hospital marketing strategy_a framework

Hospital Marketing Strategy –

A Framework

Elissa Swift

1

© 2015 Elissa Swift

Competitive positioning

2

Trend Analysis

Competitive

Analysis

Internal Analysis

of Capabilities• XXX

• XXX

• XXX

• XXX

• XXX

• XXX


Position and trajectory

3

Where is the hospital now and where is it going?

Trend Analysis

CompetitiveAnalysis

Internal Analysis of Capabilities


Hospitals need to market to five distinct audiences

Reputation MDs

(those who influence the reputation of the hospital)

Referring MDs

(patients’ most trusted source of health information)

Existing PatientsPotential Patients

(future clients)

Hospital Associates/MDs

4


The five distinct audiences have incremental needs, all

building on high quality care and reputation

5

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care

Relationships(physicians and patients)

Excellent Care

Access

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings

Relationships(with physicians)

Access

Experience

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings

Relationships(with physicians and patients)

Access

ExperienceRecommenda-

tions (physician and patient)

Reputation

MDs

Referring

MDs

Potential

Patients

Existing

PatientsHospital


Access


6

Marketing’s role for hospitals is to build reputation,

referrals and loyalty

Building referrals

Influence patient awareness, traffic and

loyalty

Building awareness


7

Marketing Strategy:

Challenges and Tactics

Audience: Reputation MDs


Reputation MDs - quality of care and current reputation

8

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care


Excellent Care

Access

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings


Access

Experience

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings


Access


tions(physician and patient)

Reputation

MDs

Referring

MDs

Potential

Patients

Existing

PatientsHospital


Access


C11

C10

C9

Competitor 1

C4

C8

C3

C7

C5

C2

C6

Your hospital

98.00

100.00

102.00

104.00

106.00

108.00

110.00

112.00

114.00

116.00

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Hospitals wishing to play on the national level can

consider their US News reputations and clinical scores

Reputation Score

Clinical Score


Low Medium High

Assess strengths/weaknesses and which departments

to highlightDepartment Clinical Strength

Specialty influence on

overall reputation

Relative size, ability

to impact

Oncology (Halo effect)

Cardiology & Heart

Surgery (Halo Effect)

Department X

Department X

Department X

Department X

Department X

Department X

Department X

Department X

10


11

What are the implications of this analysis and what

tactics can you apply to achieve your goals?

• What specialties will be most strategic to promote? Which specialties are

“reputation builders”?

• How do your capabilities match up relative to your reputation?

• Develop a marketing plan for each specialty.

• Which journals make sense for advertisements?

• Sponsored links on Google?

• Create in-house content?

• Connections with medical news sites?

• YouTube videos highlighting issues around common conditions?


Marketing Strategy:


Audience: Referring MDs


Beyond the preceding, referring MDs are primarily

concerned with relationships and access

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Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care


Excellent Care

Access

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings


Access

Experience

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings


Access



Reputation

MDs

Referring

MDs

Potential

Patients

Existing

PatientsHospital


Access

14

Referrals generate as much as 75% of new patient

visits for specialists

Face-to-face communication is key to building physician referral networks

Source: The Advisory Board, 2008


Marketing Strategy:


Audience: Potential Patients


Potential patients rely on the recommendations of

physicians and former/current patients

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Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care


Excellent Care

Access

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings


Access

Experience

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings


Access



Reputation

MDs

Referring

MDs

Potential

Patients

Existing

PatientsHospital


Access


17

80% of patients follow through on their physicians

referral

80% of adults

follow through

on their

physician’s

referral

37.5%

said that

they didn’t

have time

47.5 %

said that

the problem

had been

resolved

15% disagreed

with the referral

Doc News November 2007 vol. 4 no. 11 3-13


50%

16%

13%

23%

40%

43%

51%

10%

11%

17%

23%

27%

28%

51%

Read newspaper and magazine articles

Researched the Internet for more information

Compared quality and performance ratings

Made a list of specific things that you wanted or needed

Made a list of specific questions to ask

Asked friends or family for recommendations or advice

Asked a professional in the field for recommendations or advice

Sources Used in Selecting Medical Care

Chose a Hospital Chose a Doctor

18

Physician referrals are the most important source

when choosing a hospital

Thinking about the last time you (___), which of the following did you do to help you choose?

Source: Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield, 2007


19

Internet and direct mail are valued information sources

to patients

How would you like to receive or access information that might help you choose doctors or

hospitals? (Multiple responses allowed.)


1%

1%

8%

14%

39%

45%

Word of mouth, from family and friends

From a doctor

Through a CD sent to you in the mail

Through email

Through regular mail

Through websites that you can browse on your own

Preferred Information Sources


Marketing Strategy:


Audience: Existing Patients

Existing patients are affected by their experience

21

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care


Excellent Care

Access

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings


Access

Experience

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings


Access



Reputation

MDs

Referring

MDs

Potential

Patients

Existing

PatientsHospital


Access


22

Existing patients are family and friends of potential

patientsThinking about the last time you (___), which of the following did you do to help you choose?

50%

16%

13%

23%

40%

43%

51%

10%

11%

17%

23%

27%

28%

51%












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Existing patients are an audience for whom there is not

extremely intense competition

• Given the intense competition in the market, current patients represent an “easy-to-

reach” audience

• With the increase in chronic conditions, the patient – specialist relationship is

becoming more important

• Current patients are the most easily influenced customer group


Marketing Strategy:


Audience: Internal Associates


Staff and other associates are likely promoters

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Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care


Excellent Care

Access

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings


Access

Experience

Excellent Care

Reputation /

Rankings


Access



Reputation

MDs

Referring

MDs

Potential

Patients

Existing

PatientsHospital


Access


26

Hospital associates are friends and family of potential

patients

Thinking about the last time you (___), which of the following did you do to help you choose?

50%

16%

13%

23%

40%

43%

51%

10%

11%

17%

23%

27%

28%

51%












How enthusiastic is your staff about the quality of care

and how can you use them to promote the hospital?

27


Summary/ Conclusions/ Questions


hospital marketing strategy_a framework

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