The fashionable (ie snooty) retail clothing industry has more than a few elite and upscale brands. Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) is one of those labels. But in the media recently, their uber-appeal to “the cool kids” crowd sounded abrasive, and offensive to many. But nearly buried in all the negative press coverage are some valuable […]
Perhaps the single biggest barrier to the adoption and proliferation of telemedicine has been a financial one. Physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers have avoided or resisted the various forms and formats of "telehealth" because there's no obvious path to monetize the time and effort. Frankly, that's still an issue, but it's changing. Some practitioners […]
There’s a tendency to oversimplify what we think of as hospital and medical practice branding. Perhaps we think of the carefully crafted logo and tagline as the brand. For others, the physical structure—a commanding facility with amenities emblematic of the brand. Or perhaps “our brand” is the prestige name and reputation of a long-established practice.
Aggressive vs. complacent. Decisive vs. Timid. Your bottom line is likely to reflect how you treat—or neglect—your healthcare organization’s branding message.
An unintentional byproduct of healthcare reform is the increasing number of physician practices that have the wrong branding message. Or worse, they have no branding at all. Consider this example: Mysteriously, the well-considered branding message and competitive edge of a physician practice was somehow "disconnected." In our consultations, the doctors and staff believed that the […]
We don’t want this post to sound like a rant…so we’ll keep our criticism to constructive tips (and only vent a little). It’s about marketing-smart healthcare practice and medical facility names…and by extension, their exterior signage (or lack of it). To be blunt, eight out of 10 times it’s wrong. The root of our two-fold […]
Medical practice and hospital marketing professionals have an extremely challenging job on the forward facing frontline of healthcare communications. Suffice to say that it’s a complex task to effectively “speak healthcare” to the public. But it’s helpful to know that effective medical messaging—from patient conversations to mass media—will nearly always relate to a short list […]
With increasing frequency, we hear from someone who believes that creating a logo is the primary consideration in creating a brand or branding message. In fact, a logo is not a brand, but it represents a brand. It's a common question. The ongoing reconfiguration of the nation's healthcare delivery system has many medical practices and […]
If your healthcare marketing materials were as easily created and remarkably beautiful as an Apple product demonstration, you would never need professional design or writing services again. Ever. Apple’s advertising is powerfully compelling. Creative materials—books, photos, videos—appear intuitively simple to do, and some people are mesmerized into believing that do-it-yourself (DIY) is a short cut […]
There’s been a dramatic increase in the need for healthcare branding. In fact, we’d have to call it a huge rise in doctor branding, physician branding and hospital branding—all propelled by various factors in the marketplace. Broadly speaking, we’d put the change-agents under the umbrella label of “healthcare reform.” And three of these forces—empowered patients, […]
It shocks me how many doctors say they want "first class" patients, but then treat these same patients (paying customers) like second class citizens. The following cautionary tale illustrates my point well.
The medical marketing landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. Although some physician, surgeon and provider markets will differ somewhat, we find this to be true across the board. One key difference would be how sharply the competitive forces in hospital marketing and medical practice advertising have shifted and intensified. More than ever before, […]
The U.S. Department of Labor Statistics notes that as many as 50 percent of all businesses do not have a marketing plan. And from the same source: Over 90 percent of all businesses without a marketing plan fail within their second year. A correlation? Of course there is! The old adage: Businesses that fail to […]
This post is mainly for fun. But there’s a practice marketing lesson in this exceptional example of wildly interesting and unique office décor--from an orthodontic practice. You’re going to have to drive to Conway, Arkansas to experience the office decor of orthodontist—and admitted car enthusiast—David J. Myers, DDS, MS. If you’ve never seen a medical […]
It’s easily overlooked, but every new patient has already “met the practice” several times before they meet the physician. In doctor marketing terms, the patient experience begins long in advance of the first appointment. Typically, a new patient is forming an impression even before they pick up the phone. Then there will be one or […]
Faulty logic may keep you stuck as the "best kept secret" in town. Healthcare practitioners often fall victim to the widely-held, but mistaken belief that being a good doctor is sufficient to attract new patients and assure success. In reality, this non sequitur often leads to failure, and the frustration of feeling like a "best […]
Healthcare delivery isn’t exactly like Gene Roddenberry envisioned it on the Star Trek television series nearly a half-century ago. Or is it? Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy was armed with futuristic devices like medical tricorders, hyposprays for needle-free injections, and vital signs monitors in Sick Bay. So are any of the science fiction devices similar to what […]
This is a brief post about a deceptively simple and highly useful idea to help people find you online. Here's how doctors, hospitals and marketing professionals can quickly create a custom splash page—complete with analytics dashboard—to bolster personal reputation and practice branding, and heighten search engine visibility. The first thing you should know about About.Me […]
