Marketing for Sales or for Brand Building

Marketing for Sales or for Brand Building

There is always a debate about whether or not marketing is associated with brand building activity.

Definition of marketing remains unchanged, it’s execution may differ by market and industry. Hospital marketing encompasses all aspects including brand building. It depends on the market context for individual healthcare organisations, but from a long term perspective branding takes precedence over sales approach of marketing for majority of healthcare organisation. Within a hospital too there are certain departments like in patient care, emergency services, critical care services etc., where brand perception (hospital or doctor) precedes sales approach of marketing whereas reverse is true for departments like OPD, health check ups, day care, home care etc.

Hospitals must market mostly on technology or a particular department. For example if any new equipment is acquired and installed, the hospital must communicate about the same either through print or electronic media. Similarly, if any landmark achievement in the field of medicine or research work or any unique surgery has been done it must be highlighted. This enhances the image of the hospital in the long run.

For Effective Marketing...

Reforms in marketing strategies and increased competition within the industry has brought opportunities as well as challenges. Hospitals mostly interpret their marketing success in the common mantra of the 'hospitality lingo'. It is a common belief among hospital promoters and management staff that their patient is the best medium to promote their hospital. This may be true to a certain extent, but it is not the only way to draw potential customers. Success demands more than just increased foot falls. It requires a hospital to be on the top along with maintaining healthy, rapid and sustainable development momentum. Experts have time and again highlighted that as hospital administrators and marketing managers it is a must to examine and reflect on the core issue, review the market as well as economic conditions and study the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors. This activity in return ensures that the hospital has enough information to strategise an effective marketing plan.

The key drivers for effective marketing are

• Organisational vision, mission and values are the starting point for a good marketing plan
• Patient centric and patient friendly activities, which aid individual’s healthcare decision-making process
•  Visibility improvement and
• Brand recall initiatives, which is directly proportional to frequency of preference by patients and delivering services as promised during marketing campaign strengthens the marketing plan.
• Study the environment (Competition) and the capability of the hospital itself. Understanding the market (including competition) is the tricky part which requires lot of data and information.”

Further, it is extremely important to prepare a marketing plan based on strategic goals and objective of the hospital.

Moreover, planning always helps to avoid surprises. It brings focus and efficiency to your efforts. A well-developed plan is better placed to achieve marketing objectives. Resources are always scarce. Differentiation has to be perceived by the consumer. The perception is established in consumer’s mind if messages are backed by evidence. Therefore, marketers not only have to identify and create differentiation they also have to ensure that it is registered in consumer’s mind. A planned approach, which synergises communication with ground action coherently, requires astute planning. A marketing plan for the hospital will be based on following components of Plan, Do, Check and Act (PDCA):

•         Strategic goals and objective of your organisation
•         Core competencies and unique selling proposition of the organisation
•          Equation of your organisation with respect to competitors
•          Activity chart based strategic goals and objectives
•          Implementation milestones
•          Monitoring and control mechanism Realigning / rearranging flexibilities within a plan