Take These Steps to Assess a Healthcare Organization’s Readiness for
Marketing Initiatives
Recently, the SPRYTE team participated in the New England Society for Healthcare Communications’ (NESHCo) monthly webinar, “Do You Deserve to be Marketed?,” which focused on the importance of assessing an organization’s readiness for marketing initiatives.
During the webinar, Helayne Lightstone – senior director of marketing and branding for Hartford HealthCare in Connecticut – outlined the following steps healthcare communicators must take before executing a campaign to ensure its success.
Step 1: Assessment
The first step in a “marketing readiness plan” is assessing the key aspects of your campaign. To build the foundation for a successful campaign, answer the following questions:
- What are your benchmark metrics?
- Are you looking to bring in more patients and/or build awareness about your organization?
- What are the differentiators of the product/service/initiative you’re promoting?
- Is your organization ready to handle the impact of a successful campaign? Do you have a plan for accommodating more patients or a crossover referral strategy?
- Have you conducted market research for this campaign?
- What is the competition in your market? Have your competitors implemented similar campaigns?
Step 2: Analysis
After answering all of the questions to identify those key aspects in Step 1, you then must take a deeper dive to analyze two important points of the campaign:
- Value: Is there a high demand for the service/product/initiative you’re promoting, or is the market oversaturated? How differentiated is your offering, and is it a money maker?
- Readiness: Are the physicians and staff members involved equipped with the right messaging and training for this campaign? Do you have set patient referral and response tracking plans?
Are all of the physical and digital collateral, including the website, logos, signage, etc. up-to-date and aligned with the campaign’s messaging?
Step 3: Advance and Apply
Once you’ve developed a clear understanding of your goals, readiness and timing, you can now work together with your team to flesh out the campaign. Be sure to establish a set approval pathway that involves all necessary team members, which may include marketing, creative, clinical, legal, financial and executive personnel. Be sure to engage all members of the team to make sure the process runs as smoothly as possible.
Is Your Organization Ready?
Even the most engaging campaign won’t make an impact if it reaches the wrong audience at the wrong time. By taking these steps, you’ll lay the groundwork to ensure your campaign resonates with the right patients.
Note: Hartford HealthCare Medical Group is one of the largest practices in Connecticut with over 50 locations and over 450 physicians and advanced practitioners.
