What Does the Future Hold for Hospital Marketing, Public Relations, and Communications?

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended everyone's way of life. At a time like this, it is understandable that the ability to focus on the near-term future, when hospitals are strained past the breaking point, may seem an oxymoron.  But focus we must, with at least some consideration as to the role of marketing, communications, and public relations in hospitals and health systems will be as we come out of the public health crisis.

An essential consideration because health care delivery has fundamentally changed, driven in part by world-changing external events. Some may say that the changes we see today in healthcare delivery were already in process, just accelerated as a forced change at that. Now, how hospitals and health systems communicate with patients, and the communities served has changed as well.

There is no going back to the way we practiced marketing, communications, and public relations in the hospital.  Ever.

How should we look at hospital marketing, communications, and public relations going forward?

Eight thoughts for consideration and discussion. 

1.       Marketing leadership returns to the senior management table. This one is obvious and is more of a "back to the future" scenario. There was a time when hospitals employed a Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations reporting to the CEO. Changes in hospital management structure, reporting, and governance drove much of the difference. What was lacking in these changes was a clear vision and understanding of the role of marketing. Losing the marketing seat at the senior management table removed a voice that could represent a different view and voice in deliberations. 

2.       Marketing strategy and tactics become more critical and focused. Marketing will move from we do everything in excellent facilities, with high-technology and convenient locations to building brand messages. Being replaced with value delivered, price transparency,  patient and consumer engagement, and be highly integrated into the operational, financial, and strategic plan of the hospital and health system. 

3.       Managing the patient experience. With over 147 different touchpoints in the patient experience in the hospital, management of the total patient experience across the vast continuum of care should move to the marketing department. Bits and pieces of the experience are touched by marketing here and there usually in response to a complaint. But the management of the patient experience should be a proactive effort, not a reactive response to it breaking.  If one considers the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the patient experience, and its impact on people, there will be an emotional undertow for a very long time. 

4.       Demand management. The care system is evolving far more rapidly than expected due to the public health crisis. Health care delivery is now more of a distributive network out of necessity. Demand is moving to sites that are more appropriate, convenient, and accessible with fewer health risks that are present in a hospital. Marketing's role is to understand the health system as a distributive network with the technologies available for remote or virtual care and move service demand to the most appropriate and least costly setting. 

5.       Communicating, engaging, maintaining, and growing the relationship with the connected patient and community. Using all available means to communicate with society and patients, new expectations of openness, meaningful content, and transparency between hospitals and communities won't be going away any time soon. Out of necessity, hospital communications are becoming entirely digital and omnichannel to reach the vastest number of people. If the hospital can do this in a time of crisis, then the strategy and tactics of marketing moving forward need to remain omnichannel, highly coordinated, relevant, timely, informative, and purposeful. 

6.       Understanding and using social media as the new mainstream media for public relations. Social media platforms have evolved for better or for worse into the new mainstream media #NMM. Twitter and other platforms now drive the news cycle. Reporters post their stories on Twitter, Facebook, Flipboard, for example, before they ever hit the website or print editions. Reporters who previously loathed the ICYMT in an email, now use the acronym to accompany their story posts and reposts. Action and reaction drive the news cycle. Everyone is a reporter without the benefit of an editor or having to fact check. "If it's on the Internet and social media, then it must be true." Statements that have gone from being a standard joke to the new standard of acceptability as accurate without verification. 

7.       Marketing as the champion of change in the organization. Who better in an organization than for marketing to manage the healthcare organizations transformation from an inward-focused it's all about me, to an outward-focused market and consumer-drivenorganization?   Open to much debate, this is probably the most controversial look at the expanding role of marketing.  Focusing on and meeting the needs of the customer is the most critical trait and a hallmark of successful companies. One patient to the hospital. One hospital to the patient. 

8.       Becoming a Revenue Marketer and Having Revenue Accountability. Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI) is necessary for anything marketing accomplishes, traditionally, socially, or online. Marketers in healthcare organizations need to become revenue producers, not resource consumers that show little value beyond; it looks beautiful.  Marketing should have P&L as well as an SG&A accountability for many of the products and services offered by a healthcare organization.

Eight thoughts on the future role of marketing, communications, and public relations in the hospital for your consideration and discussion. Maybe the opinions are not that profound but ideas nevertheless that will have a profound impact on the hospitals going forward post-pandemic.

Michael is a healthcare business, marketing, communications strategist, and thought leader. As an internationally followed healthcare strategy blogger, his blog, Healthcare Marketing Matters, is read in 52 countries and is listed on the 100 Top Healthcare Marketing Blogs & Websites ranked at No. 3 on the list by Feedspot.com. Michael is a Life Fellow, American College of Healthcare Executives. An expert in healthcare marketing strategy, digital marketing, and social media, Michael is in the top 10 percent of social media experts nationwide and is considered an established influencer. For inquiries regarding strategic consulting engagements, email me at michael@themichaeljgroup.com. Opinions expressed are my own.

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