How do you tell you have an ineffective healthcare marketing operation?

Strategy and effective marketing operations is everything today in healthcare marketing. And if you have a bad strategy or no strategy, combined with marketing operational deficiencies, then no amount of tactical execution will overcome ineptitude. If you don't have a good strategy, any old road will get you to where you want to go, with significant inefficient resources utilization in cost, human capital and loss of return. Some of the verticals in the healthcare industry, are notorious for no strategy and just plain bad marketing operations, following the herd and just keeping the internal audience happy with what they want.

Here are the signs that you have a bad or nonexistent healthcare marketing strategy/operation:


1. There is no marketing plan.
2. The marketing plan is not integrated with the organizations business and financial plan.
3. Your brand messages are not clear, and are not integrated across internal and external audiences.
4. The CEO sets the marketing priorities based on what others are doing , the loudest voice in the room or just because he or she likes it.
5. Departments are creating their own logos and communications. Only coming to marketing to "make it look pretty".
6. Marketing has little or no resources allocated for market research.
7. Marketing does not have an organizational voice or champion.
8. Your marketing department can't demonstrate an ROI.
9. Sales is out there creating their own materials.
10. The triangle of Public and media relations, social media and internet, as well as traditional marketing is nonexistent or if it exists, lacks integration.
11. Little internal communication throughout the organization regarding marketing efforts.
12. Marketing is just viewed by senior management as a bunch of people who make things look pretty.
13. And my favorite, one senior vice president thinks thy have all the answers, doesn't listen to reason and thinks they can write as well.
14. Marketing is not at the senior management table.
15. Marketing does not report directly to the CEO.

Healthcare verticals where this is pretty common and relevant: hospitals; physicians offices; hospice; home health care; and specialty pharmacy.

Healthcare is transforming from a provider-dominated and directed model, where these types of behaviors and operational deficiencies really didn't make much of a difference. In the evolving consumer or patient-directed and dominated healthcare model, continuation of these marketing operational structures and behaviors need to be weeded out.

The healthcare consumer is becoming a harsh mistress and will not tolerate an unresponsive healthcare organizations. Old ways of marketing must be replaced with a new understanding of marketing in healthcare and its power in the marketplace.

Welcome to retail healthcare.

You can continue the conversation with me on:

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/krivich0707
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mkrivich
Web site: http://www.themichaeljgroup.com/

For more information, or to discuss your strategic healthcare marketing, customer experience management, marketing/sales integration or start-up needs, you can learn more at my web site the michael J group; email- michael@themichaeljgroup.com; or phone by calling me at 815-293-1471.

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What Should Hospitals Advertise?

That question of course, assumes that you believe hospital advertising is appropriate. And you may well believe that it is also a waste of resources. Which I think is a most dangerous position, given the ongoing transformation of the healthcare market from a provider-directed to a consumer-directed or as some prefer a patient -directed model.

Arguments aside, what should hospitals be advertising to create an unassailable market position, a strong brand, as well as an enlightened and informed consumer? Remember, when you are marketing to consumers, they don't become a patient until they receive a service from you. So three-quarters of the time in their interactions with you, the "consumer" is only a "patient" during diagnosis and treatment.

Should it be being the best at all things or a category of service?

How about having the most current technology?

Maybe it could be who has the most quality awards and highest patient satisfaction?

Or, it could focus on the physicians with messaging about having the best specialists in the region?

Then, there is the here are the insurance plans we accept, followed by the, we have big screen TVs and private rooms.

I think, that pretty much for the most part, sums up the current state of hospital advertising. And when several hospitals are staying all of these things at the same time in a market, do you really believe that the consumer is paying any attention at all, when there is so little differentiation, it all looks like "me too" and just shouting for attention?

I am sure it makes the Board, senior management and physicians feel good. All the while your target audience receives absolutely no information that will help them make some of the most critical choices and decisions in their life.

And that can't go on any longer.

Time really to stop treating the healthcare consumer like they are some kind of idiot. People are coming to the realization that healthcare is not such the "black box that the consumer can't possibly understand the complexity of medical care".

It's time for meaningful information in the marketplace that will allow the healthcare consumer to become informed, educated and participatory in the care decision-making process. Time for marketing to begin to lead in hospitals instead of being order takers, and talking nonsense in their markets.

You should be transparent and talking about your outcomes. You need to engage in a meaningful dialogue that gives individuals the information that they want and need. The healthcare consumer is hungry for information and are searching the internet and other sources about you and how you perform. They are paying more of the cost. Demanding more say in what goes on. And don't like being treated like they are some small child who can't make a decision.

To use an often quoted metaphor, the wave of change is upon the hospital industry as we move from provider-dominated and controlled decision-making, to consumer and patient-directed, controlled healthcare. Your choice, change, be responsive and surf the wave to success, or be washed over and deposited on the ash heap of history.

You can continue the conversation with me on:
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/krivich0707
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mkrivich
Web site: http://www.themichaeljgroup.com/

For more information, or to discuss your strategic healthcare marketing, customer experience management, marketing/sales integration or start-up needs, you can learn more at my web site the michael J group; email- michael@themichaeljgroup.com; or phone by calling me at 815-293-1471.

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Can we learn anything from Veterinarians about caring and compassionate care?

Interesting question isn't it?

And from my point of view, the answer is yes.

Sometimes, examples of how things should be in healthcare, come from areas and experiences that one would have never thought of, borne out of intense personal experience. And believe me it was shock.

Briefly, my Golden Retriever Molly, who was 8 years old, became acutely ill and quickly passed away after 5 days at home. She was our family's loving companion, playful friend, and protector for the past 8 years.

