Healthcare marketers reshape ad strategies
Skip to main content
MDHC_Logotype_white
Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • This Week's News
    • COVID-19
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition
    • Biden more bullish on vaccines, open to 1.5M daily shot goal
      Billing, antitrust exemption changes upend negotiations between insurers and providers
      Few nursing home residents have received second COVID-19 vaccine dose
      Fresenius building renal genomic registry to inform precision care for kidney disease
    • Biden more bullish on vaccines, open to 1.5M daily shot goal
      Few nursing home residents have received second COVID-19 vaccine dose
      The missing piece in our fight against COVID-19: primary care
      Google to convert office space for COVID-19 vax clinics
    • Ascension’s St. Mary’s Hospital Surgery Center at Towne Centre and Allegheny Health Network’s Bethel Park surgery center
      Hospitals see opportunity, risk in ambulatory surgery centers
      Health suffers as rural hospitals close
      Medicare ACO participants fell in 2021
      Louisiana gets reports vaccine providers are discriminating
    • Billing, antitrust exemption changes upend negotiations between insurers and providers
      MAIN-Health Bill_iStock_i.jpg
      Insurance-tech firm MultiPlan makes $155M buy after blank-check deal
      Last-minute COVID costs cut into UnitedHealthcare's $396 million operating income
      CMS approves rule forcing insurers to ease prior authorization
    • It's a secret: California keeps key virus data from public
      lacewell_linda_supertinendent_dept_of_financial_services_8.47.jpg
      New York state investigates drug price spikes during pandemic
      Health experts blame rapid expansion for vaccine shortages
      HHS freezes rule targeting community health centers' drug discounts
    • KPMG says deal activity will stay high in '21: 10 takeaways
      By the Numbers: 20 largest healthcare investment banks in 2020
      Providers await new HHS coronavirus grant reporting deadline
      Operation Warp Speed Dr. Moncef Slaoui, Pfizer Group President Angela Hwang, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel, CVS Health Executive Vice President Karen Lynch and McKesson CEO Brian Tyler participate in a panel discussion on the COVID-19 vaccine.
      Hospitals, drug companies strive to stand out virtually at JPM
    • Google to convert office space for COVID-19 vax clinics
      Dr. Karen DeSalvo
      Next Up Podcast: What to expect with telehealth and healthcare technology in the next four years
      Next Up Podcast: What to expect with telehealth and healthcare technology in the next 4 years - Transcript
      A man in a room with servers.
      Momentum grows to outsource hospital tech functions in 2021
    • China pushes conspiracy theories on COVID origin, vaccines
      50% of Americans make resolutions. Fewer than 27% keep them over time.
      Data Points: Sticking with your resolutions
      An older man wearing a mask receiving a vaccine.
      Want more diversity in clinical trials? Start with the researchers
      Avocado
      Avocado a day keeps the doctor away
    • WEb_i.jpg
      Q&A: Dr. Cliff Megerian, University Hospitals' soon-to-be CEO
      ZentyWeb_i.jpg
      Tom Zenty is leaving a legacy of transformational growth at University Hospitals
      Cerner names Erceg as new CFO
      Elizabeth Richter will serve as acting CMS administrator
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Insights
    • ACA 10 Years After
    • Best Practices
    • InDepth Special Reports
    • Innovations
    • The Affordable Care Act after 10 years
    • New care model helps primary-care practices treat obesity
      doctor with patient
      COVID-19 treatment protocol developed in the field helps patients recover
      Rachel Wyatt
      Project to curb pressure injuries in hospitals shows promise
      Yale New Haven's COVID-19 nurse-staffing model has long-term benefits
    • Modern Healthcare InDepth: Breaking the bias that impedes better healthcare
      Videos: Healthcare industry executives describe their encounters with racism
      Michellene Davis
      Healthcare leadership lacks the racial diversity needed to reduce health disparities
      Dr. James Hildreth
      How medical education can help fight racism
      Quotes from rebadged employees
      Outsourcing IT, revenue cycle takes toll on internal culture
    • A phone screen showing the question, "Mary we hope this information was helpful and we'd like to keep guiding you. Are you interested in knowing when it's your turn to receive the vaccine?"
      Chatbots, texting campaigns help manage influx of COVID vax questions
      A woman with a wearable sensor talking to her provider.
      Wearable sensors help diagnose heart rhythm problems in West Virginia
      self service station
      COVID-19 pushes patient expectations toward self-service
      Targeting high-risk cancer patients with genetics
  • Transformation
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Highmark Health inks six-year cloud, tech deal with Google
      Study: 1 in 5 patients report discrimination when getting healthcare
      HHS proposes changing HIPAA privacy rules
      Android health records app launches at 230 health systems
    • California hospitals prepare ethical protocol to prioritize lifesaving care
      Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Berkshire Hathaway disband Haven
      Digital pathways poised to reshape healthcare continuum in 2021
      Healthcare was the hardest hit by supply shortages across all U.S. industries
    • A phone screen showing the question, "Mary we hope this information was helpful and we'd like to keep guiding you. Are you interested in knowing when it's your turn to receive the vaccine?"
