This may be the most significant area for a CMO to own in delivering real value to the organization. During the 2024 Joe Public Retreat, many attendees spoke of how their own accountabilities in this area allowed them to play a significant role in helping both the organization and the patients they serve. As I’ve said for more than twenty years, those with a marketing background are better positioned to understand and represent the needs of a consumer than any other executive in the organization. Specific strategies and activities could include:

• Overall experience assessment, planning and management

• Understanding the voice of the customer/patient

• Application of behavioral science strategies to improve experiences

• Enhancing/growing patient navigation offerings

• Website, call center and “digital front door” strategies

• Pricing transparency initiatives

• Charity care and financial assistance communication

One of the top challenges facing both patients and health systems, access is only worsening thanks to federal budget cuts, closing hospitals and clinics, growing volumes and increasingly expensive health care coverage. While access could fall under the consumer experience in general, it is often tackled as a separate strategy at health systems. 

• Patient journey mapping and journey improvement

• Physician relations, referral mapping and improvement

• Wayfinding, signage and digital signage

• Translation services

• Scheduling capabilities

• Transportation services

While the value of marketing in the eyes of health system leaders has diminished, the value of communications has only risen, especially since the Covid pandemic. Along with owning the consumer experience, CMOs who have gained oversight of communications say that discipline is far more valued by leadership than marketing. 

• Corporate communications

• Public relations

• Media relations

• Issues/crisis

• Payor negotiation communications

• Executive visibility

• Community reporting

• Internal communications

Just because ServingOverSelling calls for the end of bloated branding campaigns doesn’t mean your brand doesn’t matter. It’s just that your brand is built based on what you do, not what you say. So brand strategy and management still matter a great deal, and no one is better positioned to own that than the CMO.

• Brand strategy

• Brand architecture

• Online reputation management

For years, we advocated for health systems to embrace a “post health system brand,” one that was focused on helping the community in some way rather than just promoting your doctors or US News rankings. The value of driving public health and health literacy is still an incredible opportunity for health systems to build their reputations, as they are still seen as the most trusted source (along with physicians and nurses) for medical information by the public (this is even more true given what has happened at the federal level with the policies issued from departments such as HHS, the FDA and the CDC). You can build your reputation and help make the communities you serve healthier through:

• Disease prevention campaigns

• Health literacy programs

• Anti-misinformation campaigns

• Community health initiatives

• Public health education (maternity health, mental health, etc.)

• Crisis communications and emergency health event response

Federal funding cuts of all stripes over the past two years far outweigh any financial gain that could have been driven by promotional marketing efforts in the health system space. Ensuring your organization is working to fight for the political and regulatory causes that matter, and partnering with other systems and associations in that fight, will mean more to your bottom line in the future than any billboard or US News ranking. 

• Health policy advocacy

• Coalition work

• Patient safety, equity, and outcomes leadership

• Healthcare worker advocacy

Labor is and will continue to be one of the most significant challenges for health systems. Marketers have been playing a growing role with staff and physician recruitment, and the opportunity is there for many to play a far greater role in improving your organizations recruitment strategies and actions. (Yes, this constitutes “promotional marketing,” but promotion in the service of recruitment, done well, can actually demonstrate meaningful results, as opposed to consumer and patient marketing).

• Employer brand strategy

• Recruitment messaging

• Recruitment campaigns advertising

• Retention communication

• Workforce pipeline development (partnerships with local high schools, nursing schools, etc.)

In many organizations, engagement of staff is woefully inadequate. True engagement goes beyond a monthly newsletter and table tents in the cafeteria. If it’s true that health system brands are built by the experience they deliver (not the messaging they sell), then nothing is more important to your brand than a strong culture and happy employees. (And no, this does not include brand embodiment – see here to understand why.)

• Employer brand strategy

• Mission, vision and values stewardship

• Internal storytelling and cataloging

• Employee onboarding and mission orientation

• Internal recognition 

• Management of leadership road shows, town halls and other feedback mechanisms

• Internal communications

Imagine how much stronger your brand reputation would be if you reallocated all the money typically spent on promotional advertising to instead truly engage your community. Visibility while helping those in your community will return far stronger value to your organization than any brand campaign could hope to achieve. 

• Community listening and feedback programs

• Partnerships with community-based organizations

• Community benefit storytelling

• Community health worker support and programs

• Support for local causes, initiatives and campaigns to better community health