Hospital Marketing Strategy

Introduction.

I am Ratnakar with .S Cube Relations’ a small start-up based out of Bengaluru, Karnataka State, India. The purpose of writing this is to convey the latest innovation in marketing strategy. It is applicable to all but more specific to health care domain. Compared to health care centre all other business organizations are focused on their core business. It can be software development, manufacturing various devices and consumer products. Health care centre is different since it combines so many specialties under one roof. You have different specialty doctors, different diagnostic departments and specialists in different fields like physiotherapist. Health care also houses commercial departments like finance, inventory and others. A visitor to health care centre will not be knowing the wide variety of services of the centre. Centre cannot forcefully feed the presences of different services. There is a unique method to convey all the services of the health care centre. I have made an attempt in this article. Read on.

What are my credentials for writing this?

Any writing will have authenticity and meaning if it’s written by a person who has at least a little knowledge about the subject. I know, a thought has come immediately into the reader’s mind, “little is dangerous”. Well, the little knowledge is dangerous if the person starts preaching. I am not in that mood at all. I am covering the subject which is very well known to me by practical experience. Acceptance by the target audience is the motivation and emboldens me to expound the intended subject topic. You may have to wait a little longer to learn whom do I mean by target audience. I am explaining about a product which has great relevance in the present market scenario. I have played a great role in the development of the idea. I am also responsible to add features from time to time. I have in depth experience in proposing to target audience. I am mainly responsible for clients accepting this product. Adding my qualification and experience, the overall hold I have on the product I am proposing, is quite expansive.

A small history capsule of this idea?

If I go back a couple of years and rewind, I will take you to the company drawing board. The idea of this unique product, to be honest, did not come from me. I am shrewd like all my marketing colleagues out there in the field. A couple of years of hard grind in back baking sun; squinting eyes due to harsh wind; sweat soaked shirt is enough to bring the hidden potential out of a sales guy. When my boss casually related the idea I jumped at the opportunity. I put all my experience to analyse the worthiness of the idea. Lo, it is good and if put in right perspective than it will be great. I jumped into the idea, poured out my thoughts and followed the development vigorously. The idea blossomed into a beautiful product. The features were adequate at that time. The product began to make rounds in the market. I devised various ways to promote the product.

What is the marketing strategy?

Marketing is widely used. Marketing is a beautiful concept. There are plenty of writings available in the book shelves in book stores. Marketing is a vast world. Marketing is conglomeration of so many ideas past, present and waiting for future. Coming to brass talks, I am confining myself regarding marketing strategy of a service. I am referring to hospital service marketing. Majority of the readers may raise eye brows when they hear hospital service marketing. Hospital is there for our very existence. I can go to the extent of saying that without hospitals we don’t exist. Humans are indebted to medical doctors, nurses, paramedical staffs and all those beautiful souls who work tirelessly to keep us healthy and alive. You may ask, is not health service prime essential? What is there to market? Well, there is a vast difference between the present health care scenario, when compared to around 40-50 years back Earlier everything was adequate. You take resources like food, shelter and infrastructure all were in tandem. All were satisfied and were living happily. The world after this golden era of adequacy received a rude shot in inconsistent, unproportioned boom. The technology galloped in invention and presented humanity a plethora of consumer products. The technology also made the world one family. Population boom went unabated. Health care mushroomed to cater to burgeoning population. Both healthy and unhealthy competition started with an aim to gain upper hand. It is now becoming more relevant to showcase the product and services. Health care is not an exception. Perhaps readers of my age may remember the health care scenario 40 years back. We had one General Practitioner who attended all health problems. We now have one specialty doctor to each one of our body part. Obviously many specialty related hospitals came up. The development of course is most welcome. Now the need for health care to inform what they do, to whom they do, how they do to target audience. Conveying message properly in right forum is most important. The target audience here are patients, patient attendants and visitors. The cloud is now clearing, there is a need for health care centres to project their services. There is a stumble block. Health care domain cannot use the regular advertising route. They cannot employ the usual TV, paper and other advertisement channels. To top it all, they cannot advertise in the open. If at all they want to advertise in open market than surrogate advertisement is the only answer. I have seen many hoardings at vantage points by health care centres at many places. They spend on an average around lacs of rupees per advertisement hoarding. The advertisement is of short duration. The message cannot be changed till they spend again huge sum. Same message repeats to the viewer till the contract with hoarding agency lasts. This way of promotion is not only cumbersome but also wasting money with any gain. Everything is left chance, the advertiser will not know whether the money spent on hoardings is converted into more utilization of hospital services. This type of marketing is literally a horror story in marketing domain. One should have an analytical tool to understand and assess whether the money spent is in right direction. Is there a way around? Yes there is an exciting product. Compared to the traditional marketing it is quick and highly cost effective. It is simple since health care centres can now promote the services inside the heath care premises. The big question is how to do? Typically many health care centres continue using print material and small banners inside the health care centres. Again these methods are static; time and money is required to effect any changes. The purpose now is to curtain the consistent spending of health care centres for advertisement. The print materials like brochures, pamphlets and standees will not suffice. It will not reach the audience. The visitors in the health care centres being patients will not have the vigour or interest to go to the place where these advertisement materials are placed. It becomes a routing spend and automatic allocation of funds in the budget.

