4. Retain Physicians | Physicians want your support. They need you to maintain positive perceptions and top of mind awareness of your hospital. They often want to be featured in your advertising. Do this artfully and you will create a win-win for everyone involved.

STIR is an expert at leveraging existing healthcare marketing programs and resources to make a larger impact in the community. Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) want brand stewards who can help develop a marketing plan that strengthens the brand voice, avoids fragmentation and integrates beyond just promotions. With a strong marketing background we cultivate true, holistic business solutions for our clients that are grounded in sound marketing and ad strategies. We invest heavily in our client relationships by taking the time necessary to get the job done right. Let’s collaborate together on increasing the value of your healthcare brand.

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