Hitakshi Buch (Asst. Manager – Branding, Shalby Hospitals)
With 15 years of extensive experience in journalism & hospital branding, currently serving at one of India’s leading brands, Shalby Ltd. Hitakshi Buch has completed mass communication at MS University and holds a PG in healthcare management from Symbiosis.
Introduction:
When establishing a company, it is crucial to evolve it into a brand through lucrative marketing. Effective marketing and branding strategies are essential for any organisation to stand out in today’s competitive healthcare landscape, enabling it to build trust and connect directly with patients. This endeavour must be continuous and incorporate innovative concepts.
From hospitals to clinics, pharma companies, and medical device manufacturers, a solid brand identity and targeted marketing campaigns can significantly impact patient attraction, loyalty retention, and business growth.
Let’s discuss acumen views of strategic marketing and branding development:
- Understanding the Importance of Healthcare Marketing:
Healthcare consumers, now more empowered and informed, are discerning in their healthcare providers and treatment choices. Operative marketing helps healthcare organisations cut through the noise, reaching their target audience with compelling messages and offers. Marketing is crucial in promoting preventive care and wellness initiatives, encouraging patients towards better health outcomes. Through education and empowerment, healthcare marketing contributes to overall public health efforts.
- Building a Strong Healthcare Brand:
A strong brand transcends a logo or a tagline; it embodies a healthcare organisation’s values, reputation, and unique offerings. Consistency across all touchpoints, from the patient experience to communication materials, is vital to building a robust brand. Healthcare brands should create emotional connections with patients, demonstrating empathy, compassion, and understanding, thus fostering trust and loyalty among patients and their families.
- Marketing, Branding, and PR Strategies:
Effective healthcare marketing requires a deep understanding of the target audience, including their demographics, preferences, and behaviours. Segmenting the audience and tailoring messages maximises the impact of marketing efforts. Digital marketing channels, such as social media, email, and search engine optimisation, offer powerful tools for engaging patients. Leveraging data analytics and marketing automation, healthcare marketers can deliver personalised experiences that resonate with their audience.
Alongside digital marketing strategies, PR and media relations create a mass identity, as illustrated by an example from when I worked with a leading healthcare organisation in 2008. The CEO asked – how we should develop an identity in the city with the help of media and communications. We immediately started with detailed planning and rigorous interaction with media professionals. We implemented new step-by-step strategies to leverage our media presence, and the hospital could reach the benchmark position in two years.
- Measuring Success and ROI:
Evaluating marketing efforts’ effectiveness requires establishing clear goals and key performance indicators (KPIs), like website traffic, patient inquiries, appointment bookings, and patient satisfaction scores. Regular monitoring and analysis of these metrics help identify areas for improvement and optimise marketing strategies for better results. Measuring ROI helps justify marketing expenditures and effectively allocate resources.
Conclusion:
In summary, marketing and branding are critical components of a successful healthcare organisation’s strategy. Investing in marketing initiatives that build trust, foster connections, and deliver value to patients can differentiate an organisation in a competitive market, drive patient engagement, and improve health outcomes.