Enough said, because this is about a very intense journey filled with compassion, caring, respect and dignity for Molly and me. And in my 25 years in healthcare, on several sides of the equation- as a professional, patient and caregiver, I have never seen anything like it.

I am not talking about the medical care, for Molly in a brief period received better care than most people in the world today. I am talking about the respect and dignity, the genuine caring and compassion exhibited during the diagnosis and treatment process. We, on the human side of healthcare, could learn a great deal from our healthcare brethren in the animal world.

And I am an expert on patient satisfaction.

I have always said, written and published that patient satisfaction is a process. One that could be understood, controlled and manipulated to produce high levels of satisfaction. It is well known that highly satisfied patients are more compliant with treatment regimens, tend to litigate less, and even if the medical outcome is not good, believe that they have had a high-quality medical experience.

But it's just not the process of satisfaction which is important and identifies areas of concern . This is also about all the little things that you and I do on a daily basis, that make that difference and you really can't measure that.

The answering of the phone and responding to an immediate need and not telling a patient that can't get in until next week. It's the person at the receptionist desk that stops what they are doing, doesn't look bored and extends the helping hand to get somewhere they need to go. It's the follow-up phone call to the patient at home to see how they are doing. It's the doctor calling the specialist first, getting things set-up and then informing the patient. It is about open and honest communication and patient involvement in the diagnosis, treatment and recovery process. Its caring and compassionate action demonstrated verbally and non-verbally to the patient, caregiver and family. It's the hospital staff being human again and not like acting like the patient is an inconvenience. It's the health insurance employee not sounding like they are being bothered, or blaming the computer.

For we are here to serve others, not for others to serve us.

I have never had such a positive experience in any healthcare organization.

As we move to a patient -directed healthcare model, these types of critical core behaviors and actions will determine the success or failure of a healthcare organization. Time to start the journey and get back to what we should be about in healthcare- caring, compassionate, respectful and treating everyone with dignity .

June 6, 2011

Molly Krivich, age 8, lover of cheese, eggs, Milkbones, popcorn, chasing balls, going for walks and being hyper (especially when I got home from work), went to dog heaven early this morning. Born March 3, 2003, survivors include Mike, Julie, Tyler, Alex and Grandma, and several brothers and sisters. Known for barely passing puppy training twice, and not knowing when to quiet down when visitors arrived, she still wrapped us around her paw and made us a better family. She really was the sweetest dog, and she will be missed. Rest in peace, Molly girl. You are loved By: Julie Corazza Krivich

My thanks and gratitude to: Care Animal Emergency Services, Animal Eye Consultants and Plainfield Animal Care Center.  You are the best.


For more information, or to discuss your strategic healthcare marketing, customer experience management, marketing/sales integration or start-up needs, you can learn more at my web site the michael J group; email- michael@themichaeljgroup.com ; or phone by calling me at 815-293-1471.

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Is earned media still a viable healthcare marketing strategy?

With everyone a buzz about social media, web sites, apps, channel specific publications, blogs, YouTube, twitter etc., and the supposed decline of print media, is chasing earned media still worth the effort? It does seem, except for pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, that earned media is on the decline for other types of healthcare organizations. And the reasons why puzzles me.

Is earned media to hard?

In any brand marketing campaign, its easy to focus on the "hot button" techniques to show the CEO and Board, that you are up-to-date and executing your marketing with the latest and greatest. Make no mistake about it, earned media is hard. You have to develop relationships with reporters. You have to plant and cultivate story ideas. You have to respond to reporters request for more information. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes resources, in a period of time where all we ask on a daily basis is, "What did you do for me today?"

And in the pressures of today's immediate gratification world, earned media seems so anachronistic.

That's a mistaken attitude.

Earned media has value.

All that content that goes online comes from somewhere. A reporter has to write it. A network broadcaster has to cover it. Columnists look for it. It goes out on facebook, web sites, YouTube, twitter and gasp, print editions of magazines, daily newspapers and specialty publications.

Since it comes under the byline of a reporter, there naturally flows some journalistic credibility that is conferred on the story. The more people say that they don't believe what they read, the more that they believe it. We are expected to advertise. We are expected to do direct mail. Communication of our brand messages and potential product experiences are expected by the consumer. Whether they believe it or not is another matter.

Earned media can become viral in nature because it has so many different outlets. When a news outlet or publication carries your brand messages, it makes what you are doing seem more believable. Once they story runs about a topic and you're the first, it's much harder for your competitors to get out there with the same message. A powerful way to differentiate yourself which also has a considerable number of aftermarket uses.

There is a payoff.

Besides the advertising equivalency return for earned media ratio and successful brand image awareness measurement, there is a compelling reason for developing earned media relationships.

Every organization will experience a communications crisis. Taking the time to develop positive relationships with reporters, blog writers, broadcast media and others has a big payoff in a media driven crisis. The development and cultivation of a relationship with media doesn't mean that the story won't run. But what it can mean, is the difference between a story that is balanced and fairly reported, versus a story that is one-sided against you. As we all know, negative news about travels farther and faster than positive news, which does more harm than good over the long haul.

So, maybe it's time to rethink that "old bygone era strategy" of actively planning for and pursuing earned media.

You can continue the conversation with me on:
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/krivich0707
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mkrivich
Web site: http://www.themichaeljgroup.com/

For more information, or to discuss your strategic healthcare marketing, customer experience management, marketing/sales integration or start-up needs, you can learn more at my web site the michael J group; email- michael@themichaeljgroup.com ; or phone by calling me at 815-293-1471.

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