      Chatbots, texting campaigns help manage influx of COVID vax questions
      A woman with a wearable sensor talking to her provider.
      Wearable sensors help diagnose heart rhythm problems in West Virginia
      New care model helps primary-care practices treat obesity
      How hospitals are building on COVID-19 telehealth momentum
    • Regional insurers bet big on virtual-first plans
      MedPAC votes to boost hospital payments, freeze or cut other providers
      Most Next Gen ACOs achieved bonuses in 2019
      Congress recalibrates Medicare Physician Fee Schedule after lobbying
  • Data/Lists
    • Rankings/Lists
    • Interactive Databases
    • Data Points
    • Health Systems Financials
      Executive Compensation
      Physician Compensation
  • Op-Ed
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
    • Wellstar CEO calls adapting for the pandemic her bold move
      Howard P. Kern
      Recognizing the value of telehealth in its infancy
      Dr. Stephen Markovich
      A bold move helped take him from family doctor to OhioHealth CEO
      Dr. Bruce Siegel
      Why taking a hospital not-for-profit was Dr. Bruce Siegel’s boldest move
    • Barry Ostrowsky
      Ending racism is a journey taken together; the starting point must be now
      Laura Lee Hall and Gary Puckrein
      Increased flu vaccination has never been more important for communities of color
      John Daniels Jr.
      Health equity: Making the journey from buzzword to reality
      Mark C. Clement and David Cook
      We all need to 'do something' to fight inequities and get healthcare right, for every patient, every time
    • The missing piece in our fight against COVID-19: primary care
      Ambulatory surgery centers offer extraordinary value in a high-cost healthcare system
       Alan B. Miller
      Looking ahead with optimism as we continue to transform healthcare
      Dr. Bruce Siegel
      By protecting the healthcare safety net, Biden can put us on the path to a stronger country
    • Letters: Eliminating bias in healthcare needs to be ‘deliberate and organic’
      Letters: Maybe dropping out of ACOs is a good thing for patients
      Letters: White House and Congress share blame for lack of national COVID strategy
      Letters: VA making strides to improve state veterans home inspections
    • Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      How blockchain could ease frustration with the payment process
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Three steps to better data-sharing for payer and provider CIOs
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Reduce total cost of care: 6 reasons why providers and payers should tackle the challenge together
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Why CIOs went from back-office operators to mission-critical innovators
  • Awards
    • Award Programs
    • Nominate
    • Previous Award Programs
    • Other Award Programs
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare Logo for Navigation
      Nominations Open - Best Places to Work in Healthcare
      Nominations Open - Health Care Hall of Fame
      Nominations Open - 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top 25 Innovators
    • Top 25 Minority Leaders
    • Top 25 Women Leaders
    • Excellence in Nursing Awards
    • Design Awards
    • Top 25 COOs in Healthcare
    • 100 Top Hospitals
    • ACHE Awards
  • Events
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Webinars
    • COVID-19 Event Tracker
    • bright.md logo lockup webinar
      Sponsored Content Provided By Bright.md
      Webinar: Enabling a hybrid care model — Streamlining the patient path to both telehealth and in-person care
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Healthcare Transformation Summit
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Workplace of the Future Conference
    • Strategic Marketing Conference
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Minority Leaders Gala (2022)
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
  • Listen
    • Podcast - Next Up
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Dr. Karen DeSalvo
      Next Up Podcast: What to expect with telehealth and healthcare technology in the next four years
      Carter Dredge
      Next Up Podcast: Ready, set, innovate! Innovation and disruption in healthcare
      Next Up Podcast: COVID-19, social determinants highlight health inequities — what next?
      Ceci Connolly
      Next Up Podcast: How to navigate the murky post-election waters
    • Beyond the Byline: Regulators aim to boost value push with fraud and abuse law updates
      An older man wearing a mask receiving a vaccine.
      Beyond the Byline: Verifying information on the chaotic COVID-19 vaccine rollout
      doctor burnout
      Beyond the Byline: How healthcare supply chain struggles contribute to employee burnout
      Beyond the Byline: Covering race and diversity in the healthcare industry
    • Leading intention promote diversity and inclusion
      Introducing Healthcare Insider Podcast
    • The Check Up: Dr. Joseph Kerschner
      The Check Up: Dr. Joseph Kerschner of the Medical College of Wisconsin
      The Check Up: Chip Kahn
      The Check Up: Chip Kahn of the Federation of American Hospitals
      The Check Up: Trenda Ray
      The Check Up: Trenda Ray of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
      The Check Up: Dr. Kenneth Davis
      The Check Up: Dr. Kenneth Davis of Mount Sinai Health System
    • Video: Ivana Naeymi Rad of Intelligent Medical Objects
  • MORE +
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Newsletters
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Providers
October 30, 2015 01:00 AM

