That time of the year is upon us where predictions of things
to come become all the rage. Prognostications, crystal balls, and ominous calls
for the end of the world as we know it will continue to some degree.
Continuation of hospital bankruptcies and closures, mergers,
affiliations, disruptive innovations, healthcare consumerism, mHealth, and entrants
of non- traditional healthcare providers, will continue unabated pushing hospitals
and health system further down the food chain, threatening their very survival.
Okay, so I was just Captain Obvious and that’s what we all know
the future holds. Now that being said, these trend continuations from 2014 don’t
necessarily mean that hospitals and health systems will adapt.
Will healthcare marketing in 2015 really be any different than
the last 30 years? Probably not, but to survive the changes coming in 2015,
that will only increase in velocity and intensity, there are strategies and tactics that healthcare marketing need to embrace for growth and survival, by leading
change in their respective healthcare enterprises.
Remember that growth is good. If the healthcare enterprise
is not growing but circling the wagons, like so many do, then last one out turn
the lights off. Here the trends and challenges as I see them for 2015 in
healthcare marketing.
1. Healthcare consumerism. That means brand positioning, experience, consumer
health needs, price and quality transparency is the answer. It’s the only way
to respond should the healthcare enterprise desire growth and success.
2. Retail medicine.
That has taken a major turn with the introduction of some basic primary
care services beyond the sore throat, cold or flu. Especially with a tele-health
presence, physicians are now able to consult real time. It is more convenient to
the healthcare consumer, faster and cheaper then hospital based services. From a
market perspective, the healthcare enterprise needs to respond in the same fashion
by making the services of the healthcare enterprise more desirable, priced
appropriately and consumer need focused than hospital focused. Beat Walgreens
and others at their own game.
3. Social media. Its use will accelerate and grow in
influence during the healthcare consumer selection process. At a minimum
Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and Instagram are the vehicles of choice for the novice
organization. One to engage and dialogue. One to enhance the experience. One to
mange reputation. One to tell a visual story.
4. Price wars. They are coming considering that the
healthcare consumer now pays one-third of the cost of care. Look for opportunities
to lower prices and provide better care as a loss leader, for the more costly
and profitable healthcare enterprise services. Capture the healthcare consumer by
engagement, build the relationship and drive loyalty.
5. Content marketing. The story is important and it’s
how you influence the influencers. In markets that are undifferentiated, it’s
the way to differentiate not on clinical programs and services which all competitors
have but on the story. The story is different
from all others and can be used efficiently and effectively to drive engagement,
awareness and choice. Content that is changed timely, appropriate and fresh. Content
is not some of the time, but all of the time.
6. Innovation. Non-traditional entrants into the
market will drive further change the cost and delivery of healthcare services,
placing the healthcare enterprise at a competitive disadvantage. The only way to anticipate that is using
market research to discover and understanding the unmet needs of the healthcare
consumer. Then design the offerings at competitive prices, convenient and engaging
before someone else does. That means
changing the business development aspect from an internal inwardly focused
process to an external market focus.
7. Redistribution of marketing resources. Resource will
move from traditional print and electronic, to online with native advertising, social
media platforms, email, and blogging and to mobile. That is where the audience
is.
8. MHealth. Consumers
love it. Providers generally hate it. Venture capital private equity firms are
pouring billions into it. Look for more innovation
and acceptance that will drive the healthcare consumer further from the hospitals
and hospital based services. Healthcare
enterprises will get on the bandwagon, hopefully before it’s too late in their
markets.
9. Healthcare consumer engagement will move beyond
emails, wellness programs of little value and repeating what the healthcare enterprise
has always done, to dialogue and exchange of information in a manner and method
that the healthcare consumer desires.
10. Focus on growth.
This isn’t the build it and they will come growth, but growth that is based
relationships, manages experience and expectations and manages the demands of
the healthcare consumer to the right setting of care, at the right time, for
the right cost.
These are what I see as the 10 most important healthcare marketing
changes and challenges for 2015.
One may notice that the lines are blurring from
what can be viewed traditionally as a healthcare enterprise operational focus, to a market
driven focus. And that is the biggest marketing challenge.
Funny how that happens in a consumer driven semi-retail
healthcare market. Best of luck.
