For years, there was safety in sameness when it came to hospital marketing. If you cover up the logo on your marketing materials, can you tell them apart from your competitors’? If your answer is no, here are some tips for standing out.

1. SPike oN: HOSpital marketinG
There’s danger
in playing it safe If you covered the logo on your
marketing materials, could you tell
them apart from your competitors’?
If you are like most hospitals,
the answer is no.
And for good reason – for years,
there was safety in sameness.
Spike Advertising Incorporated / 27 Kilburn Street / Burlington, VT / 802.951.1700 / spikeadvertising.com

2. The days oF What’s a hOSpital to d0?
playing it sAfe It’s not rocket surgery, bu
t it does take guts.
arE GONe. Here’s what you need to do
:
Powerful market forces have changed the rules.
Healthcare consumers now:
g Trust less 1. Be Different or Die
If the consumer can’t tell you apart from your competition, they
g Question more have no reason to care about you. “We care harder” messages
don’t cut it, never did. Uncover your differences and celebrate
g Demand transparency
them — they are your best marketing medicine.
g Expect hospitals to consider their
preferences and points of view
2. Live and Breathe
g Rely on word-of-mouth to make
healthcare decisions
Your Brand
Brands work only when you walk the talk. A true brand
g Weigh non-clinical factors more experience is just that — an experience. From the intake staff,
heavily than purely clinical reputations to the ER nurse, to the person delivering meals, they are all
when choosing a hospital ambassadors of your brand. Do they know how to act in this
capacity? Do they know what they should and should not do?
g Insist on two-way communication
Do they care?
g Use new media more than
traditional media
3. Win the
Word-of-Mouth War
Do not leave word-of-mouth to chance. Know what is being
said about you, decide what you want said about you and
put together a plan to make that happen.
4. Learn to Listen
It’s easier than ever to listen to your constituencies in real-time
using the myriad new technologies. Be sure to also include
plenty of opportunity for old-fashioned face time – there is
nothing better than the human touch.
5. Commit to
Communication
Communication is a two-way street, not a one-way assault.
Build relationships that bind community members to your
hospital through give-and-take encounters. Plan strategies
and messages that include opportunity for dialogue.
Spike Advertising Incorporated / 27 Kilburn Street / Burlington, VT / 802.951.1700 / spikeadvertising.com

3. Hands-on Healthcare
Marketing Experience
The principals at Spike Advertising have been in the
trenches and on both sides of the table when it comes to
hospital marketing.
CEO Pat Sears is the former Vice President of Healthcare Clients
Communications for Middlesex Hospital in Connecticut, Served by Spike
and subsequently the principal of Sears & Company —
a marketing firm working with nearly half of Connecticut’s g Central Vermont Medical Center
hospitals. Among Pat’s noteworthy achievements are g Meridian Medical
her work with MidState Medical Center, where she
raised public support for the hospital from 37% to 86% g North Country Hospital
in two years, her launching of a new cancer center
g Schuyler Hospital
and her strategic communication planning around
hospital staff downsizing. In addition, she has provided g Timberlane Dental Group
marketing services to five physician practice groups
and several pharmaceutical companies including Bayer g Vermont Department of Health
Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer. g Visiting Nurse Association
of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties
Ken Millman, Spike’s founder and president, has
performed marketing work for many clients in and related
to the healthcare field, including Blue Shield of California,
Direct Doctors Physician Referral Service and Universal
Health Services (UHS) — one of the nation’s largest
healthcare management companies with acute care
hospitals, behavioral health centers, surgical hospitals,
ambulatory surgery centers and radiation oncology
centers nationwide. Over the years, Ken has developed,
implemented and managed marketing programs for nine
hospitals and healthcare systems in California, Nevada,
Washington and Vermont.
Want to know more?
rtising.com)
Contact Pat Sears (pat@spikeadve
or Ken Millman (ken @spikeadvertising.com)
at 802.951.1700.
Spike Advertising Incorporated / 27 Kilburn Street / Burlington, VT / 802.951.1700 / spikeadvertising.com