This past week, I attended both the Healthcare Executive Forum gathering and the 17th National Summit for Healthcare Marketing Strategies in Orlando, Florida. Both meetings were rich with important, timely content presented by many of the best in the industry.
One theme carried through all the sessions – the times, they are a changin’ – and the clarion call for marketers was to move purposefully and rapidly to help organizations embrace change and drive transformation.
The underlying basis for competition is shifting in the health industry and will continue to do so as market and government reform-driven movements take hold. Changing economics are front and center, creating unprecedented opportunities for marketing leaders to step up and be integral catalysts for innovative practices that drive growth, customer loyalty, and better business performance.
I had the honor of speaking with three marketing professional who are doing just that. In our session – Are You Future Ready? – Ellen Barron (AVP Marketing and Communications for University of Iowa Healthcare), Phyllis Marino (VP Marketing and Communications at MetroHealth), and Suzanne Sawyer (Chief Marketing Officer and AVP for Penn Medicine) each spoke about overhauling their respective marketing operations to create the competencies and systems required in today’s and tomorrow’s competitive environment. In upcoming posts, I’ll share highlights from their case studies.
So here’s my takeaway. Now is the time for chief marketing officers to:
- Assess the role, functions and performance of marketing departments and move aggressively to transform marketing practice from promotions-oriented tactics to growth-oriented strategic leadership.
- Build powerful, differentiated brands that drive growth, innovation and better business performance.
- Lead organizations in mainstreaming web, social and mobile technologies that engage customers, build commerce and improve business functions.
- Be a champion for customer-centered decision-making and innovations that transform customer experience.
Following is a snapshot of a slide from our presentation – these are urgent and essential actions for all healthcare marketing leaders.
Chief Marketing Officer 