Healthcare marketers reshape ad strategies

Jan Greene
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Dignity Health's consumer-centric approach aims to help consumers make informed decisions.

    Hospitals and health systems have been spending more on advertising in recent years, with an emphasis on educating patients and engaging them in their growing role as healthcare consumers.

    But there are sharp debates among healthcare providers and marketing experts about how to present advertising in responsible and ethical ways, the consumer value of most current marketing materials, and whether to continue relying on traditional mass-market advertising or shift to more targeted digital approaches.

    A growing consideration for healthcare organizations in shaping their marketing strategies is that patients are on the hook for an increasing portion of their healthcare costs given the steady increase in health plan deductibles, copays and coinsurance. That has given them a stronger financial incentive to shop around for their providers. Providers want to convince these consumers that they are the highest-quality and most affordable option.

    More than two-thirds of health systems expect their marketing departments to spend more time and resources influencing patient behavior over the next few years, rather than targeting physicians and other providers, according to a survey this summer by the Advisory Board Co., a Washington, D.C.-based healthcare consultancy. “Marketers are being asked to drive not only volume, but (are) pivoting to understand what consumers want so they can market appropriately,” said Anna Yakovenko, a senior consultant at the firm.

    Not only do health systems want to persuade consumers to use their services, Yakovenko said, but they want them to use services in a specific way. With industry attention turning to value-based payment, more is not always better. “As you try to make sure patients are engaged, the message is much more complex than, 'Come get services here.' You have to craft messages that make consumers change their behavior.”

    Dignity Health's consumer-centric approach aims to help consumers make informed decisions.

    The need to recognize patients as value-conscious shoppers prompted San Francisco-based Dignity Health to reorganize its marketing departments to establish a new consumer-centric, unified brand across its 39 hospitals and multispecialty medical groups, said Kate Grey, vice president of marketing for Dignity's Nevada region. At the local level, she restructured her marketing staff and added a dedicated digital team. “Consumers feel strongly about their choices in healthcare, and they are now being given broader choices,” she said. The new approach—with the tagline “Hello humankindness”—is aimed at helping consumers make informed decisions.

    Meridian Health, a seven-hospital system in New Jersey, launched an advertising campaign that describes its continuum of care and encourages consumers to use it at the appropriate place for their specific needs. The campaign mentions the range of care options, including an urgent-care center, a primary-care office, the emergency department, or a 24-hour health advice call line. “We wanted to communicate in a simple, lighthearted and relatable way that Meridian has what the consumer needs when and where they need it,” said Chrisie Scott, vice president of marketing and communications.

    New healthcare alliances, driven by changes in provider payment such as accountable care, also are affecting marketing strategies, said Patti Winegar, managing partner at SPM Marketing and Communications in LaGrange, Ill. “We're now looking at mega-mergers, a system with another system. What's that brand going to be?” she asked.

    Hospitals, clinics and medical centers increased their ad spending 33% from 2011 to 2014. Most of that has been on television, which jumped 55% over the four years, while online ad spending more than doubled. In total, hospitals, clinics and medical centers spent nearly $2 billion on all types of ads last year, up from $1.5 billion in 2011, according to data from Kantar Media.

    Unlike other industries, hospitals and doctors were slow to invest heavily in marketing because of prohibitions that lasted until the 1980s against advertising medical services. Ethicists note that healthcare advertisers always need to proceed cautiously given the sensitive nature of the content and because of legal issues.

    Critics say that healthcare providers are giving consumers fuzzy, feel-good messaging that targets their hearts more than their heads, when what the public increasingly needs is reliable cost and quality information.

    An article published last year in the American Journal of Bioethics questioned whether healthcare advertising needs more regulation. “The influence of medical advertising on patient preferences is largely unchecked,” the authors wrote. “This influence may mislead patients and encourage utilization practices that work against the goals of improving quality and decreasing costs.”

    In an interview, one of the authors, Dr. Yael Schenker, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, said healthcare ads could be regulated like pharmaceutical ads, requiring evidence of quality and outcomes rather than simply emotional appeals. “There is an assumption that the advertising is … informative or fair and balanced, when that is not necessarily the case,” she said.

