Healthcare branding strategy: what’s the big idea that defines your brand?
The idea that drives your healthcare branding strategy
Consider a marketplace where consumers (not captive patients) can purchase their healthcare the way they do their consumer products – across a variety of “retail” channels. And similar to consumer products, many (usually way too many) brands are fighting for attention across more devices and networks. In the context of this environment, is there a big idea that defines, and distinguishes your healthcare branding strategy?
Like too many consumer products, in the absence of a strong healthcare branding strategy foundation, your healthcare brand can will descend into similar claims, undifferentiated advertising and indistinguishable offers (e.g. get 15% off every Thursday at The Colonscopy Center). This “commoditization” signals the beginning of the end for a brand.
Thinking and acting differently
Creativity is the only way to break through the clutter. And real creativity is not guided by thinking about functional benefits. It’s not about more da Vinci’s, more five star service line awards or even better doctors or nurses – because everyone is promoting the same things.
Rising above the noise is about thinking and acting differently. And this revolves around addressing four fundamental questions:
- Why do you exist (unearthing a compelling purpose that transcends your category)?
- What do you do for people (how does your product or service solve a particular challenge)?
- How do you make them feel (beyond obvious product or sector-related benefits in ways that reflect their aspirations)?
- How do you do it differently (to cut through the competitive noise; or at least in your “traditional’ service areas)?
Across every category, even “supposed commodity types” like cement and water (remember when water was just a commodity), there are brands that create real differentiation by declaring and demonstrating a higher purpose and by being more essential to people’s lives. Healthcare is no different.