Are You Ready To Market Through Healthcare Reform?

Are you ready to market yourself in 2014 when healthcare reform hits?  A hard question to answer completely because we don’t even know completely what the 2,700 page bill even means to us or our consumers yet.

We do know enough to realize that the traditional healthcare and insurance product and services landscape will change as we know it — stripping down to a menu of segmented health plans that everyone will be offering (more or less) in just a few short years.  Certainly, this will be a monumental shift not only in product offerings, but also to the core of how our brands will need to define us in the marketplace.

But that’s not the only dynamic happening.  Even before HC Reform, we knew that the segment of self-educated customers (consumers and businesses) was spiking.

Some 80 percent of American Internet users, or some 113 million adults, go online to search for information on healthcare on sites like HospitalCompare.com and 8 million American adults use the Internet to search for information on healthcare topics daily.  70% of patients have researched their physicians or health care institutions before making an appointment.

Beyond their decisions on health insurance coverage and plans, companies are more active in selecting providers and negotiating contracts with key health institutions for selected procedures. For example, Lowe’s has signed on with The Cleveland Clinic for employee cardiac surgery needs and The Mayo Clinic is Wal-mart’s provider of transplants if an employee happens to need one.  Times are changing.

Taking healthcare to a commodity and the fact that both consumers and businesses are more active than ever in their decisions surrounding health insurance and health providers, we are in a unique situation forcing us to think and market differently in the upcoming years.  So, how do you market yourself through Healthcare Reform?  Here are a few initial insights:

First of all, now is NOT the time to be quiet. Despite the recession, it is the time to stay focused and keep your marketing efforts in high gear.  Your competitors are.  According to AdAge, healthcare providers are increasing their spend significantly.  For instance, The Cleveland Clinic (in our backyard) doubled ad spending from 2008 to 2009 (from $3.9 million to $8.5 million).   You need to stay top of mind now more than ever and your brand messaging will be critical to set your brand above all others.

Get customer centric.  Fast. Your future will be in the hands of the customer (consumer or business).  When price is stripped out of the equation, it will be critical to keep customer service ratings high and engagement with your brand as deep and as frequent as possible.  Knowing your customer and using that information to add value to their experience is imperative. Each positive touch point further separates you from your competitors and increases your retention rate.

Use innovation and technology to transform your product offering or service experience.  For instance, there is a new web-based tool to inform and alert your patients of waiting room times.  Use technology to add to (not replace) the personal experiences you provide.

Think outside of the box. You may need to redefine your traditional business model to better fit the market need right now.  For instance, some Health insurance providers are beginning to invest in brick and mortar to set themselves apart.  These retail stores include kiosks to take simple health measurements, space where people can ask questions and work with staff on coverage or billing problems, as well as participate in wellness classes and programs.

Be the best, most trusted resource. Your customers have even more questions about Healthcare Reform than you do.  And knowing that the majority of them are actively searching and engaged, set a plan to position your brand as their trusted source for relevant information (and fulfill the promise well).  Use marketing vehicles including social media to connect and assist customers in information gathering, solution finding, and better decision making.

Blink and 2014 will be here before we know it.   Although we are unsure of exactly what is going to happen, we do know that it is going to be an interesting ride for health marketers.  If you’d like help marketing through Healthcare Reform, give us a shout.  We like rollercoasters, the faster the better!

For more information on The Changing Role of Consumers in Healthcare Decisions, check out our white paper for even more insights.

Flickr photo courtesy of magrolino