The marketing challenge of every healthcare organization is unique. For some it may be educating the community about new procedures and technology. For others, it may be building better relationships with the community or changing the perceptions of the facility. “We have a better technology than ABC Health” or “We need to reposition to compete with bigger competitors”. Whatever your challenge, answering the five questions below is a step in the right direction.

1. What do people think of your organization?

How people view your organization is a major factor in attracting patients. Improving the perception of your hospital starts with discovering "who you are" in the minds of your customer. Start by finding out how the community perceives you, determine what views need to be changed, and develop creative solutions to inform the public of your positive attributes.

2. What's really important to your customers?

Do your customers know why they should choose you over a competitor? What makes you a better choice? Does your difference have value to a consumer? Healthcare is not a commodity, there are many attributes to your hospital or medical practice that set you apart from competitors. Identify these attributes, compare them to what is important to your prospects, and communicate that in creative, compelling ways to promote your position effectively.

Brands help people make choices. Doug Oakes

3. What does your Brand Image say about you?

One of the most powerful ways to differentiate your health system, hospital, or practice is wrap your communications in a creative, memorable brand image. Aligning your brand image with the true spirit of your organization helps identify your public persona. Is it caring? 5-Star Quality? State-of-the-art technology? Discover the true positive image of your organization and communicate that with creative messages, and you'll build a more favorable perception with prospective patients.

4. Do you have a communications strategy?

How are you currently communicating to potential patients? Do you need to update your marketing plan? Do you have a media plan? Are your communications aligned under an effective, memorable position? These are important steps to optimize your marketing efforts. By integrating communications, your marketing efforts will gain focus and recognition. (Tip: We have the experience and the know-how to create effective, strategic and creative communication strategies.)

5. Do you have the resources to do all this?

Most healthcare marketing departments are overworked and understaffed. From contractors to creative marketing agencies to hiring your own in-house team, you have more choices than ever before when it comes to marketing solutions. Here's a few things to consider why you should consider calling us:

Expertise: At Do Design we work as an extension of your marketing department. We have deep experience in healthcare and can help with everything from positioning, messaging, branding, crisis communications, content marketing and design to video production and media management.

Talent: Another advantage of hiring a healthcare marketing agency is getting a new creative approach. When you want to do something out of the box, bringing a new creative team into the mix infuses new blood into your marketing. Often times an impartial outsider will see new approaches or opportunities, and bring life to current campaigns. With more opportunities to reach consumers than ever before, a creative marketing agency can significantly enhance your brand image, including what your market thinks about you.

Cost Efficient: Do you need permanent, ongoing support, or short-term help with a specific project? The cost of hiring and maintaining an in-house marketing team is expensive. One of the benefits of hiring a healthcare marketing agency is cost-effectiveness. We provide deep experience in healthcare marketing, with the specialized talent to accomplish your objectives. Our clients find we are more agile, more responsive and less expensive than hiring a full-time marketing team.

If you'd like to learn more about what it's like to work with us, we'd love to talk. Give us a call at (407) 494-5418 and let's do something new together.