Healthcare strategy: aligning brand and business strategy
In the future, we picture health systems resembling “ecosystems of health” – where consumers visit an organization’s facilities in a campus-like setting seeking complementary health and wellness services beyond traditional aspects of care. Given this more diversified portfolio of services, it’s important to ask of your healthcare strategies – is your brand fully aligned with your business and enabling your growth?
There’s a common perception that business strategy is strategic, and brand strategy is marketing-led – and not a corporate-level asset. However, in order for a health system to recognize its full value as an ecosystem of health, healthcare strategies, i.e. business and brand strategy, need to be aligned.
Why Brand And Business Strategy Travel Together
• the essence of business strategy is knowing where and how you will win
• brand strategy covers much of the same ground
• both are about targeting a customer, resolving problems, defending turf
• brand strategy is therefore just a translation of business strategy
How To Align Brand And Business Strategy
Here are five tips for aligning health system brand and business strategy.
• recognize that brand strategy is not an offshoot of the marketing function, but rather an extension of business strategy – representing a corporate-wide vision that drives business performance, culture, experience, perceptions and relationships
• as a first step to alignment, begin by mapping the basic building blocks of your business model – specifically the revenue generating components (i.e. value proposition, customer segments, channels/service lines, customer relationships)
• brand strategy should then dovetail with each of the business model components above; translating each one into a purposeful and differentiated promise as the face of your health system
• ultimately, a strong brand creates a strong business. A brand strategy which is part of your overall business strategy, is a strategy for growth and success
• at the end of the day, everyone important to your brand’s success needs to be on board – from the CEO to the most junior people across the organization – believing in the same vision, the same purpose and the same promises
Are your healthcare strategies building value? We can assist. Reach out.