The time has come to break the jinx in the form of Digital Display System.

What is Digital Display System?

Before I explain the Digital Display System let me touch on inability of print material to convey the message. What is the message? The technology boom has enabled invention of so many equipment to test, ascertain, diagnose and treat many human diseases. A typical health care centre may have all the latest equipment or some of the latest equipment. Let us construct a scene, a patient walks inside, seeks information to his or her particular ailment and waits for his or her turn. The patient is not alone. A close friend or a relative or a family member will be assisting the patient. They are in that position as visitors. The big question mark is, how many will read the lengthy material or even if they happen to read, how many will grasp the contents. The most important part is how many will retain the message expressed in the contents. In this modern era where everyone are on the move constantly, the concept of conveying message through printed material is failing. The brand recall is almost nil. The patient after getting well will convey the efficacy of treatment to others orally. That will fail the purpose of budget allocation for printed material. Is there a solution? Yes Digital Display System is the answer.

Before I explain about Digital Display System, it is appropriate to mention the idea behind the product. We all know digital media has taken over the print media. Why digital media is becoming so popular? It is because of the success of brand recall and retaining power. Combination of soothing music and attractive visuals enthral the audience. The message is absorbed by the viewer like a sponge absorbing water. The retention capacity of human mind is very strong. One has to find the right way to reach the point.

Digital Display System employs the most powerful method of sound and visuals. The brief time spent by the patient and visitors is utilized powerfully by the health care centre through Digital Display System. The idea behind Digital Display System is to convey the services of the hospital. It helps the hospital staff to think, design and display. Administrators can think newer attractive ways to promote the services. Everyone will be aware about all the services and the brand recall is very strong. Health care centres will not break any rules and utilize their premises effectively.

Who are the target health care centres?

Almost all health care centres are the target. You may ask how? TV is present in all places. Yes existing TV is the only requirement for digital display system. Majority of health care centres use the existing TV’s to beam local news channel or other entertainment channels. Who will view the entertainment channels in health care centres? Both the patient and the accompanying visitor will not be interested in usual channels which are available in their homes. Digital display system allows the hospital to beam videos, texts, images. It helps to build confidence in both the minds of patients and visitors when they view the credentials of the hospital. The credentials of the medical doctor working in the hospital will not only enhance the reputation of the doctor but also impress the patients and visitors alike. The growth record of the health care centre will ease the tension in the minds of patients. . A few video shots of satisfied patients will further consolidate the trust in the mind of the visitors. Health care centres can now create new era in display concept.

Details of Digital display system.

I had mentioned earlier that existing TV is required for Digital display system. The investment is almost minimal as far as hardware requirement is concerned. Computer will always be present in the health care centre. Digital display system is a unique and custom developed software. It consumes very little space. LAN connectivity is required to connect computer to TV. With these simple infrastructure Digital Display system will start working instantly. The software makes the TV a powerful marketing hub. All in a silent but beautiful way. One has the choice to keep sound and video or only video. Use animation if sound is barred due to sensitivity of the place. Are there many TV’s in the health care centre? No sweat, connect one software to all the TV’s. A little tweak is required for the hardware which is cost effective. The software being light weight will run long without any hiccups. Now health care centre has the right choice. It is economical and reliable.

Features

I had mentioned TV. It can be any display monitor. Want to display in a larger area? Go ahead software enables you. Number of TV’s no botheration. Divide display screen virtually from one to 4 screens. Display multiple videos.

Feasibility

Anyone can operate. Easy to install. Easy to load. Simple methods to change display media. User friendly.

Acceptance

The Digital display system is accepted at many top health care centres in my local area. Many are viewing the demonstration unit to make a decision.

Conclusion.

Digital display system galore with many attractive features. I am summarizing few of the points.

Ease of installation’

Ease of operation

Multi centre option

Motivate your staff

Motivate your visitors

Motivate your patients

Seeing is believing

Conclusion

I am sure you are interested to view the Digital Display System in action. We will be too glad to show the live demo. Email us at sales@scuberelations.com, ratnakar@scuberelations.com. Visit www.scuberelations.com. We are waiting for you.