While commoditization may benefit the entire industry, the individual healthcare systems and the provider networks face diverse challenges. If your service becomes pretty homogeneous and easy to do, then why would a patient go to your hospital or clinic and not to someone else? As the healthcare sector continues to advance towards commoditization, you must reassess the way you think about your branding for these three reasons: The healthcare sector is in a phase of universal competition!
The 21st century has brought so many challenges: Sorry to burst your bubble, but yes, patients today have an oversupply of choices and are not solely reliant on the providers within walking distance. And if there is enough bad customer service in a country, people may also go overseas for their medical needs as well. Also, due to the rise in mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, etc., organizations need to have their branding figured out.
The marketplace is driven by consumers: People have become more selective in choosing providers and hospitals because they now pay a more significant portion of their out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures. Healthcare cost comparisons, experiences as well as satisfaction surveys are abundant online so today it is feasible for the public to know more about things and rely on higher standards.
Recruiting and retention are core to continued success: Your brand does not only attract potential patients, but it also attracts potential doctors, nurses, physician assistants, and other clinical personnel. To stay competitive in such a talent-hungry environment, your brand must be reliable, secure, and stable in the eyes of new and existing employees.
How can you improve today?
To begin with, what is your added value–what is your unique selling proposition, and how does it set you apart from competitors? It has been suggested that one should not just seek to be different, but should seek to be distinctive. Without losing focus, the brand image is critical and how it is thought of when mentioned in conversation. If it is not how you want your brand to be perceived, perhaps you need to change direction in your marketing. And it should be factual. Experts in marketing have been known to say that ‘good advertising can kill a bad product sooner than anything else’. When patients hear claims that aren’t true about a certain brand, they are sure to hold onto that negative impression for a long time.
Once the value proposition of your brand is determined and aggrandized, ensure there is strategic consistency in branding throughout all its available channels and for every audience segment including the consumer or professional. This means having a distinct brand image that is constantly emphasized in educational materials, advertisements, clothing, and posts made outside. Help your staff feel like they are brand representatives so that they fulfill what your brand promises and therefore, there is uniformity in the experiences of the patients. Eventually, such experiences build an image for the brand which facilitates credibility and reputation.