Here's what goes into a hard-working healthcare logo that does a powerful branding job without a multi-million dollar budget and global exposure. Why you don't need or want a logo like Pepsi. Picture this. Wouldn't it be terrific to have a logo for your medical group, hospital or physician practice that had the recognition impact […]
We launched our new series of marketing articles at ImagingBiz this week with a short lesson in branding. We’re pleased to contribute to the ImagingBiz educational and informational portal on a regular basis. It's for decision-makers in medical imaging in both the outpatient and hospital environments. And although our initial article is directed primarily to […]
Just recently Stewart was the guest speaker for a large group of healthcare professionals. (It was a dental society meeting, but the issue he encountered that evening applies to other professions, practices, medical groups and even hospitals. Please read on.) Nearly all of the attendees in the audience were doing some degree of marketing, and […]
Having a branded YouTube channel is like having a second website specifically to showcase your video content. And once you’ve produced several healthcare marketing videos, creating your own YouTube channel is an inexpensive way to expand online visibility, use your video materials in multiple locations and attract additional online visitors for your medical practice, hospital, […]
This little exercise in healthcare marketing and branding is harder than it seems. Try this: In one word, and only one word, what is your competitive edge? What is your practice, hospital or healthcare organization all about, and what makes you different and better than the competition? Your unique value proposition is about what you […]
Providing patients with online appointment scheduling appears to be growing in some healthcare sectors, but it’s not an option for most patients. People want it. They use online scheduling in other areas of their daily living. There are business advantages for the provider. BUT—online appointments are a convenience that not many providers offer to patients. […]
by Kathy Roy Gaughran, Senior Marketing Strategist My travel schedule takes me to the offices of healthcare providers throughout the nation. Each initial visit is a great “first impression” opportunity for me to take the role of a new patient who is seeing the practice with fresh eyes. The “experience” (seeing and feeling what impacts […]
When was the last time you walked into your office through the front door? Take a stroll. Does it look like Marcia Brady is about to walk through at any moment? Most doctors/physicians want to be perceived as progressive and leading edge. They express this in the way they practice medicine and in their doctor/physician […]
Hospital marketing is increasingly using hospitality to differentiate their brand. News reports say hospitals are looking more like luxury hotels. And we’ve posted articles about facilities throughout the nation that have linked their hospital marketing, advertising and public relations messages to exceptional “patient experience.” These nonclinical patient benefits include spa-like women’s centers, family-friendly patient rooms, […]
In hospital and medical marketing, your brand is part of everything you do. It’s not only your brochures and business cards...it's everything. From the individual or group provider to the multi-location health system, your brand is the recognition connecting point for patients and the public. It communicates your professional reputation. And done right, your branding […]
(Editor's Note: This article was adapted from an article in Dental Economics, though the principles apply to all healthcare practitioners.) Let's say a new family moves in a couple of blocks from your office, and the mother holds a gathering for her new neighbors. At the gathering she asks, "I'd like to find a first-rate […]
A lot of dental patients—maybe most of us—cringe at the sound of the dentist’s drill. But dental marketing and advertising professionals take note—a new treatment for incipient caries proposes a drill-less approach…at least for some patients and cases. The good news is a “no drill” alternative treatment using an infiltrant—brand name Icon—targets intermediate-stage decay. According […]
Answers that have guided thousands of practices and health care organizations in achieving their growth goals. Our daily work puts us on the receiving-end of a stream of healthcare and medical marketing questions of all kinds. We wouldn't think of saying that we've "heard 'em all," but our collective experience adds up to fielding many […]
Ten tips to putting it all together for success from the start Our previous article about "permission-based e-newsletter" puts you on safe ground in getting started - you know how to compile and safely use your opt-in email list for good marketing and good email etiquette.
How to Avoid Looking Like "Plain Vanilla" Let's say a new family moves in a couple of blocks from your office, and the mother holds a gathering for her new neighbors. At the gathering she asks, "I'd like to find a first-rate doctor for my family. Is there anyone special here in town?" How many […]
The patient experience begins from the inside of the practice outward By Lonnie Hirsch and Stewart Gandolf, MBA Editor's Note - The following Healthcare Success article by Lonnie Hirsch and Stewart Gandolf was originally published by Dental Economics magazine. The principles of branding and marketing management are appropriate to healthcare organizations, group medical practices, hospitals […]
Medical marketing efforts that attempt to reach anyone, anywhere-are doomed to produce only a squandered budget. Carefully and precisely identifying the target audience is a critical success factor in brand strategy development. You know whom you want to reach, where they are located, what makes them tick...and how to speak directly to them.