    Marketers push back against such criticisms, arguing that healthcare advertising provides vital information to patients who need to know about services available in their communities, and that marketers are well aware of their ethical responsibilities. “We're talking about people's health and wellness,” said Chris Bevolo, a vice president at healthcare marketing firm ReviveHealth. “You don't want to come across as a hard sell on anything.”

    The Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development recommended in a 2010 guidance that marketing be honest, accurate and undergo internal review.

    Meanwhile, marketers debate the best ways to reach consumers in an increasingly fragmented and information-soaked world. “We are using all the same vehicles we always have—TV, radio, outdoor, print, direct mail,” Winegar said. But now “there's an explosion of tools at my disposal.” Those include digital options such as apps, websites, interactive bus-shelter displays and search-engine marketing.

    Bevolo urges the healthcare industry to move away from traditional big-budget billboard and television campaigns. “It's awfully expensive to blanket a community with those kinds of messages when very few people are in a position to benefit” because most aren't currently in the market for care, he said. “With social media and digital marketing, you no longer have to rely on those blunt instruments.”

    Instead, hospitals are starting to use search-engine ads and, to a lesser extent, marketing automation technology that sends targeted messages to consumers who have shown an interest in a hospital.

    While Bevolo argues that big billboard-style branding is outdated, Dignity Health's Grey says there is still a place for it, in balance with more targeted approaches. “We continue to run TV and radio and (billboards) because … that is still the best way to reach people,” she said. Targeted marketing draws someone to a specific service and may appear to be more business-oriented instead of care-oriented, she said. So it might not be as effective in communicating the organization's values.

    Consumers aren't always the target audience. Healthcare organizations also must reach out to physicians, other medical professionals, and policymakers and opinion leaders. That's why Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston ran a “national reputation” campaign to inform doctors and “influential audiences” about the research and clinical work being accomplished by its physicians. Dana-Farber's leaders felt their center wasn't getting due credit for achieving breakthroughs in cancer research and care.

    Other healthcare sectors, including the pharmaceutical industry, are also using traditional media channels as well as digital to reach patients and consumers.

    Digital strategies might focus on following up with people who have visited the website of a medical product, or offering a mobile app that provides a specific benefit. Astellas Pharma U.S., maker of the drug Myrbetriq for patients with overactive bladders, sponsors the RunPee app, which offers identifies times within movies when they can take a bathroom break without missing key plot points. The partnership has been good for Astellas and the developer who created the app.

    “Partnering with pharmaceuticals is great if there's some kind of consumer tie-in,” said RunPee creator Dan Florio, whose app now has more than 600,000 users.

    Apps are no longer “avant-garde,” said pharmaceutical marketer Mark Dean, digital strategy director at Area 23 advertising. But they can be useful if they offer consumers a “high-value task that makes the person's life easier.”

    Access into the mobile phones of consumers sitting in a movie theater is highly valuable to healthcare marketers, who look for new ways to connect with people. “All of us, every day, are thinking about something related to our health,” Bevolo said. “Hospitals and health systems are in a unique position to connect with consumers about that.”

    Jan Greene is a freelance writer based in Alameda, Calif.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Hospitals see opportunity, risk in ambulatory surgery centers
    Hospitals see opportunity, risk in ambulatory surgery centers
    Health suffers as rural hospitals close
    Health suffers as rural hospitals close
    Sponsored Content
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up for free enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today

    The weekly magazine, websites, research and databases provide a powerful and all-encompassing industry presence. We help you make informed business decisions and lead your organizations to success.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Instagram

    Stay Connected

    Join the conversation with Modern Healthcare through our social media pages

    MDHC_Logotype_white
    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • This Week's News
      • COVID-19
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition
    • Insights
      • ACA 10 Years After
      • Best Practices
      • InDepth Special Reports
      • Innovations
    • Transformation
      • Patients
      • Operations
      • Care Delivery
      • Payment
    • Data/Lists
      • Rankings/Lists
      • Interactive Databases
      • Data Points
    • Op-Ed
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Awards
      • Award Programs
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top 25 Innovators
        • Top 25 Minority Leaders
        • Top 25 Women Leaders
      • Nominate
      • Previous Award Programs
        • Excellence in Nursing Awards
        • Design Awards
        • Top 25 COOs in Healthcare
      • Other Award Programs
        • 100 Top Hospitals
        • ACHE Awards
    • Events
      • Conferences
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Healthcare Transformation Summit
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
        • Workplace of the Future Conference
        • Strategic Marketing Conference
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Minority Leaders Gala (2022)
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Webinars
      • COVID-19 Event Tracker
    • Listen
      • Podcast - Next Up
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • MORE +
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing